The Ruth Rendell Mysteries
Encyclopedia
The Ruth Rendell Mysteries is a British
television
series made by TVS
and Meridian Television for ITV
between 1987 and 2000.
, many of which are based on her extensive range of short stories. In some cases, the stories were expanded from Rendell's original material or elements from a number of stories were woven together into one episode. A smaller number of episodes were based on Rendell's full-length novels, e.g. Going Wrong, starring James Callis
and Front Seat, starring Janet Suzman
.
There were a total of 48 episodes centring on the Detective Inspector Wexford stories, starring George Baker
and Christopher Ravenscroft
, and an additional 29 episodes did not feature Wexford.
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
series made by TVS
Television South
Television South was the ITV franchise holder in the south and south east of England between 1 January 1982 and 31 December 1992. The company operated under various names, initially as Television South plc and then following reorganisation in 1989 as TVS Entertainment plc, with its UK...
and Meridian Television for ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
between 1987 and 2000.
Description
The series comprises adaptations of the works of Ruth RendellRuth Rendell
Ruth Barbara Rendell, Baroness Rendell of Babergh, CBE, , who also writes under the pseudonym Barbara Vine, is an English crime writer, author of psychological thrillers and murder mysteries....
, many of which are based on her extensive range of short stories. In some cases, the stories were expanded from Rendell's original material or elements from a number of stories were woven together into one episode. A smaller number of episodes were based on Rendell's full-length novels, e.g. Going Wrong, starring James Callis
James Callis
James Callis is a British actor. He is best known for playing Dr. Gaius Baltar in the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica miniseries and television series, and Bridget Jones' best friend in Bridget Jones's Diary and Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason...
and Front Seat, starring Janet Suzman
Janet Suzman
Dame Janet Suzman, DBE is a South African-born-British actress and director.-Early life:Janet Suzman was born in Johannesburg to a Jewish family, the daughter of Betty and Saul Suzman, a wealthy importer of tobacco....
.
There were a total of 48 episodes centring on the Detective Inspector Wexford stories, starring George Baker
George Baker (actor)
George Baker, MBE was an English actor and writer. He was best-known for portraying Tiberius in I, Claudius, and Inspector Wexford in The Ruth Rendell Mysteries.-Personal life:...
and Christopher Ravenscroft
Christopher Ravenscroft
Christopher Ravenscroft is an English actor, best known for his recurring role as DI Mike Burden in The Ruth Rendell Mysteries, the ITV adaptation of Ruth Rendell's Inspector Wexford mysteries.-Biography:...
, and an additional 29 episodes did not feature Wexford.
Inspector Wexford episodes
| # | Episode Title | Aired |
| 1 | Wolf to the Slaughter: Part One | 2 August 1987 |
| 2 | Wolf to the Slaughter: Part Two | 9 August 1987 |
| 3 | Wolf to the Slaughter: Part Three | 16 August 1987 |
| 4 | Wolf to the Slaughter: Part Four | 23 August 1987 |
| 5 | A Guilty Thing Surprised: Part One | 19 June 1988 |
| 6 | A Guilty Thing Surprised: Part Two | 26 June 1988 |
| 7 | A Guilty Thing Surprised: Part Three | 3 July 1988 |
| 8 | Shake Hands Forever: Part One | 23 September 1988 |
| 9 | Shake Hands Forever: Part Two | 30 September 1988 |
| 10 | Shake Hands Forever: Part Three | 7 October 1988 |
| 11 | No Crying He Makes | 23 December 1988 |
| 12 | No More Dying Then: Part One | 22 October 1989 |
| 13 | No More Dying Then: Part Two | 29 October 1989 |
| 14 | No More Dying Then: Part Three | 5 November 1989 |
| 15 | A Sleeping Life: Part One | 12 November 1989 |
| 16 | A Sleeping Life: Part Two | 19 November 1989 |
| 17 | A Sleeping Life: Part Three | 26 November 1989 |
| 18 | The Veiled One | 17 December 1989 |
| 19 | Some Lie and Some Die: Part One | 30 September 1990 |
| 20 | Some Lie and Some Die: Part Two | 7 October 1990 |
| 21 | Some Lie and Some Die: Part Three | 14 October 1990 |
| 22 | The Best Man to Die: Part One | 21 October 1990 |
| 23 | The Best Man to Die: Part Two | 28 October 1990 |
| 24 | The Best Man to Die: Part Three | 4 November 1990 |
| # | Episode Title | Aired |
| 25 | An Unkindness of Ravens: Part One | 11 November 1990 |
| 26 | An Unkindness of Ravens: Part Two | 18 November 1990 |
| 27 | Put on by Cunning | 24 December 1990 |
| 28 | A New Lease of Death: Part One | 29 September 1991 |
| 29 | A New Lease of Death: Part Two | 6 October 1991 |
| 30 | A New Lease of Death: Part Three | 13 October 1991 |
| 31 | Murder Being Once Done: Part One | 20 October 1991 |
| 32 | Murder Being Once Done: Part Two | 27 October 1991 |
| 33 | Murder Being Once Done: Part Three | 3 November 1991 |
| 34 | From Doon with Death: Part One | 10 November 1991 |
| 35 | From Doon with Death: Part Two | 17 November 1991 |
| 36 | Means of Evil: Part One | 24 November 1991 |
| 37 | Means of Evil: Part Two | 1 December 1991 |
| 38 | Achilles Heel | 26 December 1991 |
| 39 | The Speaker of Mandarin: Part One | 27 September 1992 |
| 40 | The Mouse in the Corner: Part One | 18 October 1992 |
| 41 | An Unwanted Woman: Part One | 1 November 1992 |
| 42 | Kissing the Gunner's Daughter: Part One | 15 November 1992 |
| 43 | Simisola: Part One | 26 January 1996 |
| 44 | Simisola: Part Two | 9 February 1996 |
| 45 | Simisola: Part Three | 16 February 1996 |
| 46 | Road Rage: Part One | 8 November 1998 |
| 47 | Road Rage: Part Two | 9 November 1998 |
| 48 | Harm Done | 11 October 2000 |
Non-Wexford episodes
| # | Episode Title | Aired |
| 1 | Talking to Strange Men | 27 December 1992 |
| 2 | Master of the Moor: Part 1 | 2 September 1994 |
| 3 | Master of the Moor: Part 2 | 9 September 1994 |
| 4 | Master of the Moor: Part 3 | 16 September 1994 |
| 5 | Vanity Dies Hard: Part 1 | 24 March 1995 |
| 6 | Vanity Dies Hard: Part 2 | 31 March 1995 |
| 7 | Vanity Dies Hard: Part 3 | 7 April 1995 |
| 8 | The Strawberry Tree: Part 1 | 21 April 1995 |
| 9 | The Strawberry Tree: Part 2 | 28 April 1995 |
| 10 | Heartstones | 1 January 1996 |
| 11 | The Secret House of Death: Part 1 | 8 March 1996 |
| 12 | The Secret House of Death: Part 2 | 15 March 1996 |
| 13 | A Case of Coincidence: Part One | 22 March 1996 |
| 14 | A Case of Coincidence: Part Two | 29 March 1996 |
| 15 | The Double | 3 January 1997 |
| # | Episode Title | Aired |
| 16 | Bribery & Corruption: Part One | 17 January 1997 |
| 17 | Bribery and Corruption: Part Two | 24 January 1997 |
| 18 | May and June: Part One | 7 February 1997 |
| 19 | May and June: Part Two | 14 February 1997 |
| 20 | Thornapple | 31 January 1997 |
| 21 | Front Seat | 21 February 1997 |
| 22 | A Dark Blue Perfume | 15 August 1997 |
| 23 | The Going Wrong: Part 1 | 2 June 1998 |
| 24 | The Going Wrong: Part 2 | 9 June 1998 |
| 25 | The Going Wrong: Part 3 | 16 June 1998 |
| 26 | You Can't Be Too Careful | 24 December 1998 |
| 27 | The Orchard Walls | 31 December 1998 |
| 28 | The Lake of Darkness | 3 May 1999 |
| 29 | The Fallen Curtain | 6 August 1999 |
Media releases
Two 3-disc DVD sets are available in the US, with the third set being released on 24 June 2008. In the UK, the series is being repeated through February 2009 on the digital channel ITV3ITV3
ITV3 is an entertainment television channel in the United Kingdom that is owned by ITV Digital Channels Ltd, a division of ITV plc. The channel was launched on 1 November 2004. ITV3 is the second largest UK multi-channel, second only to ITV2.-History:...
.