"A Taste for Death" (1988) TV mini-series

User Rating:

7.9/10   

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

21 May 1992 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery

Plot Keywords:

Investigation | Mud | Father Daughter Relationship | Murderer | Letter

Cast

Roy Marsden	...	Commander Adam Dalgliesh (6 episodes, 1988)
Wendy Hiller	...	Lady Ursula Berowne (6 episodes, 1988)
Fiona Fullerton	...	Lady Barbara Berowne (6 episodes, 1988)
Penny Downie	...	Inspector Kate Miskin (6 episodes, 1988)
Avril Elgar	...	Emily Wharton (6 episodes, 1988)
Oliver Ford Davies	...	Father Francis Barnes (6 episodes, 1988)
Simon Ward	...	Stephen Lampart (5 episodes, 1988)
Tat Whalley	...	Darren Wilkes (5 episodes, 1988)
Rob Spendlove	...	Ivor Garrod (5 episodes, 1988)
Gabrielle Lloyd	...	Evelyn Matlock, aka 'Mattie' (5 episodes, 1988)
Kate Buffery	...	Sarah Berowne (4 episodes, 1988)
Matthew Marsh	...	Dominic Swayne (4 episodes, 1988)
Derek Newark	...	Gordon Halliwell (4 episodes, 1988)
Rebecca Saire	...	Theresa Nolan (3 episodes, 1988)
Constance Chapman	...	Gran (3 episodes, 1988)
Robin Marchal	...	Insp. Nick Robins (3 episodes, 1988)

Runtime:

50 min (6 episodes)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Australia:M

Filming Locations:

St Mary Magdalene Church, Rowington Close, Paddington, London, England, UK

Company:

Anglia Television

Movie Connections:

Follows "The Black Tower" (1985)

An excellent version of the book

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

This was one of my favorite books and the video version is great. Unlike a lot of the other filmed stories, this one follows the book almost to the letter except that in the book, the priest , Father Barnes is only shot not killed. The story begins with a double murder in a church in Paddington. A peer of the realm , Sir Paul Berowne,and a derelict are found with their throats cuts and Adam Dalgliesh ,who happened to be a friend of the peer, is called on to the case. This is the episode where he selects Inspector Kate Miskin as a member of his squad and I must say that Penny Downe is the best of the three actress who have played this part (she was also the hated and murdered lawyer in "A Certain Justice"). Her Kate is more human and she has a personal life and a man in it. You get to see her "flat" and the things she has to deal with outside her job.The other two actress who followed her are too robotic. One looks like she is mooning over AD all the time ("A Certain Justice") and the other is trying hard to make a statement about her being on his team and being a woman("Original Sin"). The supporting cast here is also top shelf with the great Wendy Hiller stealing every scene she is in. Roy Marsden is just fabulous once again as AD. In this episode, you see a side of him that you haven't till now. He looses his temper with one of the guys from "Special Branch" who are giving him a hard time and we get to see him in his office and also his secretary (who is no Miss Moneypenny). We also see why he is such a superb investigator by the different ways he handles questioning the suspects as opposed to the young boy who was the first to see the victims. All in all , I highly recommend this to anyone who is a PD James fan or is just a fool for Adam Dalgliesh (like this writer). Now available on video.