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.

Come into this without ANY preconceptions, unlike some who obviously recognize it as being 'different to the books', so from a pure and fresh viewpoint, just a really good fun, lighthearted series. Fabulous settings, attractive eccentric cast, for not-at-all serious light hearted viewing - and sometimes you just NEED that - for me, can just say, much enjoyed, and hope they make more... Have also seen some compare it to Midsomer M., but no - this is much lighter - strong comic element. Maybe cross between Midsomer and Vicar of Dibley!? Only confusion - how DO they manage to find so much sun when they are filming in the UK - certainly enhances the Cotswolds (as if it needed it). Imagine the cast have great fun doing it - more please...

Follow up! Why the h*ll haven't Sky taken up 2nd Series? Come ON!

It took a while for this show to grow on me. Agatha's 'girly' facet didn't register at first, now I think it's a hoot. She's a really interesting character, and wonderfully played. *All* the actors are excellent. Her best friend Gemma is subtly divine. The two policemen each in their own way are wonderful. I've come to love the show, and really hope they will keep it going. We needed something to fill the gap of clever and engaging 'murder and tea.' No ugliness, shouting, acrimony, etc. Of course, the setting is gorgeous. Agatha has given up the bustle of the city and moved to the Cotswolds. So you get some of those 'quirky village characters' that Midsomer Murders excelled at. If you're a fan of Miss Marple and Poirot shows, or Miss Fisher's murder mysteries, you should really give this a try.

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've been reading the books since the 90's and have enjoyed them quite a bit. While not great literature, they are an entertaining, light read. You'll have to excuse some very glaring continuity issues - hello, what are editors for? - but still a lot of fun.

The TV series is the same - entertaining, light fun. I know many are disparaging the TV series as not being enough like the books, but I don't agree. I don't think it matters if the characters are exactly like the books. In a book, you can spend very little space getting into a character's thoughts and motivations, something really quite hard and often boring to do in film. Updating from the 90"s to now means that quite a bit has to change including how Agatha would operate in PR and the world at large. Like the Hamish MacBeth TV show (which is fabulous, by the way) I think the writers for this series took the fun and the spirit of the books, without some of the nastiness or unbelievable plot devices, and have created something entertaining.

This Agatha Raisin is a character for "now" not the 90's and is well-written and acted. I'd really like to see another series.