My latest and greatest pastime has been watching vintage crime dramas both American and British. Truthfully, these dramas reveal the true human spirit both beautiful and ugly.
It started after I got tired of watching the Hallmark Channel where the movies all have the same basic storyline of introduction of the characters of their own story then the two characters meet who in the best place. Everything goes well for a while until the relationship is tested in a big way which they always find their way back to each other.
My first vintage crime drama was,”Monk,” who I could relate to on many levels because of his free spirit and how it was written around his personality. Later on, it was “Matlock” then “Diagnosis Murder” which both were well written and casted. Finally, “Murder, She Wrote” about a mature woman who lived in Maine and who started writing about crime as a way of grieving her husband who passed away. Also, I thought that, “Castle,” was interesting and well written of a millionaire and a private investigator. Each of these series and episodes revealed the true human spirit in different ways.
After learning the star of, “Murder, She Wrote,” actually worked with Agatha Christie for the character, “Miss Marple” I was hooked and then “Piorot.” Both series were based on books that were all best sellers. In addition, I have watched, “Frost,” “Endeavor,” and “Sister Boniface” plus others. Britbox and BBC America are both networks that I know well.
The human spirit is usually revealed in truth when life goes sideways and not when it’s going well. I believe that both the British and us Americans in our crime dramas reveal it well.
Safe at Home,
Leslie Elizabeth David.
The Magnificent Modern Mature Woman 