DVD : Hetty Wainthropp Investigates - The Complete First Season
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Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Binding: DVD
EAN: 9781569387177
Format: Box set, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, Full Screen, NTSC
ISBN: 1569387176
Label: Acorn Media
Manufacturer: Acorn Media
Number Of Items: 3
Publisher: Acorn Media
Region Code: 1
Release Date: September 07, 2004
Running Time: 319 minutes
Sales Rank: 40309
Studio: Acorn Media
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Editorial Review:
Description:
Life as a private detective begins at 60 for sprightly Lancashire housewife Hetty Wainthropp (Patricia Routledge, Keeping Up Appearances). Her newly retired husband, Robert (Derek Benfield, Rumpole of the Bailey), thinks she ought to be winding down with him, but Hetty takes a job to make ends meet and accidentally discovers her natural gift for sleuthing. Finding an eager sidekick in destitute teenager Geoffrey Shawcross (Dominic Monaghan, The Lord of the Rings trilogy), Hetty sets up her own detective agency, puts her sensible pumps to the pavement, and proves she has what it takes to be a gumshoe of distinction.
Includes two episodes not seen on Mystery!
DVD BONUS FEATURES INCLUDE exclusive interview with Patricia Routledge, photo gallery, and cast filmographies.
Amazon.com:
Mystery buffs and Anglophiles will find Hetty Wainthropp to be delightful and uniquely entertaining company. Hetty has just turned 60, but she is not about to "ride serene into the evening tide," as her doting husband so poetically puts it. "I'm not 60 and I never will be," Hetty proclaims. "I'm not a senior citizen." Hetty wants to matter, so she gets a job at her local Lancashire post office. But that wouldn't make for much of a miniseries. Before you can say "cheeky monkey," she has involved herself in a deadly case of pension-fund fraud, and made a splash on the front pages as a "Super Gran Sleuth." The redoubtable Patricia Routledge, best known as Hyacinth Bucket on the beloved Britcom Keeping Up Appearances), does lovely work as Hetty, who first appeared in David Cook's 1986 novel, Missing Persons. Cook co-wrote the six first-season episodes contained on this three-disc set. Two of the episodes, "Fingers" and "A Higher Profile," did not air during this miniseries' original presentation on the PBS series Mystery. Hetty is not as quaint as Miss Marple, nor her cases as seamy as Jane Tennison's Prime Suspect mysteries. She is a formidable character in her own right, opening her own private detective agency, and recruiting a 17-year-old shoplifter (Dominic Monaghan from the Lord of the Rings trilogy) to be her "devoted sidekick." A rogue cop, a roving arsonist, and other unsavory characters are no match for the woman who won't rest until things add up. As one police inspector grudgingly admits, "She's an extraordinary woman. She's no Miss Marple, but…." But, indeed. --Donald Liebenson
Average Rating: 
Rating:  -
I didn't start purchasing this series until I'd exhausted most of the others, because I was sure it would be too silly. On the whole, however, I've found it has considerable redeming qualities. Yes it's a little silly; a housewife of advanced middle age decides to become a private detective working out of her home by using her common sense. Plausible? Not really. A significant theatrical work? No. Without value. Suprisingly, definitely not. Some of the issues raised by the writers of the show are very socially significant. Their approach is definitely more G. B. Shaw than Henrik Ibsen, but the intent is every bit as clear. Some of the topics addressed are the abuse of the elderly, the hopelessness of the homeless, the ineffectiveness of society and its services in caring for the mentally disturbed,etc. The fact that the characters are comical in no way detracts from the message of the work. In fact, it probably puts it across with considerable effectiveness. I doubt it's focus was lost on the British public--nor should those in the US assume that our society suffers less from these issues.
The interaction of the characters, Hetty herself, her husband and the adolescent she befriends have a delightful chemistry. The mysteries are fun to watch, but more fun is the interaction and synergy of the three central characters as it develops from one segment of the series to the next. One enjoys spending time with them like old friends. A fun series; I look ... Read More
Rating:  -
Hetty is a delight in solving crime. These short movies were fun to watch and not so easy to solve yourself. These are a must see for mystery lovers at all ages.
Rating: -
The Hetty Wainthroop Series is a very special treat for my Wife and I. We lived in England for six years with the United States Air Force and truly appreciate English productions. Patricia Routledge is an outstanding actress and this particular series truly brings out the best in her career----a great investment!
Rating: -
This is an excellent product because of 1] excellent casting, 2] plausible plots and intriguing settings.
Rating: -
I was curious about this series. I had only heard about it and had never seen a broadcast. So I was skeptical. But I had enjoyed the Mrs. Bradley Mysteries and others who had enjoyed those had suggested these. I am so glad I took the plunge. Hetty is an absolutely fabulous character who refuses to take a back seat at the age of 60. Determined to "matter," she forges ahead and finds herself in the middle of a mystery. Before she knows it, she's taking on investigations as a profession, with a young man whom she turns from a latent shoplifter into a crack investigator's partner. Patricia Routeledge is thoroughly believable and adorable in the role. I am looking forward to the next set of DVD's on this series. I must say, it's refreshing to see a late 20th Century mystery (as opposed to the usual Golden Age era) that is more logic puzzle than CSI. These days there's far too much forensics and far too little charm!
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