25 Mystery Days of Christmas, Part II: December 9-16, Monk, Sherlock, Lovejoy, and more!

by Karen A. Romanko

I’m back with Part II of the TV Mystery “Advent Calendar” I’ve devised for my Facebook group Mystery TV—British and American Series. I’ve been selecting one Christmas-themed episode per day of mystery, crime, and spy television series, and below is the second group of eight. Please enjoy and keep an eye out for Part III! Also check out the first installment, “25 Mystery Days of Christmas, Part I: December 1-8, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Miss Fisher, and More!” available here.

25 Mystery Days of Christmas! One holiday episode per day. December 9: Lovejoy, “The Prague Sun” (1992). Delightful feature-length outing which takes our favorite antiques dealer/con man/amateur sleuth (Ian McShane) from England to Czechoslovakia in search of hidden diamonds and a murderer. Will he make it home in time to play Santa Claus at the local hospital? If Lady Jane (Phyllis Logan) has anything to say about it, he will. Season 3, Episode 14. From my DVD collection.

25 Mystery Days of Christmas! One holiday episode per day. December 10: Monk, “Mr. Monk and the Miracle” (2008). It’s a miracle when fastidious Adrian Monk (Tony Shalhoub) accepts a case from three homeless men, but further miracles are in store as the sick are cured and Monk meets actual monks, including someone surprising. Season 7, Episode 9. From my DVD collection.

25 Mystery Days of Christmas! One holiday episode per day. December 11: The Brokenwood Mysteries, “A Merry Bloody Christmas” (2016). It’s Christmas in New Zealand, but murder never takes a holiday, especially in Brokenwood, where there are “two dead Santas in one day.” This entry features a bright Christmas in the New Zealand sun, but too many names and details bog down the narrative. Season 3, Episode 4. From my DVD collection.

25 Mystery Days of Christmas! One holiday episode per day. December 12: The Equalizer, “Christmas Presence” (1987). McCall (Edward Woodward) and Gage (Richard Jordan) help a young boy (Corey Carrier) with AIDS, who is the target of a fear campaign to remove him from the neighborhood. While this episode sends an important message, subtlety and believability are not among its Christmas gifts, but I cried at the end anyway. Season 3, Episode 11. From my DVD collection.

We are halfway there! 25 Mystery Days of Christmas! One holiday episode per day. December 13: Hart to Hart, “‘Tis the Season to Be Murdered” (1980). The Harts (Robert Wagner and Stefanie Powers) are undercover bosses in their toy subsidiary, when designs are repeatedly stolen by a competitor. This one is broad with a capital B, but Stefanie Powers sure does look cute in her elf costume. Season 2, Episode 5. From my DVD collection.

25 Mystery Days of Christmas! One holiday episode per day. December 14: Sherlock Holmes, “The Blue Carbuncle” (1984). Lavishly produced, with a beautiful glimpse into Christmas in Victorian London. The mystery is holiday-friendly, but the story’s pacing is a bit slow. Season 1, Episode 7. From my DVD collection.

25 Mystery Days of Christmas! One holiday episode per day. December 15: Sue Thomas: F.B. Eye, “Silent Night” (2002). The team investigates bank robberies by a man in a Santa suit, while Sue (Deanne Bray) navigates problems with her domineering mother. The crime story is ho-hum rather than ho-ho, but the tale of family woes at Christmas is effective. Season 1, Episode 7 or 8 (depending on who’s counting). From my DVD collection.

25 Mystery Days of Christmas! One holiday episode per day. December 16: Father Brown, “The Tree of Truth” (2017). Father Brown (Mark Williams) makes a second appearance on 25 Mystery Days of Christmas with this tale, which finds the Kembleford Christmas pantomime somehow linked to a murder from seven years past. Extra points for the inspired idea of casting Inspector Mallory (Jack Deam) and Sgt. Goodfellow (John Burton) as the ugly stepsisters in the panto. Season 6, Episode 1. 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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