MURDER IN PROVENCE SUN 17 July - itv 9pm. TV PACE. NO SPOILERS

[Blondeshavemorefun]

New detective series starts Sunday 17th

Murder in Provence is a three-part series based on the books by M.L. Longworth.

The series follows Antoine Verlaque, Investigating Judge in Aix-en-Provence, and romantic partner Marine Bonnet as they investigate the murders, mysteries and dark underbelly of their idyllic home. Their efforts are aided by Hélène, a detective and Antoine’s trusted confidante.

hopefully will be good

giving you all notice 😃

So many names! And three of the female characters looked rather similar. I got confused.

Very Final Destination. Cackling away here

I’m liking this but it’s ridiculous that it’s in English. There’s loads of French in-jokes that surely the audience is missing. I wish Brits could cope with French language and English subtitles!!!

I'm quite enjoying it! But yes I think we could have coped with a French language/subtitled version.

Watched it on BritBox with high hopes as two great lead actors, but just thought it was a bit of a damp squib with poor plot lines. Outclassed at the moment by McDonald and Dodds IMO.

I liked the police deputy character, such an amazing presence and face with big eyes and expression. I looked her up- Keala Settle, she was the bearded lady in the greatest showman

I loved Nancy Carroll in Father Brown and Roger Allam in Endeavour and I was really looking forward to seeing them together in Murder in Provence. It was disappointing and surprisingly so. I wanted to give it the chance to grow on me as I hadn't seen any of the series before, but I had to make myself watch till the end and found myself checking the clock. Usually a lengthier 'cosy mystery' is a real treat and the hour-long ones are over too soon. As others have said, the French pronunciations of names and places sounds incongruous. So much stilted dialogue and overacting across much of the cast. It seemed a bit try-hard rather than coming naturally. I almost felt like I was watching something dubbed and with a slight transatlantic delay. To others who have watched the series before, does it get any better?

You make a great detective @MsMcGonagall

i was wracking my brains thinking I recognised her but couldn’t think why

as with others I thought it was a bit slow and could have been done in an hour

I like most dramas thriller and detective stuff but this was slow and a bit boring and takes a lot for me to say that !!!

I will watch next weeK as this m only 3 of them

madam blanc mystery was better

There is about 20 years difference between Roger Allam and Nancy Carroll, which feels disappointingly old-fashioned patriarcy

I wasn't hooked but will try again next week. The main problem for me was that I couldn't remember which person was called what, as I am not familiar with French names, so when they were talking about them I didn't have a clue which one it was.

Yes they don’t seem madly in love

sbes a year younger then me

couldn’t imagine being with a man 20yrs older then me

mr blondes is 7yrs older. That’s fine

The Marmite thing was particularly daft for very two English people to be saying.

I love Roger Allam in Endeavour but he somehow doesn't seem suited to his role in this, or to his wife they just don't 'gel' as a couple.

Watched it all, a bit overlong, hoping the rest of the episodes are better.

two very...

Particularly when in the books Antoine is 41 and broadly of an age with Marine.

Its a pattern in TV adaptations - the gap between male / female leads is always a lot more than in the books.

Yes salty tar

The French in jokes wouldn't come across in subtitles though either really.

I like a good easy watching murder mystery at the end of a long day, nice scenery is a bonus. However there seems to be a rash of the Acorn types lately all trying to be the next Midsomer Murders and some of them really miss the mark (anyone seen the dire Signora Volpe?)

I'm still on the fence about this- started watching last night, but fell asleep.

I really love the books and have read them all and understandably they are never going to be 100% faithful, but this is completely different! I am worried they have lost some of the charm & nuance.

Hopefully this first episode is trying to set up a bit of a back story & then it will get a bit more pace. I really like the Hélène Paulik character, and it is a stella cast.

If you do splash out on a Britbox subscription, watch Magpie Murders and Why Didn't They Ask Evans? Much much better than this! Hope both of those programmes are eventually shown on ITV too.

Was on BritBox. I want more !

It doesn't really work in English does it?

He's no Judge Roban that's for sure!

that was my problem. add in the young women looked the same.

Yes!

Isn't a Marmite a type of cooking pot in France?

We watched this as we've really liked Roger Allam and Nancy Carroll in previous roles. It was ok - a bit like Midsomer Murders in Provence. I wasn't expecting marvellous scripts and great dramatic performances so wasn't that disappointed.

However the one thing that really annoyed me was the use of Jesus and Jesus Christ as expletives. Would they be using the names of major figures in other world religions as swear words - I think not,

I haven't read all the books and I agree TV has to be able to change some aspects for format etc (I also liked the Paulik change) but it definitely loses something in the translation of the main characters. I was left feeling it might just as well be set in Frome as the only use it makes of the setting is the views.