Wycliffe:
The Complete Second Series
“Set
in the ruggedly beautiful county
of Cornwall, Wycliffe is an acclaimed
ITV crime drama series with likeable
and believable characters led by the
relentless Detective Superintendent
Charles Wycliffe...”
AS A COMPLETE CONTRAST TO the usual maverick detective, DS Charles Wycliffe
(Jack Shepherd) is a mature family man, described as "quietly charismatic"
and with a fastidious and tolerant approach in the excellent television series
Wycliffe.
Against a background of the windswept beauty of rural Cornwall, this popular
series includes storylines that highlight the social and economic difficulties
faced by the local community as the conscientious Wycliffe takes on the region's
most serious and challenging cases.
Tackling each investigation with a calm determination and open mind, Wycliffe's
perception and style of questioning get right to the heart of the mystery and
he is supported by his dependable and very human colleagues who include Detective
Inspector Doug Kersey (Jimmy Yuill), DI Lucy Lane (Helen Masters), DS "Dixie"
Dixon (Aaron Harris), CC Birkin (David Brocklehurst) and DC Potter (Adam Barker).
The first episode of the Complete Second Series of Wycliffe sees the
detective hot on the trail of armed and dangerous escaped prisoner John Bonetti
(Sean Chapman), who has been helped by prison visitor Jane Hardy (Cathryn Harrison).
Is Jane Hardy all she appears to be and why do the spate of murders continue
after Bonetti — whose parents appear to have disowned him — has a
cast-iron alibi? A clever twist in this episode, that is entitled All For
Love and is written by Steve Trafford.
Another taut storyline is about a kidnapping where the victim is Alison Keir
(Margo Gunn), who owns a champion racehorse that looks set to be a winner. Is
her husband Alex (John McArdle) innocent or is disgruntled employee Dave Penryn
(Adam Kotz) so determined enough to ride Warrior that he wants Alison out of
the way? Or perhaps it is rival horse-owner Major Tregelles (Brian Gwaspari),
whose wife (Brenda Cavendish) is rumoured to be more than just good friends
with Alex? Or even the youthful Diane Byrne (Judy Brooke), whom Alison looked
on as a daughter.
In one of the more perplexing episodes, Wycliffe needs to discover who is leaving
mysterious drawings and messages for David and Angela Miller (David Haig and
Judi Maynard) and why was a local man murdered and his body nailed to their
back door. Can it be the work of Donald Thorne (David Neal), who hates outsiders
and believes that only the Cornish should live permanently in Cornwall? Do neighbours
Georgie and Marcus Howell (Maureen Bennett and Michael Fenton Stevens) know
more than they seem to or is the arrogant Colin Drake (Mark McKenna) at the
centre of the mystery?
Another episode opens with a body being washed up on the shoreline. Edwina Coryn
(the wonderful Eleanor Bron) comes forward claiming it may be her husband whom
she reported missing some time ago and she identifies his jacket. The team also
speaks to Fiona Jay (Marian McLoughlin), whose husband has also gone missing.
But as Wycliffe begins to solve the mystery he discovers that both women have
a secret that could have far-reaching consequences for both them and their families.
It is going to take a little bit more than an unsolved crime to fox the DS as
he sifts through the clues of all these cases and more, using every available
method at his disposal to unravel a tissue of lies. Wycliffe is a riveting series
with well-constructed, compelling storylines and the series improves with every
episode.
Guest appearances also include Louise Jameson and Geoffrey Bayldon and Wycliffe
received The Royal Television Society award for the best television theme, composed
by Nigel Hess. Wycliffe remained a top-rated drama throughout its five-year
run and the second series was originally transmitted in 1995. Wycliffe
is based on characters created by W J Burley.
• Network DVD announces the release of the
acclaimed ITV crime drama Wycliffe: The Complete Second Series, starring
Jack Shepherd, on 5 April (2010). Certificate: 12 | RRP: £19.99 | Total Running
Time: 400 minutes approx | Catalogue Number: 7953255.
"Wycliffe is a riveting series with well-constructed,
compelling storylines" — Maggie Woods, MotorBar
