Staff Recommendation - The Lovejoy Mysteries, Season 1

Lovejoy [Season 1 on DVD]
Based on novels by Jonathan Gash [DVD Gash]

Based loosely on the series of Lovejoy novels by author Jonathan Gash, the Lovejoy television series aired in 1986 and again from 1991 to 1994 on the BBC in the U.K. and on the A&E network here in the States, a total of six seasons. Borrowing plots from some of the Gash books, the series also featured many original episodes written exclusively for the screen. The series starred Ian McShane (Deadwood) as the charming rogue known simply as Lovejoy -- an antiques dealer and appraiser based out of East Anglia in England. Aided by his young apprentice, Eric Catchpole, and his more senior assistant Tinker Dill, Lovejoy gets involved in numerous mysteries and scams in the antiques field, and maintains a "will they or won't they" relationship with his friend, Lady Jane Felsham. Marketed as a "mystery" series, the Lovejoy episodes are much lighter in tone than the occasionally dark and violent books by Gash, but are rich in colorful settings and quirky characters. A great deal of inside knowledge about the world of antiques is also provided over the course of the series' run. Anyone with a love for British television, especially with a healthy dose of mystery and/or suspense should get a kick out of them. But if you're looking for the same dark tone as the books, you'll probably end up somewhat disappointed. I saw the show before I read any of the books, and have to admit I prefer the geniality of the television series over the brooding qualities of the novels. Your mileage may vary!

[ The Books of Jonathan Gash ]

[ Internet Movie Database entry for this series ] | [ Annotated episode guide for this series ]

Have you seen these episodes? What did you think?

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