Latest news with #CoraFelton
Telegraph
14 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Sexual assault and drink driving – cosy crime but not as we know it
A puzzle-setter turns sleuth in a quirky British crime series. Stop me if you think you've heard this one before. Murder Most Puzzling is trying to be Ludwig, which was a hit for the BBC last year. But it's a pale imitation. While that one was a five-star treat starring David Mitchell, this one is a two-star rip-off starring Phyllis Logan. The missteps start as soon as we are introduced to her character, Cora Felton. Cora is The Puzzle Lady, a crossword compiler whose job has made her so famous that she has her own range of biscuits and TV adverts. Let's not pause to ponder how unlikely that is. She is called in to investigate the case of a young woman found murdered in a churchyard, with a mysterious crossword clue in her pocket. Unfortunately, Cora can't make head nor tail of the clue when she first sees it because she's still sozzled from the night before. When we first meet her, she is passed out at the wheel of her car after a spot of drink-driving. Drink-driving? Really? We're supposed to find this quirkily amusing, but it strikes the wrong tone right away. It's a sign that the show doesn't quite know what it's supposed to be. This is cosy crime, yet having someone at a town hall meeting ask if the murder victim was sexually assaulted belongs in a grittier police drama. At least the mystery is wrapped up in a feature-length episode rather than being dragged out. The show is based on a book series by Parnell Hall and the failings of the TV series are odd because its writer, Dominique Moloney is a veteran of Father Brown and The Sister Boniface Mysteries. Some bits do conform to the cosy crime template: jaunty music, a picturesque setting in the fictional market town of Bakerbury (it's Lisburn in Northern Ireland), and the odd silly character, such as the blustering mayor in a cravat who runs the local police force. The programme's saving graces are the three lead performances. Logan, best known as Mrs Hughes in Downton Abbey, is a safe pair of hands and does her best with the material. Charlotte Hope is a bright spot as Cara's niece and right-hand-woman, Sherry. And Adam Best is, well, the best thing here as DCI Derek Hooper, who has never worked a murder case before and reluctantly turns to Cora for help. There is a twist halfway through relating to Cora's job, and if you didn't see it coming then I'm afraid your sleuthing skills are a little below par.
South Wales Argus
16 hours ago
- Entertainment
- South Wales Argus
Channel 5 Murder Most Puzzling: Full cast list and TV times
Adapted from the best-selling The Puzzle Lady Mysteries book series from Parnell Hall, the first series will feature six episodes. It follows Cora Felton (Logan), a nationally syndicated crossword puzzle maker who finds herself solving murders in her sleepy market town. A synopsis on the Radio Times reads: "When a murder takes place in the sleepy market town of Bakerbury, the police are baffled by a crossword puzzle left on the body. Get comfy, get curious, and get ready for Murder Most Puzzling! 🔎 🩸 Murder Most Puzzling. Coming 19th June 8pm. Watch | Stream on 5#murdermostpuzzling #newshow #PhyllisLogan — Channel 5 (@channel5_tv) June 13, 2025 "With their case going nowhere, they turn reluctantly to Cora Felton, a recent arrival, whose fame as a newspaper puzzle writer suggests she can help DCI Hooper and the local police unravel the clue and solve the case." Discussing the show with the Radio Times, Logan described it as "a bit like Murder She Wrote meets Miss Marple on steroids". Speaking of her character specifically, she said: "She's so refreshing. Cora is her own woman and that's what makes her intriguing – she wants a Bloody Mary for breakfast, so she has one, why not?! "Her niece despairs of her, and it's true that Cora does some things I shouldn't really laugh about, she's not PC at all, but she's a character that I absolutely believe. "Of course, she has a big secret too, which will be quite dangerous if it comes out…" Channel 5 Murder Most Puzzling full cast list Phyllis Logan as Cora Felton Charlotte Hope as Sherry Carter Alistair Brammer as Anton Grant Adam Best as DCI Hooper Nick Danan as DS Sam Brody Jack Weise as PC Danny Finley Yasmin Seky as Becky Badwan Richard Croxford as Major Firth Conor Sánchez as Jimmi Potter Amber Mendez-Martin as Katy Hooper Trevor Kaneswaran is Sunil Baidwan Simon Haines is Rod Reed Ashionye Michelle Raccah is Barbara 'Babs' Dufresne Lata Sharma is Irene Farrow Fiona Browne is Edith Potter Mukamajulé Michelo is Ellen Hooper Catherine Rees is Dr Nadia Burke Barney Taylor is Colin Sugar Conor Grimes is Mr Trotter David Crowley is Stuart Tanner Dearbháile Mckinney is Pamela Hawkins Conor Doran is Casey Roth Recommended reading: When will Channel 5's Murder Most Puzzling be on TV? The first episode of Murder Most Puzzling will air between 8pm and 10pm on Thursday, June 19, on Channel 5. After that, the remaining five episodes will air in the same timeslot in the following two weeks. These episodes will be available to watch on the Channel 5 player after they have been broadcast.
The Herald Scotland
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
Channel 5 Murder Most Puzzling: Full cast list and TV times
It follows Cora Felton (Logan), a nationally syndicated crossword puzzle maker who finds herself solving murders in her sleepy market town. A synopsis on the Radio Times reads: "When a murder takes place in the sleepy market town of Bakerbury, the police are baffled by a crossword puzzle left on the body. Get comfy, get curious, and get ready for Murder Most Puzzling! 🔎 🩸 Murder Most Puzzling. Coming 19th June 8pm. Watch | Stream on 5#murdermostpuzzling #newshow #PhyllisLogan — Channel 5 (@channel5_tv) June 13, 2025 "With their case going nowhere, they turn reluctantly to Cora Felton, a recent arrival, whose fame as a newspaper puzzle writer suggests she can help DCI Hooper and the local police unravel the clue and solve the case." Discussing the show with the Radio Times, Logan described it as "a bit like Murder She Wrote meets Miss Marple on steroids". Speaking of her character specifically, she said: "She's so refreshing. Cora is her own woman and that's what makes her intriguing – she wants a Bloody Mary for breakfast, so she has one, why not?! "Her niece despairs of her, and it's true that Cora does some things I shouldn't really laugh about, she's not PC at all, but she's a character that I absolutely believe. "Of course, she has a big secret too, which will be quite dangerous if it comes out…" Channel 5 Murder Most Puzzling full cast list Phyllis Logan as Cora Felton Charlotte Hope as Sherry Carter Alistair Brammer as Anton Grant Adam Best as DCI Hooper Nick Danan as DS Sam Brody Jack Weise as PC Danny Finley Yasmin Seky as Becky Badwan Richard Croxford as Major Firth Conor Sánchez as Jimmi Potter Amber Mendez-Martin as Katy Hooper Trevor Kaneswaran is Sunil Baidwan Simon Haines is Rod Reed Ashionye Michelle Raccah is Barbara 'Babs' Dufresne Lata Sharma is Irene Farrow Fiona Browne is Edith Potter Mukamajulé Michelo is Ellen Hooper Catherine Rees is Dr Nadia Burke Barney Taylor is Colin Sugar Conor Grimes is Mr Trotter David Crowley is Stuart Tanner Dearbháile Mckinney is Pamela Hawkins Conor Doran is Casey Roth Recommended reading: When will Channel 5's Murder Most Puzzling be on TV? The first episode of Murder Most Puzzling will air between 8pm and 10pm on Thursday, June 19, on Channel 5. After that, the remaining five episodes will air in the same timeslot in the following two weeks. These episodes will be available to watch on the Channel 5 player after they have been broadcast.
