The Murder at Road Hill House

I'm surprised by the generally negative reviews for this production. Some reviewers seem to want the writers to re-write history to replicate an Agatha Christie story. The fact is, this story was based on reality, not on Christie's tropes and formulas. The fact is, sometimes crimes work out as this one did, with an unsatisfying ending. The detective doesn't call all the suspects to a meeting where he reveals his genius at deduction, or cause the suspect to reveal him/herself in dramatic fashion.

I found this well acted and well written. Not great, but quite good, and well worth the watching. Maybe if Captain Hastings' grandfather had showed up for comic relief, more people would have liked it. Personally, I found the straight drama well done and satisfying.

I'm a big fan of mystery series (Morse, Endeavour, etc.), so I was curious to view the "Roadhill" film and see what Mr. Whicher was all about. I read about the series and about the real Mr. Which on Google before I watched this first episode. What a wonderful experience! The story takes a while to unfold, but it does in such a way that by the end you feel like you understand why Mr. Whicher conducted the investigation the way he did. Paddy Considine is perfectly cast as Mr. Whicher. His face expresses multiple emotions, and unlike most modern detectives, he generally keeps his cool and behaves with decorum and decency to the innocent and guilty alike. The story unfolds like the layers of an onion constantly unfolding new bits of information about the characters involved in the case. The costumes and sets are fabulous and the cast is very believable. If you want action and adventure this is not your show. However, if you want to enjoy a fascinating story that is very well acted this is a film for you. After watching this first episode I watched the other three that are available. I wish that the BBC had produced more episodes in this marvelous series.

I came on here to see if others thought this as brilliant as I, and was very disappointed at the negative comments. If I am to stand alone,so be it. From what I've read, this show is based on fact; it is therefore not CSI, or Criminal Minds, where the killer is found (mostly through forensics and DNA testing), and the crime solved and neatly wrapped up with a bow. I somehow feel that that is what many were expecting.

That is why reality TV is so successful. People don't want to watch a show where you have to think, or to watch the crime solver think as well. They want everything solved, or only happy endings. Well you won't get that here. But the show is brilliantly done and Mr Whicher is portrayed brilliantly by the actor. The actress who portrayed Constance Kent was also exemplary in her role. I found the show interesting, and did not stop once for the whole hour and a half that I watched it online.

It has peaked my interest so much that I am not only going to watch the other episode with Mr Whicher, but I am also going to see if I can find the info on Wikipedia about the Kents, and the murder. Not every show has a happy ending, but when it's based on real life and fact, then we must deal with that and accept it. Life is not always a bed of roses. A very interesting show and I recommend it highly.

I just recently discovered the series. I watched the Beyond the Pale episode first and really liked it: it was a morally complex and empathetic story. Murder at Road Hill was quite good but it just wasn't as morally challenging as Beyond the Pale. All in all, it's a great series. I hope they make more!

This applies to all 4 of the Whicher movies.

They are full of well realized characters acting in a way which is reasonably consistent with what I know of the period. The mysteries are clever and the solutions are, for the most part, very satisfying. If you like this sort of program you will like this one. If you don't, give this one a try.