Month: November 2018

EP2672: Dragnet: The Big Filth

Jack Webb

Friday investigates when a woman disappears and leaves her children alone for more than a week.

Original Air Date: February 2, 1954

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EP2671: Yours Truly: The Ivy Emerald Matter

Mandel Kramer

Johnny searches for a stolen emerald.

Original Air Date: April 8, 1962

When making your travel plans, remember http://johnnydollarair.com

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EP2670: Boston Blackie: Blackie Breaks Up the Murdoch Gang

Richard Kollmar

With Farraday out of town and an ambitious replacement in charge, Blackie sets out to single-handedly break up the Murdoch gang.

Original Air Date: November 26, 1947
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EP2669: Rocky Jordan: The Broken Wing

Jack Moyles

A man asks Rocky to take care of his unmarried daughter.

Original Air Date: July 10, 1949

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EP2668: Stand by for Crime: Marijuana Mystery

Glenn Langan

Chuck goes to the Mexican Border when his secretary Carol has been arrested for smuggling marijuana.

Original Air Date: 1952
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EP2667: Mister Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons: The Case of the Woman Who Married a Murderer

So lost, I'm fading

photo credit: Greyframe So lost, I’m fading viaphotopin (license)

A woman comes to Mister Keen because she fears that her husband murdered her ex-boyfriend.

Original Air Date: April 27, 1950

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Video Theater 0143: Dragnet: The Big Frame

Friday and Smith investigate an apparent hit and run that has signs of being a murder.

Original Air Date: April 22, 1954

Season 3, Episode 34

Audio Drama Review: Shilling and Sixpence Investigate

The Morlington Mysteries are a series of murder mysteries that have been produced for many years live onstage in Brighton in the UK. While each mystery stands alone, it also could be enjoyed as a series. Producer/Writer/Sound Designer Nigel Fairs brings the Morlington Mysteries to audio in Shillings and Sixpence Investigates which is part of Big Finish’s new “Originals” range.

The series title characters Miss Lavinia Sixpence (Celia Imrie) and Desmond Shilling (David Warner) are new characters for the audio dramas. Sixpence is in charge of a girls’ school with Shilling being the school’s new English teacher. The series also features Doctor Who alumni Lisa Bowerman, Louise Jameson, and Matthew Waterhouse, along with many members of the stage company.

The stories are set in the small town of Morlington Hills at the start of the Second World War. The first series features four separate stories, each split into two half-hour episodes:

1) The Missing Year/The Dark Shadow: The series opens with a standard plot where the Lord of the Manor is murdered. The story serves to introduce the main characters as well to have them joining forces to investigate a murder for the first time. The characters are fun, if a bit broadly written, and they have some nice bonding moments. The mystery features a solid supply of suspects and a fair enough solution. Overall, the first story is a strong start that left me eager for the next story.

2) In the Silent Dead of Night / A Very Messy Business: Sixpence, Shilling, and several characters from the previous story go to the home of the eccentric Baroness Pippin to visit a medium. Murder follows.

This story has a decent plot, though unoriginal with a big hole at the end where the Baroness misses something that was unbelievably obvious.

The performances were mostly solid with Lisa Bowerman doing a great job as the housekeeper. At the same time, Miss Sixpence comes off as particularly unlikable with a mix of arrogance and coldness. Add to that most of these characters aren’t that likable and you’ve got a so-so story.

3) An Appointment with God/The Dying Room: The story focuses on questions raised in the first story and has Miss Sixpence visiting the first murderer and subsequently being kidnapped. It’s up to Shilling and the police to find her before her disturbed kidnapper has his vengeance.

The story is quite a bit darker than the first two stories as the more disturbing elements of the story press the boundary of the cozy mystery feel the first two episodes generated. Where the episode really succeeds is by putting Miss Sixpence through her paces by putting her in danger and making her deal with a past mistake. This makes her a lot more human and relatable. Overall, this is well-acted and well-paced.

4) The Face of An Angel/The Black Widow: In the final mystery, the man set to play St. Bernard in the town’s festival dies in an apparent accident. At the time, Shilling tries to find the Black Widow whose evil deeds connect the crimes in the first three episodes. The story comes to a resounding if not entirely unexpected solution. The story features a few good character moments, particularly for Lady Penelope and Inspector Cribbage.

Nigel Fairs deserves credit for how he manages to tantalize listeners for another series. He doesn’t leave the key cases unsolved, but he drops hints of many intriguing goings on about the village with hints of other unknown underhanded dealings. Inspector Cribbage states he has a reason for being there and is making an inquiry. Some characters have secret pasts. On top of that, three characters end the series in sticky situations. Thus Series 1 sets the stage for more cases in a future box set.

The production values on this series are pretty high. Fairs is as good, if not better, at the sound design and music as he is the writing and the sound makes the story feel true to the era. Overall, this is as good or better than anything you’re likely to hear on the BBC.

This solid historical mystery combines the mystery with a dash of melodrama to make for an engaging listen.

Rating: 4 out of 5 (8/10 for Countries on the Metric System)

Shilling and Sixpence Investigate is currently exclusively available at BigFinish.com

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EP2666: Dragnet: The Big Bid

Jack Webb

Friday and Smith investigate a burglary at a high-end clothing store.

Original Air Date: January 26, 1954

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EP2665: Yours Truly Johnny Dollar: The Blue Rock Matter

Mandel Kramer

Johnny goes to a fishing cabin on opening at the request of an insurance agent who believes that a man is going to kill his young insured stepson.

Original Air Date: April 1, 1962

Try Idagio free for 14 days by visiting http://podcast.idagio.com/box13
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EP2664: Boston Blackie: Armored Car Murder Case

Richard Kollmar

An Armored Car carrying cash is robbed and its drivers killed.

Original Air Date: November 19, 1947

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EP2663: Rocky Jordan: The Map of Murder

Jack Moyles

Rocky hires a singer for the Cafe Tambourine. She’s harassed at work and then Rocky finds her dead.

Original Air Date: July 3, 1949

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EP2662: Stand by for Crime: The Mark Adams Murder

Glenn Langan

Chuck Morgan looks into the murder of a respected citizen and is shocked when his wife reveals that he was a drug addict.

Originally Aired in 1952

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EP2661: Mister Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons: The Country Club Murder Case

So lost, I'm fading

photo credit: Greyframe So lost, I’m fading viaphotopin (license)

A wealthy heiress is murdered at a country club.

Original Air Date: April 20, 1950

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Mail a donation to: Adam Graham, PO Box 15913, Boise, Idaho 83715

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EP2660: Dragnet: The Big Bill

Jack Webb

Friday and Smith are called in by a woman who believes her good friend, a local restaurant owner, is missing.

Original Air Date: January 19, 1954

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Mail a donation to: Adam Graham, PO Box 15913, Boise, Idaho 83715
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