Blog Archives

Rowan Atkinson to play Maigret… ?

News has reached Past Offences Towers that Rowan Atkinson, whom it’s apparently OK to call ‘rubber faced’, may be playing Maigret in a new ITV adaptation. The article I read contained several ‘mays’ and is attributed to an ‘unnamed TV executive’, … Continue reading →

Aside | Posted on May 15, 2014 by pastoffences | Tagged Georges Simenon, Maigret, Rowan Atkinson | 9 Comments

Jamaica Inn dates

In case you missed the news, The BBC has announced that its new three-part drama Jamaica Inn, filmed largely in Kirkby Lonsdale near the Lake District, will begin on Monday April 21st at 9PM.

Aside | Posted on April 10, 2014 by pastoffences | 5 Comments

Props to Torquay

A little story from Torquay Herald Express – David Suchet giving Poirot’s cane to the local Museum. The Museum already has Poirot’s furniture: “They said they were filming the final ever episode of Poirot and were looking for a permanent … Continue reading →

Aside | Posted on July 8, 2013 by pastoffences | Tagged Agatha Christie, David Suchet | 1 Comment

The Female Gentleman

Not my April 1st post, just news of a new academic study of classic crime fiction. Middlebrow Feminism in Classic British Detective Fiction is by Melissa Schaub, an academic at the University of North Carolina. She says: After I had read … Continue reading →

Aside | Posted on April 1, 2013 by pastoffences | 1 Comment

The Conan Doyle Collection needs volunteers

I’ve come across this news item from BBC South, advertising for volunteers at Portsmouth’s Conan Doyle Collection. Portsmouth City Council has recently been awarded £90,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund to deliver Sharing Sherlock, The Story of a Pompey Lad. They … Continue reading →

Aside | Posted on March 26, 2013 by pastoffences | Tagged Arthur Conan Doyle, Richard Lancelyn Green, Sharing Sherlock, Sherlock, Sherlock Holmes, The Story of a Pompey Lad | 1 Comment

Director chosen for ‘Rebecca’

Deadline.com last night posted the news that a Director has been chosen for the planned remake of Rebecca by Dreamworks. He is Nikolaj Arcel (nor me), who directed a film called A Royal Affair and co-wrote the screenplay for the … Continue reading →

Aside | Posted on March 22, 2013 by pastoffences | Tagged Alfred Hitchcock, Daphne du Maurier, film, Nikolaj Arcel, Rebecca, Steven Knight | 5 Comments

New look for Lovejoy

I received some review copies of the new editions of Jonathan Gash’s Lovejoy novels from Constable & Robinson yesterday. I’ll be reading them for Eurocrime, but thought I’d share the covers now.

Aside | Posted on March 3, 2013 by pastoffences | Tagged Constable & Robinson, Jonathan Gash, Lovejoy, UK | 4 Comments

News just in: Father Brown series 2

Auntie Beeb (does anybody still say that?) has confirmed that they will be shooting another ten episodes of Father Brown in May this year. Series one, which aired in January, gained an average audience of 2.1 million and a 23.5 … Continue reading →

Aside | Posted on March 2, 2013 by pastoffences | Tagged BBC, classic crime fiction, Father Brown, Mark Williams | 5 Comments

The Vintage Mystery Reading Challenge

For the first time this year I am going to participate in the Vintage Mystery Reading Challenge at My Reader’s Block. The challenge is to read at least 8, and hopefully 16, pre-1960 classic crime novels in the following categories: … Continue reading →

Aside | Posted on February 28, 2013 by pastoffences | 9 Comments

From Slate: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Wants Nothing To Do With Your Proust Questionnaire

I have no idea what a Proust questionnaire is, but they seem to have caught ACD on a grumpy day. I’ve commented before about his nice handwriting. Here’s your chance to have a look… Sir Arthur Conan Doyle: The author’s … Continue reading →