What is Murder Most Puzzling? Channel 5 launches Ludwig-style murder mystery show
Murder Most Puzzling might well spark that sense of familiarity in anyone settling down to watch Channel 5 on Thursday, 19 June as the murder mystery starring Downton Abbey's Phyllis Logan follows a similar premise to Ludwig, a hit for the BBC in 2024. Both comedy-dramas feature an oddball cryptic puzzle writer who joins forces with the police to solve some head-scratching cases.
Whether Logan's show can replicate the huge success of the David Mitchell starrer remains to be seen, but if you like quirky sleuths and mind-boggling clues, this could be the series for you.
Here's all you need to know about Murder Most Puzzling as it begins on Channel 5.
A cryptic crossword enthusiast at odds with social norms joins forces with the police to help solve a series of puzzling murders - no, it's not the second season of BBC's Ludwig, this is Channel 5 offering Murder Most Puzzling.
This time, the cruciverbalist in question is Cora Felton, played by Phyllis Logan. She's a Bloody Mary-swilling, chain-smoking brain box who turns out to be a match for local detectives when she tries her hand at sleuthing.
Ludwig fans might spot plenty of similarities in this three-part series, but it's actually based on the crime-thriller Puzzle Lady Mysteries novels by Parnell Hall which were published between 1999 and 2019.
Hall is a US author, but the TV adaptation couldn't be more British, set in the village of Bakerbury where like Midsomer Murders, there is an unusually high ratio of suspicious deaths in the small community.
Downton Abbey's Phyllis Logan is the series star as Cora and she told This Morning on Thursday, 19 June what a fun time she'd had making the series.
"It's so punchy and different," she said. "I know it's about murder, but if you can have a comedy side to murder then this is it. She likes a Bloody Mary before breakfast...it's just great fun to play a character like that."
Logan added: "Everybody can't get enough of (crime drama), and people can't get enough of making it either. But this has got a really lovely twist to it because it's not your straightforward, grisly old crime."
Her co-stars include Charlotte Hope as Sherry Carter, Adam Best as DCI Hooper, and Nick Danan and Jack Weise as his police colleagues DS Sam Brody and PC Danny Finley.
Logan also welcomed her husband Kevin McNally onto set for the second time in a year as they co-starred again after playing husband and wife in BBC's Miss Austen.
She told This Morning: "We started the year last year working together playing Mr and Mrs Austen, and then we finished the year playing a kind of romantically-linked couple in Murder Most Puzzling. It's like bring your husband to work day!"
Murder Most Puzzling begins on Channel 5 at 8pm on Thursday, 19 June.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
34 minutes ago
- Yahoo
BBC broadcast of Bob Vylan's 'death to the IDF' chant was 'chilling violation', says relative of October 7 victim
The BBC's broadcast of Bob Vylan's 'death, death to the IDF' chants was a 'chilling violation', a relative of a victim of the October 7 attacks has said. Bobby Vylan, who is one half of punk rap duo Bob Vylan, led crowds at the West Holts Stage chants of 'death, death to the IDF' (Israel Defence Forces) on Saturday. The pair's performance at the festival led to a police assessment and condemnation from festival organisers, as well as MPs and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. On Tuesday, it was revealed that the BBC's director general, Tim Davie, was consulted over what to do about the performance, who said it should not be made available on demand. Despite this, the livestream containing the chanting remained available on iPlayer for another five hours. Stephen Brisley's sister, Lianne Sharabi, and nieces, Noiya, 16, and Yahel, 13, were murdered by Hamas on October 7. His brother-in-law, Eli Sharabi, was recently released from captivity. He said the BBC's broadcast was 'shocking and deeply painful' and acted as a 'brutal reminder of the murders that shattered our family'. 'To have that broadcast live, unfiltered, into our home by the national broadcaster felt like a chilling violation,' Mr Brisley told The Telegraph. While he said 'intelligent, balanced discussion' about the Israel-Hamas conflict should be welcomed, Mr Brisley described the 'blanket hatred' shouted at the festival, attended by children and families, as a 'cruel erasure of grief on both sides'. Liran Berman, whose brothers, Ziv and Gali, are still in captivity, said the BBC should have stopped broadcasting the moment the IDF chants started. 'The people at Glastonbury should be ashamed of themselves, shouting 'death to the IDF',' he told The Telegraph. Bob Vylan had their US visas revoked before their tour later this year and have since been dropped by their agency. The BBC issued a statement on Monday as it came under spiralling pressure over its decision to continue broadcasting the rap dup's show. They said: 'The antisemitic sentiments expressed by Bob Vylan were utterly unacceptable and have no place on our airwaves. We welcome Glastonbury's condemnation of the performance.' When asked about whether BBC boss Tim Davie should resign, Mr Berman said: 'I don't think it is for me to decide whether someone should lose their job.' However, he did say the BBC has 'apologised more than once or twice for putting out misinformation about Israel' in the months since the October 7 attacks. He said that a 'slap on the wrist' is not acceptable and that action needs to be taken. Sharone Lifschitz's parents were kidnapped from the Nir Oz kibbutz. Her 85-year-old mother, Yocheved, was later released alive. The body of her father, Oded, 83, was returned in February. She said the incident at Glastonbury was 'sad on several levels' and has 'further eroded' trust in the BBC. Yesterday, Bob Vylan said they were being 'targeted for speaking up' and said the storm around the performance was a 'distraction' from Israel's military campaign in Gaza. 'We are not for the death of jews, arabs or any other race or group of people. We are for the dismantling of a violent military machine,' they said in a statement. 'A machine whose own soldiers were told to use 'unnecessary lethal force' against innocent civilians waiting for aid. A machine that has destroyed much of Gaza. 'We, like those in the spotlight before us, are not the story. We are a distraction from the story. And whatever sanctions we receive will be a distraction.' The full statement by the BBC read: 'Millions of people tuned in to enjoy Glastonbury this weekend across the BBC's output but one performance within our live streams included comments that were deeply offensive. 'The BBC respects freedom of expression but stands firmly against incitement to violence. 'The antisemitic sentiments expressed by Bob Vylan were utterly unacceptable and have no place on our airwaves. We welcome Glastonbury's condemnation of the performance. 'The performance was part of a live stream of the West Holts stage on BBC iPlayer. The judgement on Saturday to issue a warning on screen while streaming online was in line with our editorial guidelines. 'In addition, we took the decision not to make the performance available on demand. The team were dealing with a live situation but with hindsight we should have pulled the stream during the performance. We regret this did not happen. 'In light of this weekend, we will look at our guidance around live events so we can be sure teams are clear on when it is acceptable to keep output on air.'
Yahoo
34 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Bob Vylan dropped from French music festival
Punk duo Bob Vylan have been dropped from a line-up of a French music festival, following their controversial appearance at Glastonbury Festival. The group had been due to perform at Kave Fest, which is held in the town of Gisors, north of Paris, on Sunday (6 July). Organisers confirmed to the BBC their set would no longer go ahead and said they would release a statement later explaining their decision. During Bob Vylan's Saturday set, the lead singer led the crowd in chants of "death, death to the IDF [Israel Defence Forces]", prompting criticism from across the political spectrum, including the prime minister who called it "appalling hate speech". Bob Vylan responded to the outcry in a post on Instagram on Tuesday, saying they had been "targeted for speaking up". "We are not for the death of Jews, Arabs or any other race or group of people. We are for the dismantling of a violent military machine," they said. They added that "we, like those in the spotlight before us, are not the story. We are a distraction from the story, and whatever sanctions we receive will be a distraction." The BBC was also criticised for broadcasting the set via a live stream which was available on iPlayer. The UK's chief rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis strongly criticised "the airing of vile Jew-hate at Glastonbury" earlier this week. The BBC previously said the "antisemitic sentiments expressed by Bob Vylan were utterly unacceptable and have no place on our airwaves". In a statement on Monday, the corporation said: "The team were dealing with a live situation but with hindsight we should have pulled the stream during the performance. We regret this did not happen." Broadcast regulator Ofcom also issued a statement, saying it was "very concerned" about the live stream, adding that "the BBC clearly has questions to answer". Starmer criticises 'appalling' Bob Vylan IDF chants Bob Vylan coverage should have been pulled, BBC says Police launch criminal investigation into Bob Vylan and Kneecap Glastonbury sets Chief rabbi attacks BBC for airing 'vile Jew hate' at Glastonbury Bob Vylan: Who are the controversial rap-punk duo? Did BBC's focus on one potential Glastonbury controversy miss another?
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Committee asks BBC boss for view on ‘what went wrong' with Glastonbury coverage
A Government committee has written to BBC director-general Tim Davie asking him for a "personal assessment of what went wrong" with the broadcaster's Glastonbury coverage. The BBC has faced strong criticism for continuing to livestream the performance of punk rap duo Bob Vylan, which is now the subject of a criminal police investigation, at the festival on iPlayer. They led chants of "Death, death to the IDF (Israel Defence Forces)" during their set on the West Holts Stage on Saturday, with the broadcaster providing on-screen warnings about discriminatory language on its platform. READ MORE: Government says stock up on nine emergency items as war risk increases READ MORE: My son's final words were 'dad did this and he did it on purpose' It later apologised on Monday and said the chants held "antisemitic sentiments" that were "unacceptable". Irish rap trio Kneecap, who are also facing an Avon and Somerset Police investigation, appeared on the same stage directly after Bob Vylan and led the Glastonbury audience in "Free Palestine" chants. It has since been revealed that Tim Davie was at Glastonbury when the pro-Palestine chants were broadcast. In a letter sent to Mr Davie by the Culture, Media and Sport Committee on Tuesday, chairwoman Dame Caroline Dinenage asked the BBC boss 12 questions after saying its coverage had caused "widespread concern". Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy previously said that "several" editorial failures "becomes a problem of leadership" during a statement on the BBC's coverage to the Commons. Among the questions, Dame Caroline said: "Before the festival started, did the BBC consider streaming all or part of its Glastonbury coverage with a short time delay, to allow room to respond to events if necessary?" The Conservative MP went on to ask how many BBC staff and contractors were working at Glastonbury or on its coverage, if staff with the authority to cut Bob Vylan's live stream were present during their performance and whether ending the live stream was discussed mid-performance. Dame Caroline then asked: "At what level were the decisions made to not stream Kneecap live and to stream Bob Vylan live, but with a warning on screen?" The letter asked if the BBC had a contingency plan for the event and who was responsible for forming and actioning the plan, before asking if the broadcaster would review its Editorial Guidelines and guidance for live output "to ensure they are fit for live streaming". The Tory MP added: "In summary, what is your personal assessment of what went wrong and what (are the) key lessons that the BBC will take away from the experience of live streaming Glastonbury 2025?" Dame Caroline said she hoped for Mr Davie's response to the questions within two weeks. Avon and Somerset Police said it had launched a probe into both the Bob Vylan and Kneecap performances after reviewing video footage and audio recordings, with a senior detective appointed to lead the investigation. A force spokesman said: "This has been recorded as a public order incident at this time while our inquiries are at an early stage. "The investigation will be evidence-led and will closely consider all appropriate legislation, including relating to hate crimes." In response to criticism of their performance on Tuesday, Bob Vylan said in a statement posted on Instagram that they were being "targeted for speaking up" and that "a good many people would have you believe a punk band is the number one threat to world peace." The statement said: "We are not for the death of Jews, Arabs or any other race or group of people. "We are for the dismantling of a violent military machine. A machine whose own soldiers were told to use 'unnecessary lethal force' against innocent civilians waiting for aid. "A machine that has destroyed much of Gaza."
