Jonathan Creek

Jonathan Creek is essentially a detective series, starring Alan Davies as the brains behind a famous magician's various disappearing tricks, who spends his spare time using the same skills to solve seemingly impossible mysteries. There have been four series up to now, although there has been just one special episode aired in the last five years, suggesting that the series has pretty much run its course. However if you have never seen it before, I would strongly recommend that you give at least one episode a try (reruns tend to be shown on a regular basis on various satellite channels) For me the plots are superb - I do not ever remember working one out before the ...  Read the complete review

There is a lot I like about Jonathon Creek but there is also a little that annoys me about it too. There is no doubt it attempts something different from the usual crime TV fare we get. Too many crime programmes come from the same template with a detective with personal problems who does not play by the book and gets results. The main characters of Creek and Maddy are quite likeable. A little quirky, yes, but not so that they stretch credibility. Jonathon is played by comedian and building society advert man Alan Davies and the rapport with Caroline Quentin who plays Maddy works well on screen. There seems to be a certain chemistry between them, not sexual but ...  Read the complete review

Jonathan Creek was a British TV crime mystery series. It kind of stays in a genre all of its own, as it relies on crime mixed with apparent supernatural happenings on, and features Jonathan Creek, a man well known in circles as a designer for stage illusions. Each episode features Creek teaming up with Maddie Magellan to try and crack cases where others have failed. Maddie is a pushy journalist looking to get a good story each time, and Creek is interested in the illusionary working of each case. The aim of the show was to provide a different take on detection. The majority of detective dramas we experience are focused on the villain and what they did and why. ...  Read the complete review

It would be easy to come on here and outline only the faults of this strange little show, but one must look beyond the sheer silliness of it and recognise the factors that make it so popular. For me the greatest thing about this show is the brilliant acting from the fantastic Caroline Quentin, although she was good in Men Behaving Badly she wasn't given enough scope to fulfil her full potential. In this she is able to use the full range of her acting abilities. Alan Davies is also very good as the perplexing Jonathan Creek but I just find him too smug at times and feel he could bring more depth to the character. The show has also featured a wide range of ...  Read the complete review

Jonathon Creek is quite simply, a breath of fresh air for the murder mystery genre. Not only is the main character as far from the usually middle-aged grumpy policeman (Morse, Frost etc) that clutter our screens, but the whole thing from side-kick to the actual mystery is original and a joy to watch. The selling point of this show is the mysteries themselves. No other television super sleuth would be able to solve them, but Jonathon Creek-complete with magician's brain-can. For Creek is actually a magician, as he creates magic tricks for his boss to perform. This enables him to have an expert knowledge of mirrors, hidden passageways and other such delights ...  Read the complete review