Two words: Gardening detectives. Yep, an unusual premise for sure. I must say, though, it does pair two things the British are known for: gardens and solving mysteries. Maybe that’s what they said in the pitch meeting for Rosemary & Thyme!
As the series opens, Rosemary Boxer, a plant pathologist, loses her university position. Laura Thyme, a former police constable and gardening enthusiast, loses her husband to a younger woman.
An unexpected death and a shared love of gardening bring the two together. They become fast friends and start their own horticulture business. Rosemary and Laura travel the countryside helping people with landscape redesign
or diagnosing and curing sick gardens.
Now, for two ladies who spend most of their time gardening, they sure do come across a lot of dead bodies. And when they do, they can’t help but dig into the crime. Since they tend to be hanging around in the background when these murders are discovered, they overhear conversations and find clues that the police often overlook. And even though this may make the police appear incompetent, the detectives are always very appreciative.
It is a silly premise really, gardeners who stumble into murder mysteries and help solve them, “weeding out wrongdoers” and “sowing the seeds of justice.” But it’s a lovely show to watch. The English gardens, which the country is so famous for, are beautiful.
There are better UK crime shows out there, maybe better written and more well-crafted story lines, but this is still quite fun to watch. And Felicity Kendal is just so adorable, even though she was close to 60 years old when the series was produced.
MAIN CAST:
Felicity Kendal – Rosemary Boxer
Pam Ferris – Laura Thyme
Total Seasons: 3 (22 episodes)
Seasons Available on US Formatted DVD: 3
In Production: 2003-2007
Viewer Discretion: Some violence
History and mystery collide in this drama about a team of archeologists from fictional Wessex University who dig up artifacts dating back to the crusades, King Arthur’s reign, the time of slavery and World War I. Star Adrian Lester described it as “CSI meets Indiana Jones.”
name is Gregory Parton, nicknamed “Dolly.” Kind of corny. He’s the more experienced member of the team, but sometimes it seems like he’d rather be in the pub than at a dig site.
scholars did say the show wasn’t necessarily accurate.
Catherine Tate’s collection of ridiculous, eccentric characters has earned her six BAFTA nominations and two British Comedy Awards, including Best Comedy Newcomer in 2004 and Best TV Comedy Actress in 2006.
And boy, did these people drink! There were at least two types of alcohol served at each meal. Guess they needed to lift their spirits with spirits. It wasn’t like there was too much going on. Think of Jane Austen times.
Most of the British and US crime dramas I’ve seen center almost exclusively on the crime itself and rarely delve deep into the personal lives of the characters. Conviction is very different. It does examine the lives of the police officers in the Criminal Investigation Department and how they deal physically and emotionally with the day to day stresses of working in law enforcement.
Conviction definitely does keep you guessing. There’s a jaw-dropping dramatic twist in the first episode that will surely keep you watching until the series end. The acting is great, writing believable.
