theinspectorlynleymysteries - Der lord am Tatort

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Der Lord am Tatort

The ZDF starts a new series of the Crime drama with thenoble Inspector Lynley and his sloppy assistant Barbara Havers. They are both so populiar that writer Elizabeth George can't keep up with the series anymore.

It marks, like Tatort, the end of the weekends. After that it is Monday and no way to escape the new week. In the meanwhile we are lucky to have the perfect Sunday extender. German Tatort hardly finished his crime, when the two international colleagues take over. The chiefs sales from the ZDF buy what they like to read. They have films from Henning Mankell (Inspector Wallander) to Val McDermid (Method Hill). But the most populair is this detective duo from bestseller-writer Elizabeth George: the noble inspector Lynley and his proletariat colleague Barbara Havers. The American writes in her novels about typical British things, like green hills, huge country houses, haughty Lords and a portion of middle class that looks like a Rosamunde Pilcher scene, with the difference that crimes are comitted in this one and not a kitschy love story. The filming of the Inspector Lynley series (the 4th one is shown on the ZDF from 2 April) is not that thickly served, but thick enough to please the audience. The Brits, like the German vieuwers, see a romantised picture of England. In fact, Inspector Thomas Lynley from New Scotland Yard is the most beloved under the TV Inspectors. He looks good, wears posh clothes and drives the coolest car. Sirs Wallander or Hill might solve the most terrifying crimes, but the 8th Earl of Asherton and his mostly in an annoying mood assistent Barbara Havers have the best quotes. Not "sex and crime" but "class and crime" makes the series so populair. No other crime duo has so many conflicts: Havers is middleclass, doesn't really look good and wears the most horrible clothes, while the Inspectors Aristocratic upbringing is in the asy, she has lots of discussions with him and they make her chief angry. The crime must be solved, even when they have to miss the afternoon tea.

Lynley and Havers can't change and they don't want to.Alright, they are a bit more friendly to another than in the first series, but to see them fall in love one day? A romance that leaves all differences behind? No way! "Unbelievable" think both leading actors Nathaniel Parker and Sharon Small. There is no Cinderella and her prince, but Sergeant and Inspector.

The differences between them is what made the books from Elizabeth George so populair. In 13 novels, Lynley and Havers solve crimes (in Juli the new one "With No One As Witness" comes out in German). The characters in the series are a bit more like British reality. Lynley, in the books never without butler or Bentley, wears jeans on TV, drives a normal old timer and is played less melancolic, but cooler and much better by Nathaniel Parker. And Barbara Havers, who according to Elizabeth George, is not attractive at all in the books and the first series. When fans protested, Sharon Small made her more attractive. "When Elizabeth George wroet on her homepage that she liked me as Havers the protests slowed down" said the leading actress.

Ofcourse Elizabeth George has her influence on the series and follows every move, even if they don't follow the books anymore. Because the BBC filmed all the Lynley books, there was lack of material. The BBC bought the rights on both characters and write their own stories since series 3. They are created based on the characters by Elizabeth George, who, painfully enough, stops the development of the characters. "She protects Havers and Lynley"sais Sharon Small. "Radical things don't happen".

For the leading actors, Sharon Small, 38, and Nathaniel Parker, 43, the series was their breakthrough. Bothe appeared in a few movies and played in a lot of theatre plays. Sharon Small gets less fanpost then her handsome colleague. "Barbara attracts only men that are over 50". But she loves her role as bad mooded police officer anyway. "I like Barbar. She is believable. Like Barbara, I have a middleclass background."She only knows two of the books and that was enough for the background search of her character. Nathaniel Parker also admits that he didn't read all the novels, but feels that his Inspector Lynley is very close to his own life. His father is a real "Sir". And if they can say something about their character "then we want to give them some more freedom and a private life"say both actors. There is very little time for that when you have 90 minutes to solve the crime. And the Brits are distinguished: no bloody bodies to be found, no useless actions. Lynley and Havers talk, ask, observe and see. After that they chase after their murder suspects. Inspector Lynley hardly has to do with pshycopats. His supsects kill to cover up something or to hide something, and they do that, most of the time, with one single shot. "Little violence and almost no sex"is what a fan wrote on the BBC homepage. The murderer is just a detail. Lynley and Havers want to know what is going on, what is going on, why, where or what. Maybe a bit old-fashioned, but it might be the reason why people like it. And when the crime is solved, Lynley's forehead relaxes a bit and Havers put away her notebook, we can go to bed at peace. Not bad for a Sunday evening.

Brigitte 8/2006
With many thanks to Marianne for her help.
Posted: 24 October 2007