Archive for the ‘PBS’ Category

Collision on PBS’ Masterpiece Contemporary

Sunday, November 15th, 2009

As much as I love PBS Mystery with its series on Agatha Christie, Sherlock Holmes and more , I am finding the Masterpiece Contemporary just as enthralling.

 Take Collision, which will be shown in two parts—Nov. 15 and 22 at 9 p.m. eastern time. Check your local PBS affiliate.

  The description of Collision may seem like a British version of the American movie Crash: A pileup on a highway entangles several lives. But Collision is nothing like Crash.

Collision is its own film with twists and turns that are original. 

Kate Ashfield as Ann Stallwood and Douglas Henshall as DI John Tolin. PBS photo

Kate Ashfield as Ann Stallwood and Douglas Henshall as DI John Tolin. PBS photo

Nearly 6 p.m. on a Friday, a group of strangers are involved in a huge auto accident when a car suddenly veers off the superhighway. The opening shows us who lives, who dies and who is in critical condition. But knowing this doesn’t detract from Collision’s impact as film pulls us into each of the very different individuals’ lives.

  Smuggling, murder, racism and international conspiracy as well as love, futures and plans are a part of this pileup.

An ordinary day, a moment in time will change and end lives.

  Detective Inspector John Tolin (Douglas Hershall, Primeval) is the lead detective in the six-car accident. His obsession with the case echoes back to a personal tragedy – his wife and daughter were killed by a drunk driver who left his other daughter in a wheelchair.

Adding to the tension, Tolin will work with Senior Investigating Officer Ann Stallwood (Kate Ashfield, Poirot), with whom he had an affair before his wife’s death.

   Part of their investigation will focus on why one of the drivers disappeared from the scene and allegations that police misconduct lead to the crash.

    Collision speeds along at a steady pace, as the viewers become invested in the individuals’ lives and what brought each of them to that highway at that time.

     Collision also stars a few British actors who will be familiar to American audiences including Claire Rushbrook (Doctor Who),  Dean Lennox Kelly (Cranford) and Lenora Crichlow (Being Human).

   I hope that Collision is the closest any of you ever come to an auto accident. I know it’s the only auto accident that I want to be involved in.

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Place of Execution on PBS, part two

Sunday, November 8th, 2009

Those of you who watched last week’s first installment of Place of Execution on PBS, know how well this novel by Val McDermid translated to film.

 Those who haven’t seen it yet – I promise not to give anything away.

Lee Ingleby, left, Philip Jackson. PBS photo

Lee Ingleby, left, Philip Jackson. PBS photo

 The second part of Place of Execution airs Sunday Nov. 8 at 9 p.m. Check your local PBS listings. (Note, the novel is A Place of Execution but the filmed version is Place of Execution…I don’t know why)

  McDermid’s 2000 novel remains one of my favorites. This story of a young girl’s disappearance in a remote village and the ramifications it has is the perfect mesh of police procedural, English village mystery and social novel. When people ask me for a recommendation – regardless of age, sex or tastes – A Place of Execution is one of the first one I mention.

McDermid shows that an author doesn’t have to use profanity or violence to weave an enthralling story with plot twists and a shocking finale.

  Here’s the plot of A Place of Execution:

    In 1963, Alison Carter goes for an after-school walk with her dog and never returns. Alison lives with her mother and wealthy stepfather in the small English village of Scardale where the residents are hardworking, close-knit families. The investigation falls to young detective George Bennett whose handling of the case will eventually make his career. About 40 years later, journalist Catherine is writing a book about the crime but near her deadline George abruptly pulls out of the project.

  In the film version, a few things are changed but nothing that harms the novel and, in fact, make it a better movie version. While the novel kept the 1963 scenes and the contemporary scenes separate, the filmed version overlaps the two. Instead of a print journalist, Catherine now makes documentaries, which, again, enhances this screen version.

    George Bennett is played by Lee Ingleby and Catherine Heathcote is played by Juliet Stevenson (Truly Madly Deeply, The Politician’s Wife).

   The filmed version of Place of Execution does justice to a terrific novel.

And if you miss it again, it is available on DVD. And buy the book, too.

Posted in PBS, Val McDermid | 1 Comment »

Place of Execution on PBS

Sunday, November 1st, 2009

 Some novels stick in a reader’s psyche years after that first read.

Val McDermid

Val McDermid

For me, British writer Val McDermid’s masterpiece A Place of Execution is one of those novels.

  A Place of Execution is more than the story of the disappearance of a 13-year-old girl in 1963 and a reporter’s overview of this crime more than 40 years later.

In this novel, McDermid expertly blended the old-fashioned English village mystery with a contemporary story for a thoughtful look at crime, punishment and retribution.

  In my initial review of this 2000 novel, I said “A Place of Execution is much more than a novel about one crime — the disappearance of a teen-ager. It is equally about the tragedy of a family, the violation of a village and the loss of innocence of an entire country. Flawlessly executed,  A Place of Execution deserves its place as one of the best mysteries of this year.”

Greg Wise, Juliet Stevenson; PBS photo

Greg Wise, Juliet Stevenson; PBS photo

Happily, that McDermid’s novel flawlessly translates to the screen. Place of Execution will air as part of PBS’ Masterpiece Contemporary series. It is scheduled to air in two parts – at 9 p.m. Sunday Nov. 1 and Sunday Nov. 8. Check your local listings.

   For cinematic reasons, some liberties are taken with the novel – but not with the plot. Those who have read the novel will find the film a wonderful complement to the printed word. Those who have never read the book will be engrossed in the gripping mystery.

In 1963, Alison Carter goes for an after-school walk with her dog and never returns. Alison lives with her mother and wealthy stepfather (Greg Wise) in the small English village of Scardale of hardworking, close-knit families.

The investigation falls to young detective George Bennett (Lee Ingleby) whose handling of the case will eventually make his career. 

Lee Ingleby

Lee Ingleby

About 40 years later, journalist Catherine Heathcote (Juliet Stevenson, Truly Madly Deeply, The Politician’s Wife) is making a film about the crime and uncovers more evidence that causes George to abruptly pull out of the project.

In the novel, the 1963 disappearance and Catherine’s contemporary reporting are two separate novellas. Catherine is working on a true-crime manuscript about the crime and her story is only a fraction of the novel.

In the PBS movie, Catherine’s reporting and personal crisis are woven into flashbacks about the crime and how it was handled. This works perfectly for the filmed version, allowing Place of Execution to breathe as a film and enhance the story. (I don’t know why the novel A Place of Execution lost its “a”  to become Place of Execution as a film.)

Place of Execution is a fine two-part series that does justice to an even finer novel.

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Nevada Barr: At the parks and St. Martin’s

Wednesday, May 27th, 2009

barr_nevada.jpg I caught just a snippet of the preview of Ken Burns’ last documatary series for PBS’ The National Parks: America’s Best Idea.The preview is airing on many PBS stations around the country. The six-week series is slated to air in September.It was filmed over the course of more than six years at some of nature’s most spectacular locales — from Acadia to Yosemite, Yellowstone to the Grand Canyon, the Everglades of Florida to the Gates of the Arctic in Alaska.The series looks breathtaking, showing America in all its glory.One of the people interviewed for the series is Nevada Barr, whose mystery series, of course, takes place at the myriad national parks.I only caught a snippet of her interview, but Barr is a champion of the national parks service, showing in vivid storytelling the beauty, history and importance of the parks. Her character Anna Pigeon is a National Park Ranger whose job takes her across the country.Barr is the winner of the Anthony, Agatha, and the French Prieu du Roman awards.Her latest novel is Borderline and it takes place at Big Bend National Park in southwest Texas. I gave it a postive review for the current issue of Mystery Scene. (Thanks, Kate, for assigning this to me.)Borderline is the 15th Anna Pigeon novel, and reached No. 7 on the New York Times best seller list.In other Nevada Barr news, the author is moving her series from her longtime publisher to Minotaur Books, an imprint of St. Martin’s Press. Minotaur Books will publish the next three books featuring National Park Service law enforcement officer Anna Pigeon starting in 2010.  I don’t have any idea how the publishing world works. I just review novels, interview authors and blog about the whole thing. But I think this is a real coupe for Barr’s new publisher. She is one of those authors whose novels I truly look forward to reading.The real winner here, of course, is the reader. Looks like we’ll have more of Barr’s novels to enjoy.<a href=”http://technorati.com/claim/wwni9u55rw” rel=”me”>Technorati Profile</a>

Posted in Anna Pigeon, Ken Burns, National Parks, Nevada Barr, PBS | No Comments »