Murder on the Blackpool Express

Oh, dear. I can't believe I watched the whole 90 minutes of the first,  AND the two sequels, "Death on the Tyne" and "Dial "M" for Middlesbrough" in one sitting. The titles are a cute play on Agatha Christie's books but that's where all similarity ends. 

All three episodes on the series have a star-studded cast, and if you've seen British mystery or other shows, you are bound to recognize quite a few of them. The plot of these murder-comedies is thin but the writing and the acting is quite good. 

Then again, perhaps that's the whole idea behind murder comedies: they're easy on the eyes and even easier on the brain. No need to do any thinking, just watch and let the story unfold. Don't worry about the loose ends and the sometimes forced dialogue, and enjoy the interaction between Johnny Vegas and Sian Gibson. He is definitely the saving grace and the main reason why I kept watching. He brings the much-needed non-verbal weight to the role and provides the depth of character. Vegas brings it with such dedication that it is a joy to watch. Having said that, I find much of what Johnny Vegas does great, so I may be slightly biased there. 

The premise of the stories involves touring bus driver Terry (Vegas), whose only enjoyment in life is being on the same bus as coach tour operator Gemma Draper (Gibson), for who he carries a torch. In "Murder on the Blackpool Express", Gemma has organized a literary coach tour with a famous murder novelist, in order to visit the locations of his novels. At the first stop, an elderly passenger dies under suspicious circumstances, and Terry starts wondering if something is afoot. As the tour continues, well....you'll have to see for yourself as I don't want to give it away, but let's just say that there are quite a few empty seats by the end of the show.

The three episodes all have a high Midsomer Murders level, with slightly unbelievable storylines, unfortunate deaths, silly moments, and cute side storylines. All in all, if you are able to watch the first thirty minutes without switching it off, you will want to see it through. The show does grow on you.

"Death on the Tyne" and "Dial M for Middlesbrough" have a similar setup: coach tour, people die, Terry and Gemma investigate. Will they finally fall in love? Time will tell. 

If you don't have Britbox, you can watch it here through Amazon Prime.

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