MURDER MOST PUZZLING - thur 19 June - ch 5 - 8pm - TV PACE. NO SPOILERS

[Blondeshavemorefun]

5 has confirmed the transmission date for the much-anticipated cosy crime whodunit, Murder Most Puzzling, which used to be called The Puzzle Lady.

Murder Most Puzzling is a three-part series that starts in the UK on Thursday 19 June 2025 at 8pm on 5 (formerly called Channel 5), with episodes running weekly at the same time

Based on the best-selling books by American author Parnell Hall, the three-part series stars Phyllis Logan as Cora Felton, the Puzzle Lady.

After the body of a teenage girl is found in the local cemetery with an enigmatic clue in her pocket, Bakerbury DCI Hooper seeks help from the town’s newest, and most famous resident – Cora Felton, aka ‘The Puzzle Lady’

Cora’s ‘shoot first, ask questions never’ approach proves a perfect way to outwit the murderers, conmen and corrupt officials that stand in her way and show that – despite hiding a secret that would ruin her and those around her – she has a remarkable talent for solving murders.

And, as it turns out, Bakerbury isn’t as sleepy as it looks…

The three-parter is led by Downton Abbey star Phyllis Logan as Cora Felton, a woman who earns a living from her nationally syndicated crossword puzzle column but has secrets to hide.

The series sees Cora, who recently moved to the sleepy English town of Bakerbury, asked to help the local police with a strange murder where a crossword puzzle is left on the body. But Cora isn’t who she says she is, and soon gathers allies and enemies in equal measure.

I’m not sure if its the weather, time of year or what but I’m another who wanted to like this more than I did.

These cosies all follow a formula. Those which stick tend to have a combination of an ensemble which gels, characters rather than caricatures, a touch of humour and something about the location/timing which holds the eye.

I swear the reason Death in Paradise has gone on so long despite often mediocre acting is because it starts in January every year and brings some Caribbean sunshine to the most miserable part of Winter and has a lighter touch with the comedy aspects and of course Don Warrington. I also quite liked Murder in Provence (although it bears little resemblance to the books) and its a shame that hasn’t come back.
Compare with Signora Volpe - lovely location but utterly ludicrous backstory, little or no humour and fluttering eyelashes where the acting is supposed to be. Its as if the “cozy by numbers” formula was taken but not understood. It just doesn’t work.

For me the mayor in this latest cozy is just too cardboard to be true, the inspector isn’t a lot better and the humour is often clunky. Maybe it will improve - its not irredeemable and I like the two women leads but its been disappointing so far.

It's not great so far, I agree. Am watching in the hope that it will improve, rather than through genuine enjoyment.

I agree @C8H10N4O2 Signora Volpe missed the mark for me too.

I like the Nissan car.
There are some really nice 1970s decorative items.
Apart from that; meh.

You can watch ch 5 stuff on iPlayer ?

I never knew that

I’ve just checked, it isn’t on bbc iPlayer

Ch 5 i player is called My5 . All the main channels have their own catchup players with all their programmes on . ITV ,as most will know , is ITVX . The channel 4 one is 4od.

I nearly always watch them on catchup as you can choose the time to suit you .

I’ve not read them but looking at a few synopses it looks as though puzzles feature in them more heavily than in the tv series.

Sorry, not iplayer as such.

Think it's called My5?

The first one I watched on it had ads, but when I watched the second one, a few days after broadcast there were none

No, My5(?)

I tend to call them all iplayers, sorry!

ah. Gotcha

I have the 5 app. Ch4 - itv. IPlayer

so the main 4

plus U. Love U

I’m only halfway through the first episode and I’m very disappointed. Aunt Cora is SO unlikeable. What was supposed to be amusing about her drink driving? Is it just because she’s an “older woman”?

E3 tonight

a famous face returns to the village

I’m sure I recognise the guy playing Dennis but can’t place him

I watched the last episode , it really is a strange programme. There was some bad language which the announcer mentioned before the programme started . I don't think it was until after the watershed but it really made me laugh as it was so incongruous with the type of programme it is.

When the Puzzle lady sang a whole song, accompanied by her new man on the piano , it made me cringe !

If anyone watched , can you explain why she rejected the new man as I must've missed a bit . She's had five husbands so I wouldn't have thought she was fussy !!

Altogether , a very odd programme even for Channel 5 😂

If anyone watched , can you explain why she rejected the new man as I must've missed a bit . She's had five husbands so I wouldn't have thought she was fussy !!

He was a (very predictable) con and the singing was very cringe.

IMDB has this series as six episodes, continuing through July. Not sure if that is an error.

Its an odd programme - lots of potential with the premise and the setting and on paper a reasonable range of characters, but honestly all the mayor stuff is ridiculously OTT and it just doesn’t really gel. Will be interesting to see if it does go to the six episodes or a second series to give it time to settle into a decent ensemble or if they consign it to the bit bucket.

DH was very, very keen to watch this because we're both addicted to (hard) cryptic crosswords. Haha. The crossword element is laughably poor and I’m sorry to say that my attention was straying after about ten minutes. We both guessed the set-up with the niece and aunt (although tbh the very first shot gave it all away anyway). Trying to guess where it was filmed was also quite entertaining (Belfast).

Other than that, meh. And it was vastly too long. DH had put it on series link but turned to me and said sorrowfully ‘let’s delete it, this is rubbish' 😂

Radio Times says 6 episodes , TV Guide says 3 .

I think it's 3, as things seemed to become rounded up last night .

The crossword element seems totally irrelevant and has been almost forgotten. The main copper is annoying as he always has his gob open

Well I've watched all three episodes...don't like any of the characters, not arsed about the will they/won't they storyline for a couple with zero chemistry and find the crimes tedious and uninspiring. The only puzzle is who thought this needed hour long episodes? Dull, dull, dull. I won't watch any more.

I struggle with 2hr stuff

set up @Halsall?

think it’s 3 as not showing next week and as shown as 3 x 2hr instead of 6 x 1 hr which would hold my attention more

That the niece was the brains behind the crossword 😉

Oh. Thanks @Halsall. I obv zoned out and missed that 🙀😂

Well it wasn’t great but not terrible either. Not sure they’d make another series though.

I forgot to add I looked up who plays the niece as was driving me mad who she was and then I saw she’d be in Game of Thrones as Ramsays mistress/girlfriend.