Lovejoy is a divvie, a person with the extraordinary ability to recognize genuine antiques from fakes or forgeries. But even though Lovejoy is very skilled at his profession, he doesn’t seem to be able to keep himself afloat. He’s always strapped for cash, but his love for the hunt keeps him in the game. He says, “Among the bric-a-brac and tacky trinkets, there’s a gem.” And sometimes those gems have a mystery attached to them that Lovejoy cannot help but solve.
Lovejoy, played by Ian McShane, is an exceptional forger, conniver and liar, but a totally likeable guy. He loves women and antiques, but not necessarily in that order. With the help of his friend, Lady Jane Felsham, his dim assistant Eric, and often intoxicated buddy Tinker, Lovejoy scours the countryside for hidden treasures.
The show was adapted from the novels by Jonathan Gash and was apparently created to take advantage of the great popularity of Antiques Roadshow. What’s a bit unusual about the show is that in every episode Lovejoy “breaks the fourth wall” and talks to camera, revealing his thoughts. I found it kind of odd, but it 
seemed appropriate for his character.
My first experience with Ian McShane was as the foul-mouthed brothel and saloon owner, Al Swearengen, on HBO’s Deadwood. To see him earlier in his career is entertaining. But the best part of the show for me was seeing a young Phyllis Logan as Lady Jane. She plays Mrs. Hughes on Downton Abbey.
In my opinion, this isn’t British TV at its absolute best. I’ve only watched the first two seasons, mainly because it really hasn’t grown on me. I’ll keep giving it a try. The show lasted 6 seasons, so it must have either gotten better, or at the time there wasn’t much else to watch!
MAIN CAST:
Ian McShane – Lovejoy
Phyllis Logan – Lady Jane Felsham
Dudley Sutton – Tinker Dill
Chris Jury – Eric Catchpole
Diane Parish – Beth Taylor
Malcolm Tierney – Charlie Gimbert
Total Seasons: 6 (71 episodes)
Seasons Available on US Formatted DVD: 6
In Production: 1986, 1991 – 1994
Viewer Discretion: Language, adult situations, brief nudity
Each episode is a different story of an ordinary person awaiting trial for a crime. (The last two episodes are linked with the outcome of one story leading into the next.) Each episode opens with the main character being lead to the courtroom and portions of the trial are intercut with the backstory of how this person got there.
a crime? Would you go to such extreme measures?
William and Mary join a dating service. When William lays eyes on Mary, he’s immediately smitten and wants to meet her. Though their first date doesn’t go as well as planned, they end up getting together, falling in love, and dealing with all the complications and the challenges life throws at them. Their work lives are just a part of it. They’ve got even more to contend with when they blend their families. The Brady Bunch it isn’t.
despair.
Linda Nelson quit her job as a police officer to become a sex therapist. She shares a practice in Leeds with her brother-in-law, Greg. She’s desperate to have a child, but finds out that her husband, Richard, is infertile. She asks Richard’s brother, Greg, to be a sperm donor, much to the dismay of Greg’s wife, Penny, as well as Richard.
found and she’s one of Linda’s patients.
And unfortunately, rather than sympathize with Linda, I didn’t care much for her. She blames Richard for their inability to conceive, which is out of his control. This pushes her into the arms of her brother-in-law, whom she guiltlessly has an affair with.
Throughout the series, the family tries many schemes to raise money to make the estate turn a profit like making Glenbogle a bed and breakfast, marketing its spring water and making it a healing center. And I suppose it can get very tiresome in that every episode the family is looking for a new income stream to save the estate, but the characters are very likeable and you want them to succeed. And sometimes the show can be a wee bit corny, but it’s still one of my favorites for so many reasons, one of which is the gorgeous locations in 
the Scottish Highlands.
decisions? What about those opportunities not taken?
The Simons are having a reunion at a posh London hotel. All members of the family – aunts, uncles, cousins, in-laws – have been invited. Daniel is anxious to meet some of his extended family, many of whom he doesn’t even know. His father, on the other hand, is very reluctant to join in. As the story unfolds, both Daniel and his father, Raymond, learn that there are some very extraordinary stories in their family’s history. And as Daniel gets caught in the middle of the lives of his relatives, he tries to repair some of the damaged relationships, sometimes with less than positive results.
for something to happen, not completely paying attention to what was going on. But about three-quarters of the way into that first show, things got interesting and I was hooked.
interviewing the lead detective on the case, George Bennett. Back in 1963, this was young Bennett’s first major case, a chance to prove himself and possibly launch his career. But at the time of Alison’s disappearance, did Bennett follow protocol or did he do whatever it took to find out what happened to Alison? Did Bennett’s obsession with the case lead him to make some tragic mistakes? And what secrets is Catherine uncovering as she researches her documentary? What is the village of Scardale hiding? There are many more questions than answers surrounding
the missing girl’s case.
Off-duty police officer, Laurie Franklin, is on a train taking her mother to the hospital. Suddenly, the train comes to a halt when it appears that a Muslim woman has jumped off a bridge in front of the oncoming train, apparently committing suicide.
mini-series from 2007 called Five Days which starred Hugh Bonneville (
The Hour has been compared to Mad Men, but only because it’s a period drama – The Hour takes place in 1956, Mad Men in the mid-1960s. And they do a lot of smoking and drinking on both shows. But The Hour is not about advertising, it’s a behind-the-scenes look at the BBC’s new investigative TV news programme called, naturally, The Hour.
the brink of World War III. But in addition to portraying the delicate political environment of the time, you’ve also got conspiracies, romance and a murder mystery all rolled into one.
