Bookish — Mark Gatiss brings class and 1940s style to mystery TV

Review by C.J. Bunce

Sherlock Holmes as a 1940s bookshop owner? Why not? Mark Gatiss, the brains behind the Sherlock series starring Benedict Cumberbatch (plus all sorts of Doctor Who stories) is starring in his own new historical mystery series, Bookish, now streaming in the U.S. on PBS Passport. A barely recognizable Gatiss (the beard makes him a ringer for Kevin Kline) plays Gabriel Book, a London bookshop proprietor and antiquities expert who uses his books and book knowledge to solve local crimes. With wife and full life partner Trottie, played by Polly Walker, the duo is a thoroughly modern couple well-established and living the best life they can in post-War London. Book’s real passion is crime solving and local constable Inspector Bliss, played by Elliot Levey, is more than happy to tap his friend to assist him on police calls.

The series’ bets feature is creator-writer Gatiss and director Carolina Giammetta’s ability to install this both unique and believable take on a loving husband and wife–Book has his books and Mrs. B has her wallpaper–and both have their dalliances–all in a way that makes for a unique historical mystery drama in the context of post World War II England. The couple is very careful because Book is also a closeted gay man, so along with the action of solving the riddle of a bombsite stash of skeletons, who poisoned an extra from a crew filming on their street, and who is stalking a pair of sisters from eastern Europe, the couple has double duty living within the boundaries of contemporary mores as ordinary people. Imagine As Time Goes By’s Jean and Lionel–this could have been a couple next door had that duo’s stars aligned and they’d been able to get together just after the war.

A smart and nontraditional pairing of a British cop and a sleuth akin to a buddy cop show in a historical mystery context is quite refreshing. Unlike every mystery series on TV you’ve seen this century, these two fellows actually get along–they work together to suss out the culprits and solve riddles over three mysteries total, three ninety-minute mysteries carved up for the American market into six one-hour episodes with commercials.

Another plus is the wide-eyed young teen Laura, played by Buket Kömür, who knows everything about Book’s preoccupation with solving riddles and endeavors to be his understudy. But the point of view character is Jack, played by Connor Finch, who finds his way to take on the job of working in Book’s strange book shop. Book has a secret involving Jack, which sets up more mysteries for a second season, which is already in pre-production.

It’s not all about getting the historical accuracy of set design 100% right–that steps aside for a theatrical, stylish look at the streets of London, filmed in Belgium. It’s not as stylish and exciting as A&E’s A Nero Wolfe Mystery series, and it’s not as much fun, but it’s sweet and honest, while not so much a cozy mystery as something like Rosemary & Thyme. It’s quite its own thing.

Familiar genre actors on cast include The Gentlemen’s Joely Richardson, former Ashes to Ashes and Rogue One actor Daniel Mays, former Doctor Who star Paul McGann, plus Blake Harrison, Rosie Cavaliero, Jacob Fortune-Lloyd, Tom Forbes, Amanda Drew, and Luke Norris.

It’s classy. It’s stylish. It’s also quaint. All six episodes of Season 1 of Bookish are now streaming on PBS Mystery.

Catch up with our reviews of other quality British TV series (including Australian and New Zealand shows you’d find on PBS, BritBox, or Acorn TV) beginning with our Top 10: Life on Mars/Ashes to Ashes, Zen, Why Didn’t They Ask Evans?, Mr. Selfridge, Guilt, The IPCRESS File, The Hour, The Gentlemen, Black Doves, and Shetland. You could stay pretty busy with our full list of top British TV recommendations, including The Artful Dodger, Van Der Valk, the first season of Sherlock, Deadloch, Troppo, Case Histories, Vigil, This is Going to Hurt, Black Snow, Mystery Road: Origin, Death Valley, Dept. Q, Bodkin, The Bletchley Circle, Bookish, Good Cop/Bad Cop, Grace, Hinterland, Glitch, Mystery Road, Culprits, Harrow, Annika, The Day of the Jackal, Code of Silence, Luther, Professor T, and Supacell. After you’ve seen all of those, try Viva Blackpool, Marchlands, Lightfields, State of Play, I, Jack Wright, Population 11, Protection, After the Flood, Traces, Picnic at Hanging Rock, The Red King, Ordeal by Innocence, Unforgotten, The Bay, Wild Bill, Quirke, Requiem, The Gloaming, The Clearing, The One, The Tourist, The Tower, Collateral, Roadkill, Stay Close, The Salisbury Poisonings, and A Confession.

Other British series across genres that are worth checking out (a few still to be reviewed here) include fun romps like Monarch of the Glen, Para Handy, Cranford, Viva Blackpool, and As Time Goes By, and cozy mysteries Rosemary & Thyme, Father Brown, Hetty Wainthropp, and Death in Paradise. One of the best of all British productions is the reboot of All Creatures Great and Small, which is in our British Top 10 (and the original is good, too). Of course there’s always Doctor Who for your sci-fi fix (and spin-offs Torchwood and Class), The Watch for your fantasy fix, Truth Seekers and Sea of Souls for your supernatural fix, and Spaced for more sci-fi fun, and we really should add House, MD, for Brit lead Hugh Laurie’s one-of-a-kind performance. (We’ve also reviewed but don’t heartily recommend so much Dublin Murders, The ABC Murders, The Pale Horse, Reef Break, The One That Got Away, The Silence, The Five, The Missing, Thirteen, or Broadchurch, as well as No Offence, which could have merited a review for its first season but, like Sherlock, its later episodes were a disappointment).