25 Mystery Days of Christmas, Part I: December 1-8, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Miss Fisher, and More!

by Karen A. Romanko

I’ve devised a special TV Mystery “Advent Calendar” for my Facebook group Mystery TV—British and American Series, selecting one Christmas-themed episode per day of mystery, crime, and spy television series. I’m collecting the first eight posts here on Small Screen Pop, and my choices run the gamut from a campy episode of the The Man from U.N.C.L.E. in 1966 to a dramatic installment of Grantchester in 2016. Please enjoy and keep an eye out for Part II!

25 Mystery Days of Christmas! One holiday episode per day. December 1: Father Brown, “The Star of Jacob” (2016). This one has great holiday spirit and a mystery that doesn’t involve murder. Season 5, Episode 1. From my DVD collection.

25 Mystery Days of Christmas! One holiday episode per day. December 2: Remington Steele, “Dancer, Prancer, Donner and Steele” (1985). If you like your Christmas episodes on the intense side, this one’s for you, as the Steele agency and guests are held hostage at a holiday party (pre-Die Hard). Season 4, Episode 9. From my DVD collection.

25 Mystery Days of Christmas! One holiday episode per day. December 3: Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries, “Murder Under the Mistletoe” (2013). Looking like a beautiful snow queen, Miss Fisher (Essie Davis) investigates a death by Christmas tree and finds (we’re not surprised) MURDER. Season 2, Episode 13. From my DVD collection.

25 Mystery Days of Christmas! One holiday episode per day. December 4: Father Dowling Mysteries, “The Christmas Mystery” (1990). Sister Steve (Tracy Nelson), game for any assignment, works at a department store, where too many Santas spell trouble for her and a young boy. Season 3, Episode 10. From my DVD collection.

25 Mystery Days of Christmas! One holiday episode per day. December 5: Grantchester, "Christmas Special" (2016). Sidney (James Norton) and Geordie (Robson Green) investigate a murder, as they do, while Amanda (Morven Christie) is ready to give birth, but is literally left out in the cold (shades of "no room at the inn"). Season 3, Episode 0 or 1 (depending on who's counting). From my DVD collection.

25 Mystery Days of Christmas! One holiday episode per day. December 6: The Man from U.N.C.L.E., “The Jingle Bells Affair” (1966). My favorite thing about this episode was the interior footage of Macy‘s New York during the holiday season, which evoked lots of fond memories. The rest is an uncomfortable mix of camp, communists, chattiness, and Christmas. Season 3, Episode 15. From my DVD collection.

25 Mystery Days of Christmas! One holiday episode per day. December 7: Agatha Christie’s Marple, “4:50 from Paddington” (also known as “What Mrs. McGillicuddy Saw,” 2004). Miss Marple (Geraldine McEwan) sends her beautiful young friend (Amanda Holden) to serve as a housekeeper for the Christmas holidays at the Crackenthorpe estate. Marple is convinced there’s a body hidden on the grounds, and not even Christmas will stop the venerable sleuth from digging up bodies and the wealthy family’s secrets. Season 1, Episode 3. From my DVD collection.

25 Mystery Days of Christmas! One holiday episode per day. December 8: The Mentalist, “Jolly Red Elf” (2010). When a man dressed in a Santa suit is pushed from a window, Patrick (Simon Baker) and the team investigate, taking them from a Santa convention to Alcoholics Anonymous. The solution to the murder mystery is dark, in contrast to the pretty holiday lighting displayed in the episode. Season 3, Episode 10. From my DVD collection.

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Last, but not least, please check out my books about women and television from McFarland Publishers, available in trade paperback and Kindle editions at Amazon:

Television's Female Spies and Crimefighters and Women of Science Fiction and Fantasy Television
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