Partners In Crime (BBC-1 2015, Jessica Raine, David Walliams)

Period crime drama series Partners In Crime was an updated to the 1950’s big budget BBC take on Agatha Christie’s 1920’s married couple sleuths Tommy and Tuppence Beresford (previously filmed by ITV with Francesca Annis and David Warwick in the leads in an excellent 1983 series).

Based on the novels The Secret Adversary and N or M the series follows the married couple as they discover mystery and intrigue in a world that is still recovering from the ravages of the second world war and where a new Cold War means that spies lurk around every corner.

Guest stars included the always excellent Roy Marsden, Alice Krige and Ed Speleers. Sadly, in our opinion, Partners In Crime was completely hamstrung by the playing of the two leads. Walliams and Raine simply did not gel and were an extremely unlikely couple who never gained the audience sympathy.

Partners In Crime
Jessica Raine as Tuppence and David Walliams as Tommy. Mismatched casting that ending up irritating.

production details
UK / BBC-1 – Endor – Acorn Productions / 6×60 minute episodes / Broadcast 26 July – 30 August 2015

Writers: Zinnie Harris (Episodes 1-3), Claire Wilson (episodes 4-6) / Producer: Georgina Lowe / Executive Producers: Hilary Bevan Jones, David Walliams, Hilary Strong, Matthew Prichard / Director: Edward Hall

cast
David Walliams as Tommy
Jessica Raine as Tuppence
James Fleet as Major Anthony Carter
Matthew Steer as Albert Pemberton

Head of film reviews at The Viewers Guide with an erudite, insightful, slightly sardonic, deep appreciation for classic cinema. Has a habit of quoting obscure lines from old films in everyday conversation. He keeps a meticulously organized film logbook. He's a bit of a tea snob.