Agatha Raisin

Stumbled across this show on Acorn TV and I'm happy I did. It's delightful. It's fun. I like the settings, the characters and the actors. However, I am totally unfamiliar with the original books. That being said, I don't think it much matters. I was a fan of the TV show "Bones" for a number of seasons before I picked up one of Kathy Reichs' novels. I admit it was a bit jarring at first. The books and the TV show have really only two things in common; the name of the main character and her profession. I stopped trying to compare the two and enjoy both as stand-alone entities. If I read the Agatha Raisin books, I shall keep it in mind to apply the same rule--after reading some of these reviews. In the mean time, I loved this show and am looking forward to a second season.

It is difficult to rate Agatha Raisin because the first 2 seasons are so really great, but season 3 is awful. I can't even finish season 3. I don't know if they got different writers or if there is a different show runner, but so many fundamental aspects of character and nuance were completely changed in season 3. If season 3 was season 1, I would never have watched it. I so want Agatha Raisin renewed for a 4th season with a return to the 1st 2 seasons thoughtfulness, skills, etc. Seasons 1 and 2 and so fun, Agatha is very observant, she and James have amazing chemistry and work so wonderfully together, and they care for each other. I'm not saying she was a perfect person, she's not. She's prickly, and even though she understands how people think and react, it is difficult for her to behave like a normal person. She'll blurb out inappropriate comments without any sense that those words are hurtful or inappropriate. Yet she does care about James and her cohorts. Bring Agatha Raisin back but only as she was and not as she was tweaked.

Yet another funny series about solving murders in idyllic English villages. No, this hasn't the taut writing or the sharp wit of Agatha Christie's but is more of a Midsomer Murders with slapstick comedy and one-liners. The setting is beautiful, but the characters are too stereotyped. The village seems to be made up of a handful of people which lends the series a aura of incredulity and just sheer fantasy. The plots all have holes, and without sufficient character development, or explanation, seem a bit silly to have been solved in the 40 minutes or so. Don't watch this with any seriousness in mind, it's more about silliness and escapism to provide mindless entertainment.

Series 3 has lost the plot. Everyone overacts, especially Ashley Jensen. In series 3 her character is annoying, angry and mouthy. She trips and falls everywhere and it's not remotely humorous, just annoying. Series 1 and 2 are better and Fairies of Fryfam is my favourite episode. If there is a series 4 I hope they all tone down the silliness.

I watched Season 1 over a few days and am disappointed there may never be a continuing series. As a big fan of British TV mysteries, this was a highly entertaining departure for me. While it reminded me of Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries because of the main character, I liked Agatha Raisin much more. I haven't read the books so I had no preconceived notions about any of the characters but the TV Agatha is so appealing that I'm hard put to understand some reviewers not liking the interpretation made by the show producers. If the TV Agatha has a different color hair, so what?

Since I've known many female PR executives in real life, for me, Ashley Jensen is a perfect example of an accomplished career woman in that profession: intelligent, pro-active, confident, goal oriented, oftentimes domineering, and always a fashionista. I found it funny that Agatha still wears the fabulous clothes and high-heeled shoes traipsing about the English countryside that she wore in the more sophisticated landscape of London. So ingrained is her high style wardrobe that she seems not to notice the potential threat of navigating cobblestone roads and marshy grasslands in stilettos. Because Agatha is supposed to be an "older" woman, Jensen is also the right age for this role as she shows a very wee bit of the start of drooping skin in certain lighting, but does not detract at all from her good looks, putting her more in the updated cougar category even though she is not interested in scoring with all manner of men. The trendy hairstyle, red lipstick and always manicured red nails is a welcome & fitting contrast to the "country" women in her village. Miss Marple she is not, and instead of knitting, Agatha cycles. The rest of the cast is nicely tuned, particularly Jamie Glover whose normal, regular guy personna is humorous in itself as he tries to protect and woo the effervescent Agatha. I also fully enjoy the character of Roy who brings that certain brand of hilarious gay humor to the show and also provides Agatha with a deep friendship that has history, an invaluable asset to any lead character. I'm not sure if the bi-racial coupling of the vicar and his wife was in the books, but it seems odd to me and I wonder if it was a decision based in tokenism. Of late, many British shows present mixed couples but, conversely, I can't recall seeing a strictly minority couple. Perhaps this is some kind of trend.

I see all kinds of potential stories for this series especially if Agatha is married. Not since The Thin Man have we seen a happily married couple who lead an unconventional lifestyle that sometimes involves solving a murder. It would be nice to expect another season or two. Update August 2018: VERY EXCITING NEWS - SEASON 2 is in the works!!