KCET has long been a favorite TV destination for expat Brits, and this Sunday evening provides a perfect illustration of just why with the debut of the mystery series, Inspector George Gently, a stylish and restrained British television series set in the 1960s and based on the Inspector Gently novels by Alan Hunter.
The series features Martin Shaw as the eponymous inspector, Lee Ingleby as Detective Sergeant John Bacchus and Simon Hubbard as PC Taylor at the police station front desk. The show is set amid the gorgeous Northumberland and County Durham scenery and follows the progress of Gently, whom we first meet as he ponders retirement following the murder of his wife by notorious gangster Joe Webster. When he hears about a murder in Northumberland that sounds like Webster’s handiwork, he delays his retirement to take on this one last case. Paired with local detective DS John Bacchus, he must track down Webster, while at the same time trying to deal with his headstrong young assistant and keep him on the straight and narrow. Inspector George Gentley airs at 9-10.30pm on KCET-TV, formerly the local PBS affiliate which became an independent station a couple of years ago. Preceding Inspector George Gently at 8pm is the first part of Foyle’s War: Eagle Day, in which the South Coast WWII detective uncovers a plot to steal art being moved from the local museum to Wales for safekeeping.
On a more contemporary note, Monday, March 12th at 9pm sees the latest episode of Himalaya with Michael Palin, in an episode entitled Bhutan to the Bay of Bengal. In the remote Kingdom of Bhutan, the former Python star finds himself back in the land of yaks for a last look at the high Himalaya. Passing Tiger’s Nest Monastery, Michael treks towards the Base Camp of Chomolhari where he meets Dorji, a nomad with a penchant for yak songs. Heading down to Paro in time to enjoy the great Buddhist festival, or Tsechu, he witnesses the sacred Black Hat Dances in the fortress-like Dzong; archery contests in town; and the unfolding of the giant scroll, or thankha, during the night of the full moon. In a bar in the capital, Thimphu, Michael discusses reincarnation and the pursuit of happiness with Dasho Benji and Ashi Khendum, the King’s cousins, and en route to Bangladesh is taken by Benji to Popshika valley to see the extremely rare black neck cranes.
And for those who enjoy a double dose of British comedy, there is always the Saturday night special of Keeping Up Appearances at 8pm and As Time Goes By at 8.30pm. For the uninitiated Keeping Up Appearances features the wonderfully-named Hyacinth Bucket (which she insists is pronounced ‘bouquet’). Played by Patricia Routledge, Hyacinth is a character with few, if any, saving graces. Her pompous, self-serving, social-climbing attitude makes life miserable for all around her. Long-suffering husband Richard, played by Clive Swift with quiet resignation, gets the brunt of much of her scolding and chastisement, if he steps out of line. She looks down her nose at her own sisters, Rose and Daisy, especially on the latter’s husband, Onslow, who is Hyacinth’s nemesis. Onslow sees through Hyacinth, and is practiced with the insightful observation that punctures her ego every time. As Time Goes By features Dame Judi Dench and Geoffrey Palmer as Jean and Lionel, are two characters who fell in love during the early 1950s, but who lost touch with each other when army officer Lionel was sent off to Korea. For 38 years, they assumed the other had lost interest. When Lionel returned to England after all that time to write his memoirs of his life in the army and subsequently as a coffee-planter in Kenya, he sought out an agency temp to handle the typing of the manuscript. After meeting a young secretary, Judith, and hitting it off, they agreed to meet for dinner. That evening, Lionel chances upon Judith’s mother, who happens to be his long-lost sweetheart, Jean. Could their love be rekindled after so long? This series answers that question with wit, humor, sensitivity, and love, and has been a delight to many viewers on both sides of the Atlantic.
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