blanche-2 How I love this show, and how excited I am to find there are other programs in this series beyond the original four years. I have only come across the four years on rental disc but have just ordered the rest. I was attracted originally to "Jonathan Creek" because of the description and put it on my lists of films to see. It is fabulous. Jonathan (Alan Davies) is, of course, the genius behind the illusions of a womanizing magician, Adam Klaus.He teams up with Madeline Magellan (Carolyn Quentin), an investigative reporter, who originally is looking into a cold case. She sort of falls for Jonathan -- to be honest, I thought the two made a great team but were unsuited for one another, and I couldn't see bringing any suggestion of romance to the team.The two work on lots of cases together, with Jonathan coming up with some ingenious ways these seemingly impossible, locked-room mysteries could have happened, as well as the way they really did.In season 4, Quentin left the series and Jonathan winds up working with an old girlfriend (Julia Sawalha), to me almost totally unrecognizable as a blond, who is a television reporter, now married. Quentin was better as Jonathan's sidekick, whose personality is showier and more fun than what is written for Sawalha.The mysteries are so clever, so fresh, so well done - I watch these episodes absolutely glued. Alan Davies underplays, showing the thoughtful, cerebral side of his character. He was a nice juxtaposition to Quentin, who plays a nosy, direct, and somewhat flamboyant woman.I hope this series continues to do specials (as they have announced a new one with Joanna Lumley), but I also would like to see it come back, as Alan Davies has hinted it might. That would be incredibly fantastic.

jonfrum2000 I imagine the people most likely to write out a review are fans, but the adulation for this series here is far over the top. The series - at least the first season of it - is nice entertainment. I am currently working my way through them, and I've enjoyed them enough to keep at it. That being said, the series is not brilliant, or excellent or the best TV mystery ever. The plots and solutions are full of holes, to the point where obvious errors and implausible events can't be ignored. And the 'sexual tension' business between the two main characters? 'Will they or won't they' got old twenty years ago in such series. Apparently it appeals to women, so I'm not the intended audience for that trope, but it weighs down the series every time they pull it out of the hat. The idea of an illusion designer as crime solver is a perfectly good one, but actually writing locked room mysteries that work is an art that these television writers have not mastered. Example: in The House of Monkeys, the solution to the mystery involves the habit of a gorilla who lives in a house with his owner(!) to chew up envelopes. C'mon now! This series is more along the lines of Angela Lansbury's Murder She Wrote. Perfectly entertaining for some, as long as you don't take it seriously. And very far from good mysteries, like the Chrisite series like Miss Marple and Poirot.

elsiewagon Can't they do a Johnathon Creek special like they did for The Office? They can't leave it so open-ended! I want Jonathon and Maddy to ride off into the sunset together!! I need closure and I need it now!!! * NOTE: They have book tours in England, why can't Maddy just suddenly show up for a book tour and meet up with Jonathon--then they can get things together, finally, so I can stop watching the old episodes crying in despair (lol) that it will all 'end badly'--I think that the ABFAB kid is okay but she doesn't have the on-screen chemistry with Alan Davies (going out or not) That Caroline Quentin had with him. So her leaving the acting world shouldn't put a damper on the plans...and I'm just babbling on so I can fill the ten line requirement.

Metalfairy I was hooked on this programme when it first came out and now I have it on DVD, I can see just how fantastic this series is. Its a completely different take on the usual crime solving programme and the solutions to puzzles are absolutely amazing. I was constantly baffled and thought it was very clever the way Jonathan worked out some of the clues. Alan Davies and Caroline Quentin were absolutely fantastic in their parts, and I thought perfect for their roles. When Julia Sawahla replaced Caroline, I was dubious at first but she too was great in her role, despite not being the ultimate replacement for Caroline. I did not think any of the mysteries were at all daft, just very very clever and the chemistry between Alan and Caroline was fantastic.The guest stars were great in their roles, Annette Crosbie was particularly good in the House of Monkeys episode and it was a joy to see Bill Bailey pop up in the later series. I think, providing the mysteries keep coming, this programme can continue for maybe one or two series more.