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Move Over ‘Midsomer,’ ‘Agatha Raisin’ Is Solving Murders In The Cotswolds

By Amy Feinstein
Published on: 05:31 PST, Jul 19, 2016

Isn’t it about time that someone added a bit of humor to murder in the English countryside? Enter Agatha Raisin, a series coming next month to the U.S. on Acorn TV. Based on the novels by MC Beaton, Agatha Raisin has hints of every British mystery series you’ve ever seen, but done with a unique humorous twist that catches the viewer off-guard. Set in the Cotswolds, the friends and neighbors who surround Agatha Raisin cover an incredible array of characters (often stereotypes) from the English countryside.

According to the Inquisitr, Acorn TV is a streaming channel that calls itself the chief curator of the best British TV. Acorn TV offers a number of shows from Great Britain, New Zealand, Australia, and Canada that can’t be found anywhere else in the United States. Shows like Doc Martin, Midsomer Murders, Vera, and Murdoch Mysteries can be found in their entirety on Acorn TV, and now Agatha Raisin. Also new on Acorn TV is the show Very British Problems featuring James Corden.

Broadcasting & Cable is reporting that Agatha Raisin is a mystery series that will make you laugh out loud. Agatha Raisin stars Ashley Jensen as Agatha Raisin, a London PR executive who took an early retirement to a small village in the Cotswolds, where she is desperate to fit in. So Agatha tries by entering the best village quiche contest in the first episode “The Quiche of Death,” but ends up embroiled in the first murder the village has allegedly seen in years, as a suspect.

And like Murder She Wrote, murder and mayhem seem to follow Agatha Raisin, and the village will never be the same. In the eight part series, Agatha Raisin believes she left London for some peace and quiet, but she comes to find that she enjoys getting involved in some of the darker aspects of village life. Though the village police are nice enough, Agatha Raisin puts her managerial skills to work by conducting her own investigations, and pointing the authorities in the right direction. Agatha has it all under control in the Cotswolds, or so she thinks!

World Screen shares that Agatha Raisin offers something not available right now on television, which is the combination of murder and humor. Mark Stevens, president of Acorn Brands, says that he is excited to offer Acorn viewers some new shows that are binge-worthy, and Agatha Raisin is at the top of the list.

“We’re thrilled to offer such an exciting, diverse mix of high-quality programming to Acorn TV’s subscribers this summer with a new exclusive premiere every week. After a record start to the year, we’re continuing to rapidly increase our original programming slate. With a mix of whimsy, humor, and intriguing mysteries, Agatha Raisin is sure to delight our subscribers.”

Express says that the bottom line is that Agatha Raisin and actress Ashley Jensen are just fun. Jensen, a Scottish actress, says that she spent much of her career as a sidekick and that she expected to always play somebody’s best friend, and then Agatha Raisin came along. Jensen says she’s thrilled with the project, and is having a great time becoming Agatha.

“After Extras, I haven’t laughed so much on a job until this one. That makes it sound like it’s a little unprofessional, but there’s just such an atmosphere of camaraderie and that went through the whole crew.”

In her actual life, Ashley Jensen is demure, and subdued in her color choices, make-up, and style, but as Agatha Raisin, she’s very angular, and has a wardrobe full of every bright color under the sun.

“When you put the clothes on and put the shoes on all of a sudden, you stand differently and your shoulders come back. My hair is more angular and the lips look terrifying. The character has a strong visual identity. A lot of television detectives have a look or something you can immediately identify them by. Her whole image is part and parcel of that.”

Agatha Raisin is surrounded by her core group of friends and former employees who help her solve the murders. This includes her neighbor and her housekeeper. An added bonus with Agatha Raisin is the beautiful backdrop of the Cotswolds.

Will you be watching Agatha Raisin, starting August 1, on Acorn TV?

[Photo by Acorn TV]

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