View source for Mystery!

{{short description|US television series}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2012}}
{{Infobox television
|image       = Mystery! title card (1989).png
|caption     = Title card (1989)
|genre       = [[Anthology]]<br>[[mystery film|Mystery]]
|presenter   = [[Gene Shalit]]<br>[[Vincent Price]]<br>[[Diana Rigg]]
|country     = United States<br>United Kingdom
|first_aired = {{start date|1980|2|5}}
|last_aired  = {{end date|2007|10|14}}
|network = [[PBS]]
|language    = English
|company = [[WGBH-TV|WGBH]] <br> (component programs produced by various entities including the [[BBC]] and [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]] operators)
}}
'''''Mystery!''''' is an [[anthology television series]] produced by [[WGBH-TV|WGBH]] Boston for [[PBS]] in the United States.

The series was created as a [[mystery fiction|mystery]], [[police drama|police]] and [[crime drama]] spin-off of the PBS show ''[[Masterpiece Theatre]]''. From 1980 to 2007, ''Mystery!'' aired mostly British crime series purchased from or co-produced with the [[BBC television drama|BBC]] or [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]] and adapted from British mystery fiction. In 2002, due to pressure to include more American material, a series based on the novels of US mystery writer [[Tony Hillerman]] was produced, but the vast majority of ''Mystery!'' programming has always been and continues to be British literary adaptations co-produced with UK-based production companies.

In 2008, PBS combined ''Mystery!'' with its predecessor ''Masterpiece Theatre'' under the umbrella title ''[[Masterpiece (TV series)|Masterpiece]]'', which includes the sub-brands ''Masterpiece Classic'', ''Masterpiece Mystery!'', and ''Masterpiece Contemporary''.

==Edward Gorey, Derek Lamb, and the ''Mystery!'' opening sequence==

''Mystery!'' is noted for its animated opening and closing [[title sequence]]s with original drawings created by cartoonist [[Edward Gorey]] and animated by Eugene Federenko, [[Derek Lamb]], and [[Janet Perlman]],<ref name=Lenburg>{{cite book|last=Lenburg|first=Jeff|title=Who's Who in Animated Cartoons: An International Guide to Film and Television's Award-Winning and Legendary Animators|publisher=[[Applause Books]]|isbn=978-1-55783-671-7|pages=283–284|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FVShFCjVzvIC&q=%22Penguins+Behind+Bars%22&pg=PA283|date=June 1, 2006}}</ref> with music by [[Normand Roger]]. A PBS veteran, animator Lamb had also created programming for series like ''[[Sesame Street]]'', ''[[The Electric Company]]'', and ''[[The Great American Dream Machine]]''.

Gorey’s first attempt at creating a storyboard of the opening was estimated to run 10 minutes. Because executive producer Joan Wilson was looking for a 75-second sequence, Gorey was eventually asked to hand over the drawings and allow animators to use his work as inspiration. Gorey, known for his eccentric and stubborn nature, recounted:

{{cquote|When we first started talking about it, I gave them a scenario for the credits, but they said, 'Thank you, very much, dear, but this will take half an hour.' I told them it wouldn’t if they put in on at a reasonable rate of speed, but they didn’t seem to care for that idea very much. So Derek Lamb or somebody concocted the final scenario and I had very little to do with it.<ref name="Miller">Miller, Ron (1996). ''MYSTERY!: A Celebration'', San Francisco, CA: WGBH Educational Foundation, 1996. {{ISBN|0-912333-89-8}}.</ref>}}

The Lamb/Gorey sequence has changed several times since 1980. It consisted of a non-linear series of animated [[historical drama|period]] [[country house]] tableaux. The scenes include a formal ball, a crowd of umbrella-toting funeral attendants, three investigators, a croquet game in the rain, and a moaning damsel in various scenes of distress. Over time, the sequence became more streamlined, shorter, and slightly more colorful. For the Hillerman episodes, the American flag was worked into the opening title sequence.

Today, the ''Masterpiece'' opening sequence is almost identical across the sub-brands. Each opening fades in and out of scenes of popular characters from each series. The ''Mystery!'' version still features the Gorey/Lamb characters.

==Inception and early history==
''Mystery!'' was the second British anthology to come to WGBH Boston after ''[[Masterpiece Theatre]]''. In 1979, Mobil Oil head of corporate affairs [[Herb Schmertz]] offered the idea of an all-British crime series show to WGBH manager Henry Becton. Mobil Oil was already the underwriter for ''Masterpiece Theater'' and had seen success with high-profile British series, including ''[[The Six Wives of Henry VIII (BBC TV series)|The Six Wives of Henry VIII]]'' and ''[[Elizabeth R]]''. By 1979, WGBH was bringing in a diverse array of British programming, to the point that Mobil saw an advantage to creating a unique time slot for the crime/police drama genre.<ref>Hilmes, Michele. Network Nations: A Transnational History of British and American Broadcasting. New York: Routledge, 2012).</ref> Mobil spent 2.3 million in 1979 and 3.2 million in 1980 toward the shows it sponsored on PBS,<ref>Fraser, C. Gerald (May 9, 1980). Mobil asks PBS to reconsider showing film about Saudi Princess. New York Times, A10.</ref> including for the kickoff of ''Mystery!'' Not everyone was especially enthusiastic over the genre division between ''Masterpiece Theater''  and ''Mystery!'' Then ''Masterpiece Theater'' host [[Alistair Cooke]] initially bemoaned the loss of the crime genre:

{{cquote|I tell you one thing that makes life a little more difficult in choosing was since the arrival of ''Mystery''. We’re not able to have the change of pace and tone that we had when we could have had Thomas Hardy and Balzac and then had Lord Peter Wimsey. You know that’s denied us know [sic], of course, because it goes to ''Mystery''.<ref>Knox, Simone. “Masterpiece Theatre and British Drama Imports on US Television: Discourses of Tension.” Critical Studies in Television 7, no. 1 (2012): 32.</ref>}}

One of ''Mystery!''{{'s}} early successes was ''[[Rumpole of the Bailey]]''. Other noted successes include ''[[Sherlock Holmes (1984 TV series)|The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes]]'' starring [[Jeremy Brett]] in the title role, ''[[Inspector Morse (TV series)|Inspector Morse]]'' with [[John Thaw]], ''[[Cadfael (TV series)|Brother Cadfael]]'' starring [[Derek Jacobi]], and ''[[Prime Suspect]]'' starring [[Helen Mirren]]. [[Agatha Christie]] sleuths [[Hercule Poirot]] ([[David Suchet]]) and [[Miss Marple]] (at various times [[Joan Hickson]], [[Geraldine McEwan]], and [[Julia McKenzie]]) have also been featured.

''Mystery!'' won both the [[1988 Anthony Award]] and the [[1991 Anthony Award]] for "Best Television Show".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bouchercon.info/nominees.html |title=Bouchercon World Mystery Convention : Anthony Awards Nominees |publisher=Bouchercon.info |date=October 2, 2003 |access-date=March 14, 2012}}</ref>

==Hosts==
The first host of the show in 1980 was [[Gene Shalit]]. In the first broadcast, February 5, 1980, Shalit opened with the introduction: “Good evening. We’re about to set out on a series of entertaining mysteries—15 weeks of suspenseful, sophisticated, crafty conundrums that are darkly diabolical or amusing adventures with introductions that suddenly seem alarmingly alliterative.”<ref name="Miller"/>{{rp|10}} Shalit left the show in 1981.

[[Vincent Price]] took the reins in ''Mystery!''’s second year. Price’s introductions included haunted house gags, including walking through cobwebs and ducking under spiders and bats. He came to Boston twice a year to tape openings and closings for the show. Actress Katherine Emory called Price “the sweetest scary man I ever met".<ref name="Miller"/>{{rp|11}} Price was in his seventies when he hosted the show, and eventually had to step down due to failing health in 1989.

[[Diana Rigg]] took over as host in 1989 and had the opportunity to introduce two mystery series in which she was the star: ''[[Mother Love (TV series)|Mother Love]]'' and ''[[The Mrs Bradley Mysteries]]''. Rigg had previously won a BAFTA Award for her work on ''Masterpiece Theater''{{'s}} [[Bleak House (1985 TV serial)|1985 ''Bleak House'' adaptation]]. She left ''Mystery!'' in 2003.

Beginning in 2004, ''Mystery!'' aired without a host. When the show was rebranded under the ''Masterpiece'' umbrella in 2008, actor [[Alan Cumming]] became the host.

==Funding trouble: 1996–2007==
In the summer of 1995, Mobil announced that it would stop funding ''Mystery!'' at the end of the season. Its underwritten series ''Masterpiece Theater'' and ''Mystery!'' had been losing audiences for some time.

"Many times, over the years, we've watched our best mini-series debut with a flourish … only to see the audience gently or not so gently erode over the weeks," executive producer [[Rebecca Eaton]] said, citing last year's ''Middlemarch'' as an example.".<ref>{{cite web|title=Release|date=June 30, 2015 |publisher=Cpd.org|url=http://www.cpb.org/pressroom/release.php?prn=163}}</ref>

Although Mobil had been experiencing restructuring, cutting 1,250 employees, the company refused to blame its actions on cost cutting. The company announced that it would stay with ''Masterpiece Theater'' at least through 1999 though it didn’t leave as underwriter until 2004.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.current.org/wp-content/themes/current/archive-site/cm/cm0223mt.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130414131742/http://www.current.org/wp-content/themes/current/archive-site/cm/cm0223mt.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 14, 2013|title=Current.org - ExxonMobil withdraws from "Masterpiece Theatre"|access-date=December 29, 2015}}</ref>  After the ExxonMobil merger in 1999, the company reoriented its philanthropic mission to support public health and environmental causes, dropping its commitment to public television. PBS had avoided adding 30-second advertisements before programming blocks, despite underwriters’ requests for more robust representation on the channel. Mobil swore that the decision had nothing to do with PBS’s hesitancy in implementing 30-second advertising spots for its underwriters.  Since 1980, Mobil had covered the entire cost of acquiring, repackaging and promoting British dramas for PBS, which had typically cost the company around $10 million a year.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.current.org/wp-content/themes/current/archive-site/drama/drama0301.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20141208062824/http://www.current.org/wp-content/themes/current/archive-site/drama/drama0301.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 8, 2014|title=Current.org - Dramas seek funders, 2003|access-date=December 29, 2015}}</ref> Without Mobil, ''Masterpiece Theater'' and ''Mystery!'' were left without consistent support until 2011.

As a result of Mobil's initial break from ''Mystery!'', Eaton and her staff began looking for newer, more “relevant” stories to tell in both shows. They also looked to past successes for help. ''Prime Suspect'' had gained a strong following in the US as well as England, so PBS re-ran Series 4 on ''Masterpiece Theater'' during the 1995-1996 season.

PBS shifted ''Mystery!'' in 2002 from its Thursday prime-time slot during the regular American TV season to Sunday nights in the summer. ''Mystery!'' continued as a summer series from 2002 to 2004 with shows like ''[[The Inspector Lynley Mysteries]]'', ''[[Hetty Wainthropp Investigates]]'' and ''[[Foyle's War]]''.

==2008 format change==
In 2008, the series was absorbed into ''[[Masterpiece (TV series)|Masterpiece]]'' (the former ''Masterpiece Theatre'') and began using the banner '''''Masterpiece Mystery!''''' In addition, the theme music was changed. It now carried a signature theme based on its sister program's former theme.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/10/arts/television/10mast.html|title='Masterpiece Theater,' Now in 3 Flavors: Classic, Mystery, Contemporary|work=[[Nytimes.com]]|date=December 10, 2007|access-date=January 22, 2008 | first=Elizabeth | last=Jensen}}</ref> This version is hosted by [[Alan Cumming]].

Rebecca Eaton reflected on the 2008 changes in an interview with Diane Rehm, citing Mobil’s departure, a competitive media landscape, and trouble branding ''Masterpiece Theater'' and ''Mystery!'' to new audiences. Eaton said:

“I realized that this ship of whom I was the captain was at risk of going down, and that I had to do something. And I truly did not know what to do and had no money to do anything anyway. But we got a grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and PBS which we were pretty much allowed to do anything with...we spent it on doing some research into how people perceived Masterpiece. And discovered that they used to watch it, they loved it, they regarded it very highly. They weren't watching it so much anymore. They thought it was too hard to find...And a lot of people were put off by the title. They thought, oh it sounds like it will be very challenging. It sounds like homework....We didn't change the content because we realized whenever anybody, particularly younger viewers watched it, watched Madame Bovary or Sense and Sensibility or Bleak House, they loved it. It was just sort of getting past the rather forbidding title of ''Masterpiece Theater'' and the confusing anthology nature.”<ref>{{cite web|url=http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2013-10-29/rebecca-eaton-making-masterpiece-25-years-behind-scenes-masterpiece-theatre-and-mys|title=Rebecca Eaton: "Making Masterpiece: 25 Years Behind The Scenes At Masterpiece Theatre And Mystery! On PBS" - The Diane Rehm Show|work=The Diane Rehm Show|access-date=December 29, 2015}}</ref>

==In popular culture==
*''Mystery!'' was parodied by ''[[Sesame Street]]''{{'s}} "Mysterious Theatre" sketches in the early 1990s, hosted by the Muppet character Vincent Twice (whose name was always said twice), a parody of [[Vincent Price]].
* The 1990s ''Mystery!'' opening was parodied on a 1998 episode of fellow WGBH program ''[[Arthur (TV series)|Arthur]]'' entitled "Binky Rules."

==List of series presented on ''Mystery!''==
{{Main|List of Mystery! episodes}}

{{columns-list|colwidth=30em|
*''[[Sherlock Holmes (1984 TV series)|The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes]]'' with [[Jeremy Brett]] broadcast as:
**''The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes'': 1984–1985 (7), 1985–1986 (6)
**''The Return of Sherlock Holmes'': 1986–1987 (7), 1988–1989 (6)
**''The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes'': 1991–1992 (6)
**''Sherlock Holmes: The Master Blackmailer'': 1992–1993 (1)
**''Sherlock Holmes: The Last Vampire'': 1993–1994 (1)
**''Sherlock Holmes: The Eligible Bachelor'': 1993–1994 (1)
**''The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes'': 1995–96 (6)
*''Agatha Christie Stories'': 1982–83 (4), 1984–1985 (6)
*''[[Agatha Christie's Marple]]'' with [[Geraldine McEwan]] and [[Julia McKenzie]]: 2005 (4), 2006 (4), 2007 (4), 2009 (4), 2010 (3)
*''[[Miss Marple (TV series)|Agatha Christie's Miss Marple]]'' with [[Joan Hickson]]: 1985–1986 (2), 1986–1987 (2), 1987–1988 (3), 1988–1989 (2)
*''[[Agatha Christie's Partners in Crime]]'' with [[James Warwick (actor)|James Warwick]] and [[Francesca Annis]]: 1984–1985 (5), 1985–1986 (5)
*''[[Agatha Christie's Poirot]]'' with [[David Suchet]]: 1989–1990 (10), 1990–1991 (9), 1991–1992 (8), 1992–1993 (6), 1993–1994 (6), 1994–1995 (4), 1995–1996 (1), 1996–1997 (1), 1998–1999 (3), 1999–2000 (1), 2009 (2), 2010 (3), 2013 (5)
*''[[The Secret Adversary|Agatha Christie's The Secret Adversary]]'' with  James Warwick and Francesca Annis: 1986–1987 (1)
*''[[Arthur & George (miniseries)|Arthur & George]]'' with [[Martin Clunes]] and [[Arsher Ali]]: 2015 (3)
*''[[Brat Farrar]]'' with [[Mark Greenstreet]]: 1986–1987 (1)
*''[[Breathless (British TV series)|Breathless]]'' with [[Catherine Steadman]], [[Zoe Boyle]], [[Natasha Little]], [[Jack Davenport]], [[Iain Glen]]: 2014 (6)
*''[[Cadfael (TV series)|Cadfael]]'' with [[Derek Jacobi]]: 1994–1995 (4), 1996–1997 (1), 1998–1999 (5), 1999–2000 (5)
*''[[Campion (1989 TV series)|Campion]]'' with [[Peter Davison]]: 1989–1990 (4)
*''[[Case Histories (TV series)|Case Histories]]'' with [[Jason Isaacs]]: 2011 (3)
*''[[Cause Célèbre (play)|Cause Célèbre]]'' with [[Helen Mirren]]: 1988–1989 (1)
*''Chandler and Company'': 1995–1996 (4)
*''[[Charters and Caldicott (TV series)|Charters and Caldicott]]'': 1985–1986 (1)
*''[[Adam Dalgliesh|Dalgliesh]]'' with [[Roy Marsden]]: 1985–1986 (1), 1986–1987 (2), 1987–1988 (1), 1989–1990 (1), 1991–1992 (1), 1993–1994 (1), 1995–1996 (1), 1996–1997 (1), 1998–1999 (1), 1999–2000 (1), 2000–2001 (1)
*''[[Adam Dalgliesh|Dalgliesh]]'' with [[Martin Shaw]]: 2004 (1), 2005 (1), 2006 (1)
*''[[A Dark-Adapted Eye]]'' with [[Helena Bonham Carter]]: 1994–1995 (1)
*''The Dark Angel'' with [[Peter O'Toole]]: 1990–1991 (1)
*''[[Death Comes to Pemberley (TV series)|Death Comes to Pemberley]]'' with [[Matthew Rhys]] and [[Anna Maxwell Martin]]: 2014 (3)
*''Dead Gorgeous'' with [[Helen McCrory]] and [[Fay Ripley]]: 2003 (1), 2005 (1)
*''Deep Secrets'' with [[Colin Salmon]]: 1997–1998 (1)
*''[[Die Kinder]] (The Children)'' with [[Miranda Richardson]]: 1990–1991 (1)
*''[[Adaptations of Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde|Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde]]'' with [[David Hemmings]]: 1981–1982 (1)
*''Dying Day'': 1982–1983 (1)
*''[[Endeavour (TV series)|Endeavour]]'' with [[Shaun Evans]]: 2012 (1), 2013 (4), 2014 (4), 2016 (4), 2017 (4), 2018 (6), 2019 (4), 2020 (3), 2021 (3), 2022 (3)
*''[[The Escape Artist (TV series)|The Escape Artist]]'' with [[David Tennant]]: 2014 (3)
*''[[Father Brown]]'' with [[Kenneth More]]: 1982–1983 (4)
*''Forgotten'' with [[Paul McGann]]: 2001–2002 (1)
*''[[Foyle's War]]'' with [[Michael Kitchen]]: 2004 (6), 2005 (4), 2007 (4), 2008 (3), 2009 (2), 2010 (3), 2013 (3)
*''[[Gallowglass (miniseries)|Gallowglass]]'' with [[Michael Sheen]] and [[Paul Rhys]]: 1995–1996 (1)
*''Game, Set and Match'' with [[Ian Holm]]: 1988–1989 (1)
*''[[Grantchester (TV series)|Grantchester]]'' with [[James Norton (actor)|James Norton]] and [[Robson Green]]: 2015 (6), 2016 (6), 2017 (6)
*''[[Heat of the Sun]]'' with [[Trevor Eve]]: 1998–1999 (5)
*''[[Hetty Wainthropp Investigates]]'' with [[Patricia Routledge]]: 1997–1998 (1), 1998–1999 (1), 1999–2000 (6), 2000–2001 (16), 2003 (3)
*''[[The Inspector Alleyn Mysteries|Inspector Alleyn Mysteries]]'' with [[Simon Williams (actor)|Simon Williams]] and [[Patrick Malahide]]: 1991–1992 (1), 1993–1994 (3), 1994–1995 (2)
*''[[Lewis (TV series)|Inspector Lewis]]'' with [[Kevin Whately]] and [[Laurence Fox]]: 2006 (1), 2007 (3), 2008 (3), 2009 (3), 2010 (3), 2011 (3), 2012 (3), 2013 (3), 2014 (3), 2016 (6)
*''[[The Inspector Lynley Mysteries]]'' with [[Nathaniel Parker]] and [[Sharon Small]]: 2001–2002 (2), 2003 (4), 2004 (4), 2005 (8), 2006 (4), 2007 (6), 2008 (6)
*''[[Inspector Morse (TV series)|Inspector Morse]]'' with [[John Thaw]]: 1987–1988 (3), 1988–1989 (3), 1989–1990 (3), 1990–91 (3), 1991–1992 (3), 1992–1993 (3), 1993–1994 (4), 1994–1995 (3), 1995–1996 (2), 1996–1997 (2), 1998–1999 (3), 1999–2000 (2), 2000–2001 (2), 2001–2002 (3), 2004 (2), 2005 (2), 2006 (2)
*''Into the Blue'' with John Thaw: 1997–1998 (1), 1998–1999 (1)
*''[[Jericho (British TV series)|Jericho]]'' with [[Robert Lindsay (actor)|Robert Lindsay]]: 2006 (4), 2007 (2)
*''[[Lady Audley's Secret]]'' with Lucy Graham: 1999–2000 (1), 2000–2001 (1)
*''[[The Lady Vanishes (2013 film)|The Lady Vanishes]]'' with [[Tuppence Middleton]]: 2013 (1)
*''[[The Life and Crimes of William Palmer]]'' with [[Keith Allen (actor)|Keith Allen]]: 1998–1999 (1)
*''The Limbo Connection'': 1982–1983 (1)
*''[[Lord Peter Wimsey#Dramatic adaptations|Lord Peter Wimsey]]'' with [[Edward Petherbridge]]: 1987–1988 (3)
*''[[Malice Aforethought (TV series)|Malice Aforethought]]'' with [[Hywel Bennett]]: 1981–1982 (1)
*''[[Malice Aforethought (film)|Malice Aforethought]]'' with [[Ben Miller]]: 2005 (1), 2006 (1)
*''The Man from the Pru'' with [[Jonathan Pryce]]: 1990–1991 (1)
*''[[Maigret (1992 TV series)|Maigret]]'' with [[Michael Gambon]]: 1992–1993 (6), 1994–1995 (6)
*''Melissa'' with [[Peter Barkworth]]: 1982–1983 (1)
*''[[Miss Morison's Ghosts]]'' with [[Wendy Hiller]]: 1982–1983 (1)
*''[[The Mrs. Bradley Mysteries]]'' with [[Diana Rigg]]: 2003 (4)
*''[[Mother Love (TV series)|Mother Love]]'' with Diana Rigg: 1990–1991 (1)
*''[[Murder Rooms: The Dark Beginnings of Sherlock Holmes]]'' with [[Ian Richardson]]: 1999–2000 (2), 2000–2001 (2), 2001–2002 (4)
*''[[My Cousin Rachel]]'' with [[Christopher Guard]] and [[Geraldine Chaplin]]: 1985–1986 (1)
*''[[Oliver's Travels]]'' with [[Alan Bates]]: 1996–97 (1), 1998–1999 (1)
*''Praying Mantis'' with [[Jonathan Pryce]]: 1984–1985 (1)
*''[[Prime Suspect]]'' with [[Helen Mirren]]: 1991–1992 (1), 1992–1993 (1), 1993–1994 (1)
*''[[Quiet as a Nun]]'' with [[Maria Aitken]]: 1982–1983 (1)
*''The Racing Game'' with [[Mike Gwilym]]: 1980–1981 (3), 1981–1982 (3)
*''[[Rebecca (novel)|Rebecca]]'' with [[Jeremy Brett]] and [[Joanna David]]: 1980–1981 (1)
*''[[Reilly, Ace of Spies]]'' with [[Sam Neill]]: 1983–1984
*''[[Rumpole of the Bailey]]'' with [[Leo McKern]]: 1980–1981 (4), 1981–1982 (6), 1984–1985 (6) 1987–1988 (6), 1989–`1990 (6), 1992–1993 (6), 1994–1995 (7)
*''[[The Ruby in the Smoke|The Sally Lockhart Mysteries: The Ruby in the Smoke]]'' & ''[[The Shadow in the North|The Sally Lockhart Mysteries: The Shadow in the North]]'' with [[Billie Piper]]: 2007 (1), 2008 (1)
*''[[The Sculptress]]'' with [[Pauline Quirke]] and [[Caroline Goodall]]: 1997–1998 (2)
*''[[Second Sight (TV series)|Second Sight]]'' with [[Clive Owen]]: 1999–2000 (1), 2000–2001 (4), 2001–2002 (2)
*''[[Cribb|Sergeant Cribb]]'' with [[Alan Dobie]]: 1980–1981 (3), 1981–1982 (5), 1982–1983 (5)
*''Shades of Darkness'' with [[John Duttine]]: 1983–1984 (7)
*''She Fell Among Thieves'': 1980–1981 (1)
*''[[Sherlock (TV series)|Sherlock]]'' with [[Benedict Cumberbatch]] and [[Martin Freeman]]: 2010 (3), 2012 (6), 2014 (3), 2016 (2), 2017(3)
*''[[Silk (TV series)|Silk]]'' with [[Maxine Peake]]: 2013 (3)
*''[[Sweeney Todd]]'': 1982–1983 (1)
*''[[Touching Evil]]'' with [[Robson Green]]: 1998–1999, 1999–2000 (6), 2000–2001 (4), 2001–2002 (6)
*''Trial by Fire'' with [[Juliet Stevenson]]: 2000–2001 (1)
*''[[An Unsuitable Job for a Woman]]'' with [[Helen Baxendale]]: 1999–2000 (4)
*''[[Wallander (British TV series)|Wallander]]'' with [[Kenneth Branagh]]: 2009 (3), 2010 (3), 2012 (3), 2016 (3)
*''[[We, the Accused (TV series)|We, the Accused]]'': 1982–1983 (1)
*''[[The Woman in White (novel)|The Woman in White]]'': 1984–1985 (1)
*''[[The Wyvern Mystery]]'' with [[Derek Jacobi]]: 2000–2001 (1)
*''[[Zen (TV series)|Zen]]'' with [[Rufus Sewell]]: 2011 (3)
}}

==American Mystery! Specials==
The American Mystery! Specials featured three stories set in the United States. They were based on [[Tony Hillerman]]'s Navajo Tribal Police stories featuring [[Joe Leaphorn]], played by [[Wes Studi]], and [[Jim Chee]], portrayed by [[Adam Beach]]:

*''[[Skinwalkers (2002 film)|Skinwalkers]]'' 2002 (1)
*''[[Coyote Waits#Adaptations|Coyote Waits]]'' 2003 (1)
*''[[A Thief of Time#Adaptations|A Thief of Time]]''  2004 (1)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

===Bibliography===
*Eaton, Rebecca (2013).  ''Making Masterpiece: 25 Years Behind the Scenes at Masterpiece Theatre and Mystery! at PBS,'' Viking Adult.
*Hilmes, Michele (2012).  ''Network Nations: A Transnational History of British and American Broadcasting.'' Routledge.
*Knox, Simone (2012). “Masterpiece Theatre and British Drama Imports on US Television: Discourses of Tension.” ''Critical Studies in Television'' 7:1 (29-48).
*Miller, Ron (1996). ''MYSTERY!: A Celebration'', WGBH Educational Foundation, 1996. {{ISBN|0-912333-89-8}}.
*Neves, Sheron (2013). “Running a Brothel from Inside a Monastery: Drama Co-Productions at the BBC and the Trade Relationship with America from the 1970s to the 1990s,” PhD dissertation, University of London-Birkbeck.
*Weissmann, Elke (2012). ''Transnational Television Drama: Special Relations and Mutual Influence Between the US and the UK''. Palgrave Macmillan.

==External links==
*[https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/ Official ''Masterpiece'' website]
*{{IMDb title|0080249}}

{{EmmyAward MainTitleDesign}}
{{Edward Gorey}}
{{PBSTV}}

[[Category:1980 American television series debuts]]
[[Category:2007 American television series endings]]
[[Category:1980s American drama television series]]
[[Category:1990s American drama television series]]
[[Category:2000s American drama television series]]
[[Category:PBS original programming]]
[[Category:Television series by WGBH]]
[[Category:Edgar Award–winning works]]
[[Category:1980s American anthology television series]]
[[Category:Anthony Award–winning works]]
[[Category:American English-language television shows]]
[[Category:1990s American anthology television series]]
[[Category:2000s American anthology television series]]