Bookish written by & starring Mark Gatiss

[SpeedBash]

I thought this new TV show may appeal to some on here - apparently, it's already been renewed for a second series.

Starts on Wednesday 16 July 2025 at 20:00 on U&Alibi.

[DeejRC]

Saw this come up in the feed yesterday, looked a decent watch.

[P-Jay]

It's getting warm reviews. I'd have to look up where to find the Alibi Channel.

[Mr.Chips]

U & Alibi Sky channel 109.

[Mr.Chips]

U & Alibi Sky channel 109.

[loquacious]

I'll just say...

Morris Minor highlight and 'alternator' both of which irked me enormously.

It felt to me to be trying to be Sherlock without the style or wit. (Yes, I know Gatiss wrote/created the TV show 'Sherlock) but it was enjoyable and I shall carry on watching, just to give it a fair chance.

[gareth_r]

And why would an ARP Warden have been operating a searchlight?

Also "nominative determinism".

[p1doc]

it was pretty good strong supporting cast but feels like a cheap sherlock but will keep watching to see if improves

[nicanary]

gareth_r said:

And why would an ARP Warden have been operating a searchlight?

Also "nominative determinism".

The jeep with searchlight was odd - an ARP warden would not have been provided with one, and it was in US Navy colours. I'm sure the cleaner said she had made coffee and walnut cake, neither of which ingredients would have been available in 1946. Plus the police inspector drives a Talbot Baby which I find most improbable.

I love this type of programme - it highlights my curmudgeonly pedantry........

[iandc]

loquacious said:

I'll just say...

Morris Minor highlight and 'alternator' both of which irked me enormously.

It felt to me to be trying to be Sherlock without the style or wit. (Yes, I know Gatiss wrote/created the TV show 'Sherlock) but it was enjoyable and I shall carry on watching, just to give it a fair chance.

Yep the "alternator" was lazy writing. A quick Google would have shown it should have been a generator.

[eccles]

nicanary said:

gareth_r said:

And why would an ARP Warden have been operating a searchlight?

Also "nominative determinism".

The jeep with searchlight was odd - an ARP warden would not have been provided with one, and it was in US Navy colours. I'm sure the cleaner said she had made coffee and walnut cake, neither of which ingredients would have been available in 1946. Plus the police inspector drives a Talbot Baby which I find most improbable.

I love this type of programme - it highlights my curmudgeonly pedantry........

If pedantry is your thing, police inspector as driving a Hotchkiss

[nicanary]

eccles said:

nicanary said:

gareth_r said:

And why would an ARP Warden have been operating a searchlight?

Also "nominative determinism".

The jeep with searchlight was odd - an ARP warden would not have been provided with one, and it was in US Navy colours. I'm sure the cleaner said she had made coffee and walnut cake, neither of which ingredients would have been available in 1946. Plus the police inspector drives a Talbot Baby which I find most improbable.

I love this type of programme - it highlights my curmudgeonly pedantry........

If pedantry is your thing, police inspector as driving a Hotchkiss

That's what I thought to start with, then I thought no, the radiator is too flat, then I did some googling and you're right - the giveaway is the badge in the middle of the shell. My pedantry failed. Still an odd car for the police inspector to drive - couldn't props have found him a Humber Snipe or Wolseley 14hp ?

[eccles]

nicanary said:

eccles said:

nicanary said:

gareth_r said:

And why would an ARP Warden have been operating a searchlight?

Also "nominative determinism".

The jeep with searchlight was odd - an ARP warden would not have been provided with one, and it was in US Navy colours. I'm sure the cleaner said she had made coffee and walnut cake, neither of which ingredients would have been available in 1946. Plus the police inspector drives a Talbot Baby which I find most improbable.

I love this type of programme - it highlights my curmudgeonly pedantry........

If pedantry is your thing, police inspector was driving a Hotchkiss

That's what I thought to start with, then I thought no, the radiator is too flat, then I did some googling and you're right - the giveaway is the badge in the middle of the shell. My pedantry failed. Still an odd car for the police inspector to drive - couldn't props have found him a Humber Snipe or Wolseley 14hp ?

Most of them had flat rads, a few had concave curved rads though. As you say, quite an unusual car for him to be driving as they were never that popular over here.
My late father used to have a 1928 Hotchkiss AM2 and the British side of the owners club never had a huge amount of members.

[gareth_r]

nicanary said:

... I'm sure the cleaner said she had made coffee and walnut cake, neither of which ingredients would have been available in 1946...

Probably



Don't know about walnuts, although, apparently, they weren't rationed.

[nicanary]

My dad used to drink Camp coffee. I was too young at the time. As for walnuts, aren't they grown around the Mediterranean area? In which case, I doubt many made their way to a cleaner in London. Who knows ?

[gareth_r]

I think walnuts were one of the things the Romans did for us.

[nicanary]

gareth_r said:

I think walnuts were one of the things the Romans did for us.

Splitter!

[TwigtheWonderkid]

Gave up after two episodes I'm afraid. Not for me.

[Truckosaurus]

Filmed in Belgium it appears, hence some of the buildings and motorcars being slightly 'off'.

[nicanary]

Truckosaurus said:

Filmed in Belgium it appears, hence some of the buildings and motorcars being slightly 'off'.

Now it starts to make sense. The props department had to find what they could. Hence in episode 3 we saw a Renault truck and a Peugeot truck, neither of which would have been common in the UK in 1946.