Cadfael

It was certainly one of the more original mysteries to come to television. I love Jacobi, he's probably one of my favorite actors. I must say my favorite sheriff was Sean Pertwee. Jon Pertwee's son (of Dr. Who fame). I have to agree with Br. Jerome being one you would love to just kick. I think the actor does a bang up job doing so. Are there any more in the series? I would think so, I've only read a handful of the stories. I probably learned more about plants watching this than I ever did on my own. The actor who played the Sargeant, I've seen him before...oh yes, Hitchhiker's Guide I think. So as not to stray too much off topic, I'd actually give Cadfeal a 10/10. I love the program and plan on getting it on DVD.

Well that's my 2 cents.

I first watched this show believing it would be another dull British detective story, I was wrong it was an excellent show about a medieval monk who uses deductive reasoning to solve murders. The show also gives you a sense of what life was like in the middle ages. A lot of medieval stories concentrate on brutality of the times while this one shows the day to day affairs of normal people, the culture ,the church, the politics and how it affects the murder of the victims.

I have since read the Ellis Peters novels and quite simply this is one case where the TV show is better than the books it was based on. I highly recommend watching this show if you like murder mysteries.

Cadfael is a medieval detective series set in mid-12th Century Shrewsbury against the backdrop of a devastating civil war. It is based on the entertaining and popular series of novels by Ellis Peters, the pseudonym of Edith Pargeter. The protagonist is a Benedictine monk, Brother Cadfael, the crusader-turned-herbalist at the monastery of St. Peter and St. Paul, who finds that the only way to get justice for the corpses that come under his care is to investigate the murders himself.

Many of the intricacies and sub-plots that brought such life to the source material are cut out to fit the stories into 75 minutes. Only 13 episodes of the 20 available books were filmed, which is a shame, although from reading the entire series I would say that arguably the best stories got through. The adaptations are good despite their limitations, but it is noticeable when the original (and superior) dialogue is used. The sets and costumes look great and the Hungarian location is a more than adequate substitute. The authenticity in the series is much higher than in most films set in the era.

The role of Brother Cadfael is played brilliantly by Sir Derek Jacobi, who delivers a performance that really brings out the different facets of the complex character of a former crusader and sailor who settles for a quiet life in a monastery. Though he was not the first choice for the role, it is hard to see how anyone could have improved upon his work except to perhaps bring out more of the Welshman in him. The support is mostly excellent, with actors such as Terence Hardiman, Julian Firth, Michael Culver etc. turning in memorable performances. It is a shame that they could not have had more consistent casting of law man Hugh Beringar and it is not just the actor that changed – he went from being a level-headed and intelligent man in the Sean Pertwee era to someone who believed in testing guilt by throwing the accused in a river during the Anthony Green phase! Unfortunately occasionally there is some unintentional hilarity from the poor dubbing of the Hungarian extras.

Cadfael is worth seeking out if for no other reason than because it is a refreshing change from the CSI-type mysteries that fill our screens, with a different setting and a focus on knowledge of human behaviour rather than forensics (though Cadfael is well ahead of his time in the latter discipline!).

This is a great, great show. that manages to mix mystery with an authentic period feel. I have always been interested in the middle ages. i loved this show the first time i saw an episode on PBS. Great mysteries, interesting characters and a good feel for period- although the people are a bit clean most of the time; really love the interplay between Cadfael, standing for logic, rationality, and the power of the human brain to perceive the world and the characters of brother prior/brother Jerome standing for dogma, doctrine and rigid interpretations of the world based on religious hocus pocus. Derek Jacobi shines as brother Cadfael, bringing his wonderful talent to the role and delivering a sterling performance each time. It is so easy to love Cadfael, with his strong sense of justice and dry wit. not to mention his rebellious streak. MUST WATCH!

My vote for this series would be an 8 out of 10. It's fairly accurate to the book and I think I actually enjoy the series more. It got rather strange when the actor playing Hugh Beringar kept changing, Sean Pertwee (from the premier season) portrayed him the best. Some of the later episodes fell short of my expectations and sometimes the extras' voices were quite obviously dubbed in, but all in all it was quite an entertaining show.