''A Dorothy L. Sayers Mystery'' is a series of television adaptations of three

Lord Peter Wimsey Lord Peter Death Bredon Wimsey (later 17th Duke of Denver) is the fictional protagonist in a series of detective novels and short stories by Dorothy L. Sayers (and their continuation by Jill Paton Walsh). A dilettante who solves mysteries fo ...

novels—''

Strong Poison ''Strong Poison'' is a 1930 mystery novel by Dorothy L. Sayers, her fifth featuring Lord Peter Wimsey and the first in which Harriet Vane appears. Plot The novel opens with mystery author Harriet Vane on trial for the murder of her forme ...

'', ''

Have his Carcase ''Have His Carcase'' is a 1932 locked-room mystery by Dorothy L. Sayers, her seventh novel featuring Lord Peter Wimsey and the second in which Harriet Vane appears. Plot During a hiking holiday on the South West coast of England, the detec ...

'' and ''

Gaudy Night ''Gaudy Night'' (1935) is a mystery novel by Dorothy L. Sayers, the tenth featuring Lord Peter Wimsey, and the third including Harriet Vane. The dons of Harriet Vane's '' alma mater'', the all-female Shrewsbury College, Oxford (based on S ...

''—by Dorothy L. Sayers. The series follows the aristocratic sleuth Lord Peter's romance with the crime writer Harriet Vane, and stars

Edward Petherbridge Edward Petherbridge (born 3 August 1936) is an English actor, writer and artist. Among his many roles, he portrayed Lord Peter Wimsey in the 1987 BBC television adaptations of Dorothy L. Sayers' novels, and Guildenstern in Tom Stoppard's ''R ...

as Wimsey,

Harriet Walter Dame Harriet Mary Walter (born 24 September 1950) is a British actress. She has received a Laurence Olivier Award as well as numerous nominations including for a Tony Award, three Primetime Emmy Awards, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. In 2011 ...

as Vane and Richard Morant as Bunter. The adaptations were first broadcast on BBC Two beginning on 25 March 1987.

Production

According to Harriet Walter in her introduction to a reprint of ''Gaudy Night'', the working title of the series was ''Harriet Vane'', since it encompassed all of the novels to feature the character, except for ''

Busman's Honeymoon ''Busman's Honeymoon'' is a 1937 novel by Dorothy L. Sayers, her eleventh and last featuring Lord Peter Wimsey, and her fourth and last to feature Harriet Vane. Plot introduction Lord Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane marry and go to spend th ...

'', for which the BBC could not obtain the rights. The series was a co-production with the PBS network station WGBH Boston, which broadcast it under the title ''Lord Peter Wimsey'' as part of its '' Mystery!'' strand. Walter notes that the change of name perhaps reflected a nervousness about hanging a series on a female character, and on a writer whose name was not well known in the United States compared with Sayers' contemporary,

Agatha Christie Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, (; 15 September 1890 – 12 January 1976) was an English writer known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving around fiction ...

. Compared to the more flamboyant interpretation by

Ian Carmichael Ian Gillett Carmichael, OBE (18 June 1920 – 5 February 2010) was an English actor who worked prolifically on stage, screen and radio in a career spanning 70 years. He found prominence in the films of the Boulting brothers, including '' ...

in the 1970s BBC adaptations ''

'', John J. O'Connor notes that Petherbridge "not only looks the part but also manages to convey the darker tones beneath the surface frivolity of the character as well." Petherbridge noted at the time that he saw Wimsey as "maintaining the impenetrable shell of the silly fool, the complete comedian, to camouflage an underlying extraordinary seriousness."

Episodes

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Dorothy L Sayers Mystery 1987 British television series debuts 1987 British television series endings BBC television dramas English-language television shows 1980s British drama television series Period television series British crime drama television series BBC mystery television shows Television series set in the 1930s British detective television series