Posted: 06/02/2010

Wycliffe-Series 3

by Kristen Surratt

I was unsure of what to expect when I popped series 3 of the 1990s detective show Wycliffe into my DVD player. Most of my knowledge of British television comes from comedies such as The Mighty Boosh, The Office, and Last of the Summer Wine. Upon first viewing, I thought actors particularly veteran actor Jack Shepherd were believable, but the show itself was incredibly dull. However, all TV shows have some episodes that are better than others. Perhaps, also, I’m used to British wit and not so much a more serious plotline.

The show is a classic whodunit, set in various locations in Cornwall. Based W.J. Burley’s novels of the same name, Wycliffe centers on Detective Superintendent Charles Wycliffe (Jack Shepherd), DI Doug Kersey (Jimmy Yuill), and DI Lucy Lane (Helen Masters). Wycliffe is a married man with two children and a love of music. The fact that his job sometimes includes traveling causes occasional problems in his marriage. Kersey and Lane are both single, but the nature of the job makes it difficult for them to form relationships outside of work. For example, Lane went out with a guy who later was accused of murder; although found innocent, he refused to go out with her again because of the accusations he thought she had made.
The show often includes local themes such as prejudice against outsiders and the fishing industry. The crimes seem fairly realistic along with the knowledge of police terms. The scenery is also breathtakingly beautiful.

As stated above, some episodes seem dull. Episode 1, though well-acted, was very slow to build. I honestly could not even focus enough to remember much of the episode. Episode 3, on the other hand, was incredibly well written. Every time I thought I knew “whodunit”, I was wrong. The true killer wasn’t revealed until the last few minutes of the episode. Even dry British wit shined through when Kersey told Lane that removing a jacket from a particularly disgusting corpse needed a woman’s touch.

All in all, the show is interesting. Maybe not every episode, but it lasted five seasons, so they must have done something right.

Kristen Surratt is an actress living in Nashville and plays with local indie band And, Okay! when she’s not focusing on acting.

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