June Wyndham-Davies Movies

The first of several British TV adaptations of Ann Perry's "Inspector Pitt" mystery novels, The Cater Street Hangman stars Eoin McCarthy as Thomas Pitt, an extremely class-conscious police detective working London in 1881. The case at hand involves the brutal and bizarre murders of several young girls who have recently visited the vicarage in a well-to-do neighborhood. Much to his surprise (and secret delight), Inspector Pitt is aided in his investigation by Charlotte Ellison (Keeley Hawes), an independent, free-thinking young aristocrat who has obviously set her stylish cap for the humble lawman. Fans of Perry's original novel should be advised that the ending has been changed, eliminating all hints of what once was known as "the love that dare not speak its name." In the United States, The Cater Street Hangman was broadcast by cable's A&E network on December 19, 1998. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Sherlock Holmes goes from investigating mere murder and mayhem to a fiend of possibly supernatural origin in this made-for-TV thriller. In the 1790's, a wave of murders hits the small British community of Lamberley; as the victims are young women who suffer severe wounds and bleeding from their necks, many locals believe a vampire is to blame, and that the aristocratic but mysterious Lord St. Clair is thought to be the creature of the night in question. A gang surrounds and lynches Lord St. Clair, pounding a stake through his heart and burning him. In the early 20th Century, a similar series of murders begin happening in the same small town, shortly after the arrival of John Stockton (Roy Marsden), a distant relative of Lord St. Clair, who often visits the grave of his dead ancestor. The people of Lamberley believe Stockton is to blame, and noted detective Sherlock Holmes (Jeremy Brett) is brought in to investigate. Holmes and his associate Watson (Edward Hardwicke) discover Stockton is a student of the occult who enjoys playing with the assumptions of others, but in time they wonder if he may indeed be a vampire after all. Sherlock Holmes: The Last Vampyre was adapted from the short story The Adventure of the Sussex Vampire by Holmes creator Arthur Conan Doyle. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Jeremy Brett returns as master detective Sherlock Holmes in this adaptation of the Arthur Conan Doyle short story produced for British television. Hettie Doran (Paris Jefferson) is a wealthy American who has agreed to marry Lord Robert St. Simon (Simon Williams), widely regarded as the most eligible bachelor in Great Britain. On the day of the nuptials, Hettie goes missing, and Sherlock Holmes (Brett) and his assistant, Watson (Edward Hardwicke), are called in to investigate by the distraught groom. However, Holmes has personal misgivings about the case, which have been provoked by a series of troubling dreams. Sherlock Holmes: The Eligible Bachelor also features Rosalie Williams and Geoffrey Beevers. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Regarded as a dramatic series, British TV's Send in the Girls had its occasional moments of high humor. The story concerned a group of ambitious young women (hence the title), members all of a high-pressure sales promotion team. Jazz great Annie Ross headed the cast as chain-smoking Velma Hardy. Presented by Granada Television, Send in the Girls yielded seven 60-minute episodes back in 1978. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi