Charming but better if you haven't read the books

dancingdebra

I agree with other reviewers that this is a charming programme showing the absolutely beautiful scenery found in Scotland. It stands on it's own as a TV show "based" on the characters from MC Beaton's novels. Hamish Macbeth is played beautifully and Shirley Henderson also stands out as the great actors they have both since proved to be, in numerous films and on TV.

However, I think if you have read and enjoyed the books, this programme is a bit of a mystery as it has a whole host of totally different characters. I'm unsure why when the ones in the books carried the novels along just fine in both the plot for each individual book and back stories running in the background.

I'm not surprised they couldn't run with a murder each week as there would quite literally be no- one left to murder and if it's always the "incomer", then half the guessing is a bit too easy. But I wish there was a little more of the humour and village stories kept on the TV show.

score 7/10

dancingdebra 24 November 2013

Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw2910922/