Mystery! - Definition and Overview

Mystery! (also written MYSTERY!) is a long-running television series that premiered on PBS in 1979 and is produced by WGBH. The show has allowed a large number of detective series and television movies, most of them British productions from the BBC or various ITV companies, to air on American television.

The first host of the show was film critic Gene Shalit. He was soon replaced by Vincent Price, who hosted the series from 1981 to 1989. Since then, the series has been hosted by Diana Rigg.

Mystery! came into being as a result of the success of Masterpiece Theatre, and particularly of a series of programmes adapted from the Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries by Dorothy L. Sayers. One of Mystery! 's early successes was with Rumpole of the Bailey. Other noted successes included The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes starring Jeremy Brett in the title role, Brother Cadfael and Prime Suspect. The last one proved so popular that the series was moved to Masterpiece Theatre for higher ratings.

Like Masterpiece Theatre, Mystery! was financed by the Mobil corporation (now Exxon Mobil).

Mystery! is noted for its animated title sequence, based on the cartoons of Edward Gorey.

Book

• MYSTERY!: A Celebration by Ron Miller (1996), paperback ISBN 0912333898

External link

• Official web site (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/mystery/)