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Wales Online
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
Inside Channel 5's Murder Most Puzzling cast led by Downton Abbey legend
Inside Channel 5's Murder Most Puzzling cast led by Downton Abbey legend Channel 5's new three-part series Murder Most Puzzling is based on the best-selling novel series The Puzzle Lady by author Parnell Hall. Channel 5's new cosy crime drama Murder Most Puzzling has arrived with a Downton Abbey star at the helm. The beloved amateur sleuth genre takes a fresh turn in this three-part series, which sees a crossword enthusiast team up with the police to unravel some intricate crimes. Cora Felton, also known as the Puzzle Lady and played by Phyllis Logan, is central to the drama, but as the official synopsis hints, she "isn't who she claims to be". With the series now well underway, let's take a closer look at the familiar faces gracing Channel 5's Murder Most Puzzling. Murder Most Puzzling cast Cora Felton - Phyllis Logan Murder Most Puzzling cast in full as Downton Abbey star leads Channel 5 drama (Image: CHANNEL 5 ) BBC Call the Midwife axe rumours addressed as Beeb breaks silence READ MORE: Cora Felton is famed for her crossword puzzles, but it isn't long after moving to the market town of Bakerbury with her niece that she puts her clue-solving skills to the test. Article continues below Actress Phyllis Logan is best known for her role as head housekeeper Mrs Hughes in the globally popular period drama Downton Abbey. She has also appeared in Lovejoy, Another Time, Another Place, Shetland, Guilt and Miss Austen. Darren - Matthew Sharpe In episode two, Cora visits Bakerbury Prison where she interviews Darren, who was convicted of murdering his ex-girlfriend Anita five years ago. He maintains his innocence, but is he telling the truth and can Cora help him? Governor Peacock - Aiden McArdle Actor Aiden McArdle portrayed Lord Loxley in Mr Selfridge. (Image: ITV ) After speaking with Darren, Cora has a conversation with the prison boss Governor Peacock, who quickly warns her off the investigation, leading her to suspect he may have something to hide. Irish actor Aidan McArdle is well known for his roles in series such as 'Garrow's Law', 'Mr Selfridge', 'Black Shore', 'Show Trial' and 'Ridley'. This year also saw him appear in two additional detective dramas, starring alongside John Nettles in 'Bergerac' and featuring in The CW's 'Sherlock and Daughter'. Roy Gleason - Faolan Morgan In the mix of suspects from Bakerbury is Roy Gleason, a former homeless army veteran who some suspect to be the murderer of Anita, yet he, like Darren, denies the claims. Actor Faolan Morgan has notched up appearances in a variety of productions including 'Game of Thrones', 'High-Rise', 'Rebellion', 'Hope Street' and 'Blue Lights'. Anton Grant - Alistair Brammer Murder Most Puzzling cast: Journalist Anton Grant is played by actor Alistair Brammer. (Image: CHANNEL 5 ) Known for playing Jack Diamond on BBC's 'Casualty', actor Alistair Brammer has also been seen in titles like 'The Watchers', 'House of the Dragon', and 'Dalgliesh'. He returns to our screens as Anton Grant, "a tenacious journalist" with a reputation for pushing boundaries to uncover a story. DCI Hooper - Adam Best Murder Most Puzzling cast: DCI Hooper is played by actor Adam Best. (Image: CHANNEL 5 ) DCI Hooper, a pivotal character in Bakerbury, particularly notable in the opening of 'Murder Most Puzzling', is brought to life by actor Adam Best. Best previously had a stint as Matt Parker in 'Holby City', appeared as DS Cooper in 'The Lazarus Project', and was Sam Ryan in two episodes of 'Peaky Blinders'. Sherry - Charlotte Hope Murder Most Puzzling cast: Sherry is portrayed by actress Charlotte Hope. (Image: CHANNEL 5 ) Joining the line-up as Cora's niece Sherry is actress Charlotte Hope, who Game of Thrones fans would recognise as Myranda from seasons three to five. Hope's portfolio expands to roles in projects such as 'Catch Me A Killer', 'Bancroft', 'The English Game' and 'The Spanish Princess'. Other cast members include: DS Sam Brody - Nick Danan PC Danny Finley - Jack Weise Becky Baidwan - Yasmin Seky Mayor Firth - Richard Croxford Article continues below Murder Most Puzzling continues every Thursday at 8pm on Channel 5.
Scotsman
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Murder Most Puzzling review: You'll be left puzzled by Channel 5's new crime drama, where Prue Leith meets Taggart
Channel 5's new crime drama Murder Most Puzzling (Channel 5, Thurs, 8pm) is, in itself, a bit of a puzzle. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... At first glance, it bears all the hallmarks of the 'cosy crime' boom – an English country town with the comfortingly bucolic name of Bakerbury, an amateur sleuth in late middle age, sundry bosy-bodies and bumpkins. But after a sickly-sweet, pastel-hued opening scene, it takes a sudden u-turn to a rain-sodden graveyard, where the shoeless body of a young woman has been found, murdered. And the jarring notes don't stop there. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Cora Felton (Phyllis Logan) is 'The Puzzle Lady' in the new Channel 5 crime drama Murder Most Puzzling (Picture: Channel 5) Our sharp-witted crime-buster, Cora Felton (Phyllis Logan), is known as 'The Puzzle Lady', on account of her being a famous crossword-compiler with a nice – and apparently, lucrative - sideline in baked goods. But when we first encounter her, she is slumped asleep in her car after a drunken night out – thinking nothing of drink-driving through the lanes surrounding Bakerbury to her country home. And rather than being a quiet-as-a-mouse Marple type, content to fade into the background to observe the dark doings of those around her, ex-pat Scot Cora bustles around making herself persona non grata at the local police station, invading the privacy of grieving parents and poking around the crime scenes. Throw in a liberal sprinkling of effing and jeffing, Cora's habit of sparking up a gasper whenever she feels a bit stressed, and a liking for chunky necklaces and bright knitwear and The Puzzle Lady comes on as a cross between Prue Leith and Taggart. Alistair Brammer plays local newspaper reporter Anton Grant in the new Channel 5 crime drama Murder Most Puzzling (Picture: Channel 5) And yes, there's definitely 'bin a murrrrdah'. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Three, in fact, all done in with hammer blows, as well as a fatal car crash in the past – which inspires a less-than-cosy, decidedly off-colour visual gag – and talk of sexual role-play gone wrong. Bakerbury, meanwhile, is hardly the Cotswold-stone idyll of Midsomer, or the medieval chapels of Cambridge. It seems more like a down-at-heel market town, with a pee-stained multi-storey car park and a sink estate on the edge of town populated by track-suited yobbos. Cora (Phyllis Logan) consults with niece Sherry (Charlotte Hope) in the new Channel 5 crime drama Murder Most Puzzling (Picture: Channel 5) This uneasy mix of the cosy and the corrupt continues into the supporting cast, with Cora's niece Sherry (Charlotte Hope) hiding a dark secret involving her ne-er-do-well husband, while Cora herself is not really the puzzle lady she's cracked up to be. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The main thing about this murder-mystery, however, is that it finds it hard to sustain interest over its two -hour running time, stretching out the 'crossword clue on the body' mystery before discounting it, the various suspects being questioned and released, questioned and released, and everyone we run into seemingly fancying themselves as a detective. Except, of course, the actual detectives themselves, who are totally dependent on everyone else doing the police work while being shouted at by the dim local mayor in one scene every 15 minutes, regular as clockwork. Phyllis Logan does seem to enjoy playing Cora, though, and at least she is not the stereotypical grey-haired sleuth in pearls and twin-set. She loves knocking back the mid-morning bloody Marys, and you believe her when she lets slip the odd F-word, as if you can take Cora out of the Gorbals, but you can't take the Gorbals out of Cora. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Hair of the dog,' she tells her niece. 'besides, I'm going to need a boost if I'm going to solve this murder.' Condensed to a tight one-hour, Murder Most Puzzling would holds its own, but over two hours you can't ignore the inconsistencies in plot and tone which leaving you feeling slightly down and a bit cross.
