Jonathan Creek is a British mystery drama series produced by the BBC and written by David Renwick. It stars Alan Davies as the title character, who works as a creative consultant for stage wizards while also solving supernatural-seeming mysteries through his talents for logical deduction and his understanding of illusion.
Video Jonathan Creek
Production
The series runs semi-routinely from 1997 to 2004, broadcasting for four series and two Christmas specials, originally starring Caroline Quentin as Creek collaborator, author of Maddy Magellan. After Quentin's departure in 2001, Julia Sawalha joined the cast as the new character of Carla Borrego, a theatrical agent to a television presenter. After five years of absence, the series returns for a special one-off on January 1, 2009, "The Grinning Man", featuring Sheridan Smith as another paranormal investigator who joins the Creek troops. A 90 minute special "The Judas Tree", filmed in October 2009 and aired on April 4, 2010; while the third special, "The Clue of the Savant's Thumb", is displayed at Easter 2013.
Sheridan Smith imitated his role as Joey in both special events. The 5 Series consists of three episodes and features Sarah Alexander as Jonathan's wife, Polly. This episode is shown at 9 pm on Friday 28 February, 7 and 14 March 2014.
In 2014, conflicting reports emerged with regard to Alan Davies' view of the show. In one article published online he is said to be 'happy to do Jonathan Creek for ten more years' and praised David Renwick's talent as a writer. Another newspaper report quoting the star said that he had become unhappy playing Jonathan Creek and lamenting both the BBC and the terrible production schedule.
On March 4, 2016, it was reported that the series will be back for one more special 90 minute one-off, with filming to begin in the summer of 2016. This new 90 minute special airs on December 28, 2016. Sarah Alexander returns as Polly's Jonathan Creek wife , along with guest stars Warwick Davis, Emun Elliott and Rosalind March.
The success of the cult of the series won it BAFTA for the Best Drama Series in 1998. It was important to showcase comic characters and sub-plots that lend a lot of humor to the series. Unusually, it's produced by the BBC's Home entertainment department rather than the Drama department - this is because Renwick prefers to work with people he knows rather than people in Drama who may not share his vision. These include guest stars like Bob Monkhouse, Griff Rhys Jones, Rik Mayall, Jack Dee, Bill Bailey, John Bird and Nigel Planer; which is primarily associated with comedy, but which gives live performances.
The first two seasons are broadcast in the US on a number of PBS stations, while the rest are broadcast on BBC America.
Maps Jonathan Creek
Concepts and transmissions
David Renwick wanted to write a detective series that dealt with the real job of detecting rather than action, most of the crime drama seemed focused at the time. Also, where most of it is about who did it ( Inspector Morse or Taggart ) and why it was done (< i> Cracker ), this new series is about how it's done , with metaphors like murder committed in locked room, someone is in two places at once or it is not possible theft. Finding the culprit will still be part of the detective work, but the emphasis is on discovering how the crime was committed.
Magic will play an important part of the series, but it will be the tricks and magic used by stage wizards for the audience. This program often exposes how the trick is actually done, but in a pretty superficial way compared to the trick itself.
The series will also focus on the relationship between Creek and his collaborator Maddy Magellan, an author who often uses dishonest ways to expose miscarriages of justice. This will be primarily platonic, although they at some stage embody their relationship only to agree that it should not happen again. (In his initial planning, Renwick thought that Maddy should be Creek's stepmother and that they would investigate the crime to commemorate her murdered father, but he decided that the concept of a revenge boy was too "Batman" and in the Creek series the parents mentioned had moved to America.)
Caroline Quentin was Renwick's first choice for Maddy Magellan, but casting Creek proved to be a problem. Renwick wanted Nicholas Lyndhurst, but he refused. Rik Mayall was also offered the part, but, at that moment, was busy with the stage work (he would be a guest star in the Christmas specials series). Hugh Laurie showed great interest and agreed to take part, but later turned him down because he could not imagine Creek's motivation to investigate the cases involving Maddy to him, especially when he showed reluctance in several episodes.
Other people on trial for the part include Nigel Planer (later guest star) and Angus Deayton (who previously worked with Renwick and director Susan Belbin on One Foot in the Grave ). Almost a dozen actors are considered before Susan Belbin sees Alan Davies during a workout for the sitcom. Davies was invited around to talk to Renwick and "appearing in his woolen coat with his disheveled hair and big grin [and] is clearly the closest match to the Creek we've ever seen."
Adam Klaus's role was originally cast to Anthony Head in 1997 in the pilot episode ("The Wrestler's Tomb"). However, upon accepting the role of Rupert Giles on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the Head was unable to play Adam Klaus in later episodes, leaving a clear path for Stuart Milligan to take over the role to date. This explains why Adam Klaus is missing in episodes 2-5 of series 1.
Cast
1 Anthony Head describes Adam Klaus in the pilot episode.
Guest cast
Many famous actors have appeared in the series, including Bob Monkhouse, Rik Mayall (who is considered playing Jonathan) and Jack Dee better known for their comedic role.
Other guest stars, both comedy and straight, have included: Steven Berkoff, John Bluthal, Kate Isitt, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Nigel Planer, Griff Rhys Jones, Hattie Hayridge, Alistair McGowan, Tamsin Greig, Katherine Parkinson, Colin Baker, Brian Murphy, Rebecca Home, Mary Tamm, Jim Bowen, Peter Davison, Maureen O'Brien, Lysette Anthony, Mark Caven, King Lorelei, Geoffrey Beevers, Annette Crosbie, Rae Baker, Doreen Mantle, Charlie Brooks, Maureen Lipman, Paul Blackthorne, Jimmi Harkishin, Nicola Walker, Paul McGann, and Amanda Holden.
Jonathan Ross, Michael Grade, and Bamber Gascoigne all appear as themselves.
Summary
The series follows the exploits of Jonathan Creek and (in the first three series) Maddy Magellan, a coercive investigative journalist as they work together to solve crimes in which others fail.
Creek is a rather cynical illusion illusion for stage wizard Adam Klaus. He originally lived in a windmill in Sussex. Subtlety and lateral thinking usually, if not immediately, lead to the opening of the intricacies of evil.
Magellan is a sensible liar who never seems to have trouble sneaking into a closed scene, and Klaus is a flamboyant player with a really creepy, sensitive, stage persona who is sensitive and insensitive. In some cases, the magic trick is wrong comically.
This program typically displays 'unlikely crimes', for example an offense committed in a closed environment from which no crimin can escape ("the mystery of locked space"), paranormal theft, and murder. Creek solves these cases by using his knowledge of misdirection and illusion. No matter how fantastic the crime was at first, he always found a rational explanation, giving the character a resemblance that flashed with a stage wizard turned into a paranormal researcher James Randi. Some aspects of character are inspired by Ali Bongo.
As the series continues, Creek gradually changes from asocial asteroids to a man with a lot of intelligence and charm. This helped fuel the romantic ties between him and Maddy. Jonathan's woolly wool coat worn on the first series is actually Alan Davies's own coat that he wore to the audition; it helps him win the role, because the writer and producer consider it appropriate to the characters. After the first series, Jonathan's coat is supplied by the wardrobe department. Davies kept the original in his home, and wore it again for New Year's specials 2009.
For the 2001 special Christmas and afterwards, Caroline Quentin refused to perform, and hence a second supporting role was introduced, the theater agent Carla Borrego, played by Julia Sawalha. After his first appearance, a character married to TV producer Brendan Baxter (Adrian Edmondson), and he became a TV presenter. A third supporter role was introduced when the show returned in 2009 after five years of absence. From "The Grinning Man" onward, Creek is assisted by online paranormal investigator Joey Ross, played by Sheridan Smith. When Smith can not appear in the fifth series due to other commitments, he is replaced by Sarah Alexander as Creek's wife and the latest sidekick.
Part of the humor comes from the fact that Jonathan often does not want to get involved in other people's problems, and must be pressured into it by Maddy, Carla or Joey. In "The Scented Room", centered around the theft of a critic who has been displeasing Adam's actions, he is very happy to announce that he has solved the crime but will not tell anyone how it was done. Initially, Jonathan was only brought in for investigation because he was asked by Maddy because he had a professional relationship with a crime in his role as a journalist, or because it involved an old friend of theirs (As one case featuring Jonathan was contacted by an old friend of his mother after her husband was stabbed by a sword in enclosed space). Over time, he gained a more significant reputation and was independently recruited by varied contacts such as police chiefs or even the US military.
Over time, the show became darker, with Jonathan investigating psychopaths, pimps, gangsters and corrupt police, who were very different from those of the suburbs of the previous series; One story even sees Maddy being held at gunpoint by a gang member who has just been disarmed thanks to a card trick Jonathan has picked up recently. In 2009 there was a hybrid of elements from the beginning and the next season, with deadly engineering elements, somewhat reminiscent of "Mother Redcap", and the torture and killing of a young woman as she was stretched by a rope in the middle of the room. This theme continues in "The Judas Tree" with a murdered murderer and his accomplice then tricked for the crime.
In the episode of 2013 "The Clue of the Savant's Thumb", Jonathan Creek has left the theater and magic world and is now a high-powered businessman with a wife, Polly Creek. Nevertheless, and his disappointment with his old job due to his lack of real admiration when he makes his announcement, he still returns to his roots when confronted with very confusing cases, such as a dead man disappearing from a locked room. During the fifth season, he and his wife moved to the old village house of his family, with Polly trying to encourage Jonathan to be part of the local lifestyle, but Jonathan was distracted by small mysteries, as well as enthusiastic fans who asked for his help. Christmas 2016 specifically sees a format similar to the past specials as an old secret - in this case, a seemingly demonic ritual in which women watched their lovers thrown by air to fire-played a key role in the death of a man Jonathan never cleaned up murder (though subsequent investigations prompting Jonathan to realize that the man actually committed the crime he was accused of).
Episode
Music
The typical theme song is arranged by Julian Stewart Lindsay from Camille Saint-SaÃÆ'n® n's Danse Macabre . Lindsay wrote incidental music for the first three series, after which it was written by Rick Wentworth.
Broadcast
Ratings
Awards and nominations
Similarities with other television shows
Other television programs have used the same formula from a wizard who helped the police to solve crimes, such as the US-made Magician program, starring Bill Bixby, which aired in 1973-74, and short-lived 1986 > Blacke Magic , starring Hal Linden.
There are two attempts to create a US version of Jonathan Creek . The first involved Castle Rock, the production company behind the series like Seinfeld, but the initial script did not feel good enough, and David Renwick's script was rejected by CBS. The second attempt, also by Renwick, is for Whoopi Goldberg and will include Alan Davies.
Home media
Region 2 (English) and 4 (AUS)
- Series 1 was released in Region 1 (US/Canada) in December 2006.
- Series 2 was released in Region 1 at the end of 2007.
- Series 3 was released in Region 1 on January 20, 2009.
- Series 4 was released in Region 1 on January 19, 2010.
- Specials are released in Region 1 on October 19, 2010.
References
External links
- Jonathan Creek in the BBC Program
- Jonathan Creek at the British Film Institute
- Jonathan Creek on Screenonline BFI
- Jonathan Creek on IMDb
- Jonathan Creek in the British Comedy Guide
- Jonathan Creek Homepage
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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