Hetty Wainthropp Investigates Series 1 DVD Review
Strong characters make “Hetty Wainthropp Investigates” a better than average crime dramedy.
The plot: Unlike her retired husband (Robert), Hetty Wainthropp is not quite old enough for a pension yet and so she opts to keep working. While the 60 year old Hetty initially takes up a job at a small post office, she finds her true calling in the form of a private eye business. With the help of a sneaky, smart alec teen runaway (Geoffrey) that Hetty befriends, the unlikely duo take on cases involving a murdered pensioner, a woman murdered by a police officer, a restaurant owner’s kidnapped son, the death of Robert’s Uncle, a missing son, and an arsonist throughout series 1’s 6 episodes. Other key subplots throughout the first series include money woes and Robert and Hetty clashing. The series is based on author David Cook’s “Missing Persons” novel.
From the pilot episode, it’s quite clear that this dated and generally lighthearted 1996 crime dramedy owes a lot to predecessors such as “Murder She Wrote” and select works of Agatha Christie. Now, that’s not necessarily a bad thing as many shows are inspired by previous hits, but the quirky and somewhat slow paced ‘Hetty’ does certainly suffer from tired detective series tropes and plots.
On the plus side, the cast elevates the otherwise routine material. Patricia Routledge steals the show as the tough, curious, smart, truth seeking, and brave titular character. While it’s always enjoyable to see her on a case, it’s the chemistry with cast members Dominic Monaghan (Geoffrey) and Derek Benfield (Robert) that really makes the show worthwhile. The character moments between Routledge and Benfield are particularly rewarding as the show’s exploration of their married life amidst Hetty’s new job was one of the show’s clear highlights. As for Dominic Monaghan, he’s a little rough around the edges in one of his first starring roles, but he certainly grows into the role more as the series progresses.
Another noteworthy aspect of the show is the fact that it touches upon senior citizens and retirees. In today’s day and age, elderly folks are almost always overlooked for the 18-34 demographic, but people seem to forget that they watch TV too. It’s always nice to see a series aimed at a different age group (although the show does have Dominic Monaghan to appeal to a younger crowd).
Video/Audio:
Presentation: 4:3. How does it look? ‘Hetty’ has not been remastered and looks very much like a mid 90’s BBC series.
Audio Track: Dolby Digital Stereo. How does it sound? Flat, but sufficient enough for this series.
Extras:
* Photo gallery.
* Text filmographies for Patricia Routledge, Dominic Monaghan, and Derek Benfield.
* “A Conversation With Patricia Routledge”- A 26 interview from 2004 in which the actress talks about the Hetty Wainthropp character and series, behind-the-scenes stories, acting, her past, writing, comedy, etc.
Overall Thoughts: “Hetty Wainthropp Investigates” will likely appeal to fans of the crime dramedy genre. If you are a fan of the series, it should be noted that all 4 series (and a complete collection set) are now available from Acorn Media.
No comments yet.
Share This Blog
Robert Ham
dmanderson
Andrea
nicklyons1
DVD Corner 
Leave a comment