Latest / Cozy Comfort Club Podcast / 7 British TV & Movie Picks for a Cozy-Spooky Halloween | PBS, BritBox & Acorn TV

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7 British TV & Movie Picks for a Cozy-Spooky Halloween | PBS, BritBox & Acorn TV · Cozy Comfort Club Podcast

• 0:04
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome to Cozy Comfort Club,
• 0:06
  SPEAKER_00: the podcast where we talk about comfort movies,
• 0:08
  SPEAKER_00: cozy stories and the little moments that make them memorable.
• 0:12
  SPEAKER_00: I'm Leah.
• 0:12
  SPEAKER_00: I'm a stay at home mom of three,
• 0:14
  SPEAKER_00: a lifelong lover of cozy stories and someone
• 0:17
  SPEAKER_00: who can spend way too much time thinking about fictional characters
• 0:20
  SPEAKER_00: and why they make the choices they do.
• 0:23
  SPEAKER_00: If you enjoy cozy mysteries and period dramas,
• 0:26
  SPEAKER_00: character-driven stories,
• 0:27
  SPEAKER_00: and comfort TV with a little emotional depth, you are definitely in the right place.
• 0:32
  SPEAKER_00: Here, I talk about how stories feel,
• 0:34
  SPEAKER_00: I share what worked,
• 0:35
  SPEAKER_00: what didn't,
• 0:36
  SPEAKER_00: and even the moments that made me side-eye a character,
• 0:39
  SPEAKER_00: all so you know was worth adding to your watch list.
• 0:46
  SPEAKER_00: Well, friends, welcome back.
• 0:49
  SPEAKER_00: Go ahead and grab your tea, get comfy, and let's find you something to watch this Halloween.
• 0:54
  SPEAKER_00: So today I'm sharing seven British TV and movie picks across PBS Masterpiece,
• 0:59
  SPEAKER_00: BritBox, and Acorn TV.
• 1:01
  SPEAKER_00: We have cozy mysteries,
• 1:03
  SPEAKER_00: a gothic period drama,
• 1:04
  SPEAKER_00: and a darker option for those of you who want a little bit more spooky
• 1:07
  SPEAKER_00: with your cozy.
• 1:08
  SPEAKER_00: And I've organized these into categories to help you choose your evening.
• 1:12
  SPEAKER_00: So we have my coziest Halloween mystery,
• 1:14
  SPEAKER_00: best gothic period drama,
• 1:16
  SPEAKER_00: best Best classic cozy movie,
• 1:18
  SPEAKER_00: best cozy spooky mystery,
• 1:20
  SPEAKER_00: best Halloween detective mystery, and best not so cozy pic.
• 1:24
  SPEAKER_00: And I'll finish with my personal Halloween night choice.
• 1:27
  SPEAKER_00: Now some of these actually take place around Halloween.
• 1:29
  SPEAKER_00: Others just made my list because of the atmosphere, the way it feels.
• 1:33
  SPEAKER_00: So we have witches and secrets,
• 1:35
  SPEAKER_00: mysterious houses, and just the simple comfort of watching a good murder mystery.
• 1:40
  SPEAKER_00: You'll hear me give two different ratings.
• 1:42
  SPEAKER_00: I have my overall rating,
• 1:43
  SPEAKER_00: which reflects how much I enjoy the story and the performances and just
• 1:47
  SPEAKER_00: the overall view and experience.
• 1:49
  SPEAKER_00: I have my cozy rating.
• 1:50
  SPEAKER_00: It's about how comforting it felt to me.
• 1:53
  SPEAKER_00: Both are out of five and those scores can be really different.
• 1:57
  SPEAKER_00: I can really love a dark mystery and give it a high overall rating
• 2:01
  SPEAKER_00: while still giving it a very low cozy score.
• 2:03
  SPEAKER_00: And because comfort is personal,
• 2:05
  SPEAKER_00: I'll explain what felt cozy to me and then flag heavier subjects
• 2:08
  SPEAKER_00: so you can decide what's going to be suitable for you.
• 2:11
  SPEAKER_00: I'll keep the spoilers gentle.
• 2:12
  SPEAKER_00: You'll get the setup, my honest thoughts, and who I think each selection is best for.
• 2:16
  SPEAKER_00: And if you missed last week's episode,
• 2:19
  SPEAKER_00: we explore gothic storytelling with more spooky British TV picks.
• 2:22
  SPEAKER_00: So if you like mysterious houses and buried secrets and just downright creepy,
• 2:28
  SPEAKER_00: and that's your kind of Halloween watch,
• 2:29
  SPEAKER_00: don't forget to give that episode a listen to.
• 2:32
  SPEAKER_00: If your watchlist still needs a few more options,
• 2:34
  SPEAKER_00: I have something extra coming on Friday, October 23rd.
• 2:38
  SPEAKER_00: My Substack subscribers will receive the CCC Halloween bonus guide
• 2:43
  SPEAKER_00: with today's selections plus additional picks to carry you through spooky season.
• 2:48
  SPEAKER_00: You can subscribe for free through the link in the show notes.
• 2:50
  SPEAKER_00: And while you're there,
• 2:51
  SPEAKER_00: you can also find my cozy fall watch list and tracker if you'd like somewhere
• 2:55
  SPEAKER_00: to keep all of these recommendations organized.
• 2:58
  SPEAKER_00: And don't forget,
• 2:58
  SPEAKER_00: I have a free cozy bingo board for subscribers,
• 3:01
  SPEAKER_00: and that's something a little fun to enjoy while you're watching.
• 3:05
  SPEAKER_00: All right, friends, let's start with my coziest Halloween mystery.
• 3:08
  SPEAKER_00: So first up, we're starting with the cozy end of the spooky scale.
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_00: If you want witches,
• 3:13
  SPEAKER_00: a mysterious end,
• 3:14
  SPEAKER_00: and a lot of secrets,
• 3:15
  SPEAKER_00: but you also like Miss Marple beside you and she's trying to figure everything out,
• 3:20
  SPEAKER_00: this one is for you.
• 3:21
  SPEAKER_00: So my pick is Agatha Christie's Marple the Pale Horse.
• 3:25
  SPEAKER_00: You'll find it on BritBox Season 5, Episode 1.
• 3:28
  SPEAKER_00: It's rated TV-14 and runs approximately 88 minutes.
• 3:32
  SPEAKER_00: This version stars Julia McKenzie as Miss Marple,
• 3:35
  SPEAKER_00: alongside Jonathan Cake, Pauline Collins, Neil Pearson, and Nicholas Parson.
• 3:40
  SPEAKER_00: It's adapted from Agatha Christie's 1961 novel, The Pale Horse.
• 3:44
  SPEAKER_00: But something that I have to mention is that it wasn't originally a Miss Marple story.
• 3:48
  SPEAKER_00: She was actually added for this adaptation.
• 3:51
  SPEAKER_00: There's also an older TV film from 1997 starring Colin Buchanan and
• 3:55
  SPEAKER_00: the 2020 adaptation starring Rufus Sewell.
• 3:58
  SPEAKER_00: So make sure you're choosing the Julia McKenzie episode for this recommendation.
• 4:02
  SPEAKER_00: Now, the mystery begins when Miss Marple receives a strange list of names
• 4:05
  SPEAKER_00: from her friend, Father Gorman, only to discover that he has been murdered.
• 4:10
  SPEAKER_00: Her investigation leads her to an inn called The Pale Horse
• 4:12
  SPEAKER_00: where three women are rumored to practice witchcraft and claim that they can kill
• 4:16
  SPEAKER_00: through black magic.
• 4:18
  SPEAKER_00: So we want to know how does Father Gorman's death connect to this inn,
• 4:21
  SPEAKER_00: what do those names mean, and how much of what we're seeing should we actually know?
• 4:25
  SPEAKER_00: So there are plenty of red herons along the way.
• 4:27
  SPEAKER_00: For me,
• 4:28
  SPEAKER_00: this one is so cozy up until the last half hour or so when the mystery becomes
• 4:32
  SPEAKER_00: a little bit more intense.
• 4:33
  SPEAKER_00: And there are a lot of connections to kind of untangle.
• 4:36
  SPEAKER_00: And Julia McKenzie brings so much of that coziness.
• 4:39
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, watching her version of Miss Marple feels like walking alongside your granny.
• 4:45
  SPEAKER_00: She's really gentle.
• 4:46
  SPEAKER_00: She's sharp minded.
• 4:47
  SPEAKER_00: She's calm, but she can handle her business.
• 4:50
  SPEAKER_00: She's also very easy for people to really underestimate,
• 4:53
  SPEAKER_00: which makes watching her investigate even more enjoyable.
• 4:56
  SPEAKER_00: And to me, her calmness brings a lot of the comfort to a story that reflects.
• 4:59
  SPEAKER_00: It really is full of unlimited possibilities.
• 5:02
  SPEAKER_00: And I just wanted to shout unlimited because it's seriously,
• 5:06
  SPEAKER_00: there's so many possibilities in this mystery.
• 5:09
  SPEAKER_00: Everyone else can get caught up in the rumors and the strange happenings
• 5:13
  SPEAKER_00: while she's quietly kind of paying attention to everything else, right?
• 5:17
  SPEAKER_00: Now, I would suggest setting your crafting down for the final quarter of this one
• 5:21
  SPEAKER_00: because I had to rewind a few times.
• 5:23
  SPEAKER_00: You'll want to keep up with the relationships between the characters
• 5:26
  SPEAKER_00: and how everything connects back to Father Gorman's death.
• 5:29
  SPEAKER_00: This isn't set at Halloween,
• 5:30
  SPEAKER_00: but the mysterious inn and the witchcraft and the rituals and the village's history
• 5:35
  SPEAKER_00: of witch persecution really does give it that cozy, spooky feel.
• 5:39
  SPEAKER_00: And to me, it will make a great, cozy, spooky evening.
• 5:42
  SPEAKER_00: And of course, we have a mystery from this.
• 5:44
  SPEAKER_00: Agatha Christie, the Queen of Crime.
• 5:46
  SPEAKER_00: So my overall episode rating is a 4.5 out of 5 and my cozy rating is a full 5 out of 5.
• 5:52
  SPEAKER_00: If you want witches and secrets in an eerie setting with
• 5:56
  SPEAKER_00: a really comforting Miss Marble,
• 5:58
  SPEAKER_00: as the internet says,
• 5:58
  SPEAKER_00: it's like she's like a grandma,
• 6:00
  SPEAKER_00: you know, guiding you through it all, this is my pick.
• 6:04
  SPEAKER_00: Now we're going to leave Miss Marple to her tea and her knitting and we're going
• 6:07
  SPEAKER_00: to head into gothic period drama territory.
• 6:10
  SPEAKER_00: Now this next pic had me caught up in Family Secrets, a very,
• 6:13
  SPEAKER_00: very complicated romance and two women whose connection I really needed
• 6:17
  SPEAKER_00: to understand.
• 6:18
  SPEAKER_00: So let's talk about it.
• 6:19
  SPEAKER_00: And friends, I thought this was an excellent, cozy, spooky watch.
• 6:25
  SPEAKER_00: It is so well done.
• 6:26
  SPEAKER_00: And in my opinion, the ratings do not do it justice.
• 6:30
  SPEAKER_00: This is the 2018 adaptation of Wilkie Collins' novel published in
• 6:34
  SPEAKER_00: So we follow Walter Hartwright.
• 6:35
  SPEAKER_00: He's a young artist.
• 6:36
  SPEAKER_00: He accepts a position at Limeridge House in Cumberland.
• 6:49
  SPEAKER_00: He's been hired by Frederick Fairley to teach watercolors to Laura Fairley
• 6:53
  SPEAKER_00: and her half-sister, Marion Halcombe.
• 6:55
  SPEAKER_00: But before Walter leaves London,
• 6:57
  SPEAKER_00: he encounters a frightened young woman who's dressed entirely in white,
• 7:01
  SPEAKER_00: and her name is Anne Catherick.
• 7:03
  SPEAKER_00: And something about their meeting stays with him.
• 7:05
  SPEAKER_00: When he arrives at Limeridge, he discovers that Laura resembles Anne.
• 7:09
  SPEAKER_00: And as connections begin to emerge between this mysterious woman
• 7:13
  SPEAKER_00: and Laura's intended husband,
• 7:15
  SPEAKER_00: Sir Percival Glide, there is plenty to make you really uneasy.
• 7:18
  SPEAKER_00: Now, of course, Walter and Laura fall in love.
• 7:21
  SPEAKER_00: So that's a complicated situation that becomes even more complicated.
• 7:25
  SPEAKER_00: But this goes a lot further than a romance between a young woman and her drawing teacher.
• 7:29
  SPEAKER_00: There are a lot of secrets and manipulation and people who have a lot to lose if
• 7:34
  SPEAKER_00: the truth comes out.
• 7:35
  SPEAKER_00: Now, what really kept me watching was I was waiting to uncover Sir Percival's past.
• 7:40
  SPEAKER_00: What was this man hiding?
• 7:41
  SPEAKER_00: And then there was the connection between Anne and Laura.
• 7:44
  SPEAKER_00: They looked so much alike.
• 7:45
  SPEAKER_00: I needed to know how this was all going to fit together.
• 7:47
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm going to keep the details low, right?
• 7:50
  SPEAKER_00: I'm not going to give too many details
• 7:52
  SPEAKER_00: because watching everything unfold is really just part of the experience.
• 7:55
  SPEAKER_00: But you'll be wondering what's going to happen to both of these women as Marion
• 7:58
  SPEAKER_00: and Walter try to uncover the truth and then protect Laura.
• 8:01
  SPEAKER_00: I will be honest,
• 8:02
  SPEAKER_00: there was a point where I thought one piece of the mystery was obvious
• 8:05
  SPEAKER_00: and it really did frustrate me a little.
• 8:07
  SPEAKER_00: I'm not going to spoil it here,
• 8:08
  SPEAKER_00: but if you've watched it and want to know what I mean,
• 8:10
  SPEAKER_00: you can send me a private message.
• 8:12
  SPEAKER_00: We can discuss.
• 8:13
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, now Marion interested me too.
• 8:15
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, she was strong.
• 8:17
  SPEAKER_00: She was determined.
• 8:18
  SPEAKER_00: But even with everything we saw of her,
• 8:20
  SPEAKER_00: I did feel like there was a part of her that remained hidden.
• 8:22
  SPEAKER_00: I didn't really feel like I completely knew her.
• 8:26
  SPEAKER_00: That kind of stayed with me.
• 8:28
  SPEAKER_00: Was she in love with Walter?
• 8:29
  SPEAKER_00: I think she was, right?
• 8:31
  SPEAKER_00: Y'all let me know, okay?
• 8:32
  SPEAKER_00: But anyway,
• 8:33
  SPEAKER_00: the atmosphere overall,
• 8:35
  SPEAKER_00: we have old family secrets,
• 8:37
  SPEAKER_00: the dark and imposing Blackwater Park, asylums, romance, people you can't trust.
• 8:42
  SPEAKER_00: There is so much here for a gothic Halloween watch, y'all.
• 8:45
  SPEAKER_00: But what made it feel cozy to me was really the beauty of it,
• 8:48
  SPEAKER_00: the art,
• 8:48
  SPEAKER_00: the decor,
• 8:49
  SPEAKER_00: the quiet moments that they have in the English countryside setting in Cumberland.
• 8:54
  SPEAKER_00: So those details gave me something that was comforting,
• 8:58
  SPEAKER_00: even when I was worrying about what would happen next.
• 9:01
  SPEAKER_00: Now let's talk about this cast because they were fantastic.
• 9:04
  SPEAKER_00: Jesse Buckley plays Marian Howcombe and if you need another reason to watch this is
• 9:08
  SPEAKER_00: the same Jesse Buckley who won the Best Actress Oscar for Hamnet this March.
• 9:13
  SPEAKER_00: Olivia Vanall plays Laura and Anne and you may We recognize her as Matilda
• 9:17
  SPEAKER_00: from Season 1 of Queens of Mystery.
• 9:20
  SPEAKER_00: We also have Ben Hardy as Walter,
• 9:22
  SPEAKER_00: Don Gray Scott as Sir Percival,
• 9:24
  SPEAKER_00: and Charles Dance as Frederick Fairley, and Ricardo Scamacho as Count Fosco.
• 9:29
  SPEAKER_00: Between him and Sir Percival,
• 9:31
  SPEAKER_00: You may want to throw your cup at the screen, but put the tea down first, friends.
• 9:35
  SPEAKER_00: If you love the Heartacres like I do,
• 9:36
  SPEAKER_00: you'll also recognize Kathy Belton, who plays Lady Emma Fitzherbert in that series.
• 9:41
  SPEAKER_00: She appears here as Walter's mother.
• 9:44
  SPEAKER_00: And honestly,
• 9:44
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know how much better this ensemble cast could get for a gothic period drama.
• 9:48
  SPEAKER_00: The emotion that the actors brought to these characters were raw.
• 9:52
  SPEAKER_00: And that is a big reason why I don't think the ratings really do this adaptation justice.
• 9:57
  SPEAKER_00: So the mystery kept me pretty curious,
• 9:59
  SPEAKER_00: but the performances made me care about the people caught up in it.
• 10:02
  SPEAKER_00: So I gave the woman in white 4.75 out of 5 stars with a cozy rating of 3.5 out of 5.
• 10:09
  SPEAKER_00: That one part of the mystery frustrated me,
• 10:11
  SPEAKER_00: but it didn't take away from how much I loved the overall experience.
• 10:15
  SPEAKER_00: For me, it is spooky and dark enough for Halloween without giving me that full horror feeling.
• 10:20
  SPEAKER_00: So if you want romance and secrets,
• 10:22
  SPEAKER_00: fantastic acting,
• 10:24
  SPEAKER_00: and a mystery with plenty of gothic atmosphere,
• 10:26
  SPEAKER_00: this is one I would absolutely put on your Halloween watch list.
• 10:31
  SPEAKER_00: After all those gothic secrets, let's go ahead and move on to a classic.
• 10:35
  SPEAKER_00: So we're returning to Miss Marple again,
• 10:37
  SPEAKER_00: but this time Margaret Rutherford is taking charge and she has no intention
• 10:42
  SPEAKER_00: of minding her own business.
• 10:43
  SPEAKER_00: So my pick for a best classic cozy movie is It's Murder,
• 10:46
  SPEAKER_00: She Said, released in 1961, starring Margaret Rutherford as Miss Jane Marple.
• 10:51
  SPEAKER_00: It's based on Agatha Christie's 1957 novel,
• 10:54
  SPEAKER_00: 450 from Paddington, which was published in the U.S. as What Mrs. McGillicuddy Saw.
• 11:01
  SPEAKER_00: So, she's traveling by train where she witnesses a woman being strangled through
• 11:04
  SPEAKER_00: the window of another passing train.
• 11:05
  SPEAKER_00: But when the police investigate, there's nobody to be found.
• 11:19
  SPEAKER_00: And they aren't convinced by her account, of course, because she's an old lady.
• 11:23
  SPEAKER_00: Now, Ms. Marple knows what she saw, and she's not about to let that go.
• 11:26
  SPEAKER_00: So with her help from a friend, Mr.
• 11:28
  SPEAKER_00: Stringer,
• 11:29
  SPEAKER_00: she starts looking for clues along the railway,
• 11:31
  SPEAKER_00: trying to work out where the body could have been thrown from the train.
• 11:34
  SPEAKER_00: And then their search leads her to Akenthorpe Hall,
• 11:36
  SPEAKER_00: where she gets herself a job as a maid so she can investigate from inside the house.
• 11:41
  SPEAKER_00: There we meet the difficult family patriarch who is Luther Agenthorpe in
• 11:45
  SPEAKER_00: a household full of people who give us a lot to be suspicious about.
• 11:49
  SPEAKER_00: So there are family tensions and questions about money and of course secrets for Ms.
• 11:52
  SPEAKER_00: Marple to work through.
• 11:54
  SPEAKER_00: But one of my favorite things about This movie was really her relationship
• 11:57
  SPEAKER_00: with Alexander who is Luther's young grandson.
• 12:00
  SPEAKER_00: He is so cheeky.
• 12:02
  SPEAKER_00: I thought he was hilarious.
• 12:04
  SPEAKER_00: And the two of them together were such a highlight for me.
• 12:07
  SPEAKER_00: And that little trick that he pulls near the end, I'm not gonna spoil it but it made me laugh.
• 12:12
  SPEAKER_00: I really adored this film.
• 12:14
  SPEAKER_00: It was cozy.
• 12:15
  SPEAKER_00: It was easy to watch.
• 12:16
  SPEAKER_00: It was enjoyable.
• 12:17
  SPEAKER_00: It isn't black and white, but honestly, that's part of the appeal for me.
• 12:20
  SPEAKER_00: And Margaret Rutherford as Miss Marple, to me, she's wonderful.
• 12:24
  SPEAKER_00: I love how witty she is, how she always seems to have an answer.
• 12:27
  SPEAKER_00: She refuses to let people walk all over.
• 12:30
  SPEAKER_00: She could be a little smart mouth, and I enjoy every ounce of it.
• 12:33
  SPEAKER_00: She is already one of my favorite Marples,
• 12:36
  SPEAKER_00: and this mystery gives you something to figure out,
• 12:37
  SPEAKER_00: but the characters and the humor made the whole experience feel really comforting
• 12:42
  SPEAKER_00: to me.
• 12:42
  SPEAKER_00: Now I could really get settled with my tea and my crochet hook and watch her get to
• 12:47
  SPEAKER_00: the bottom of everybody else's business.
• 12:48
  SPEAKER_00: This one doesn't have a specifically Halloween setting.
• 12:51
  SPEAKER_00: We don't have the pumpkins or the ghosts or the haunted house.
• 12:54
  SPEAKER_00: We do have a murder to solve and sometimes So if you want something cozy to watch
• 13:00
  SPEAKER_00: during spooky season,
• 13:01
  SPEAKER_00: but you don't want to watch a lot of on-screen violence or blood or gore,
• 13:05
  SPEAKER_00: this is the option I'd point you toward.
• 13:08
  SPEAKER_00: You do briefly see the strangling that starts the mystery.
• 13:11
  SPEAKER_00: So keep that in mind.
• 13:12
  SPEAKER_00: But this felt...
• 13:13
  SPEAKER_00: This just felt better.
• 13:15
  SPEAKER_00: It felt good than some of the darker selections on this list.
• 13:19
  SPEAKER_00: So my overall rating is a 4.5 out of 5.
• 13:22
  SPEAKER_00: And for a cozy mystery, I'm going to give it a full 5 out of 5 for coziness.
• 13:26
  SPEAKER_00: This is your pick for a Halloween evening when you want the mystery,
• 13:30
  SPEAKER_00: the laughs, and the comfort.
• 13:32
  SPEAKER_00: Now let's bring a little witchcraft into our cozy mystery evening.
• 13:35
  SPEAKER_00: We're going to head to Midsummer Murders where a psychic fair gives Barnaby
• 13:39
  SPEAKER_00: and Winter plenty to investigate.
• 13:41
  SPEAKER_00: My best cozy spooky mystery pick is The Witches of Angels Rise.
• 13:44
  SPEAKER_00: You'll find it on Acorn TV Season 20.
• 13:49
  SPEAKER_00: It's rated TV-14 and runs about an hour and a half,
• 13:52
  SPEAKER_00: so you can make a whole movie night out of this one too.
• 13:54
  SPEAKER_00: So the Village of Angels Rise hosts an annual psychic fair established by a family
• 14:00
  SPEAKER_00: in memory of their daughter, so it attracts mothers.
• 14:06
  SPEAKER_00: And friends,
• 14:12
  SPEAKER_00: this episode gives you plenty for a Halloween evening.
• 14:15
  SPEAKER_00: We have psychics,
• 14:17
  SPEAKER_00: tarot readings,
• 14:18
  SPEAKER_00: witch covens,
• 14:19
  SPEAKER_00: an academic who studies the occult, graveyards, a cold case, and a masked killer.
• 14:23
  SPEAKER_00: And we don't stop at one mysterious death.
• 14:25
  SPEAKER_00: I really enjoyed this mystery.
• 14:27
  SPEAKER_00: There were a few performances from supporting cast members that didn't quite work
• 14:30
  SPEAKER_00: for me, including the celebrity witch.
• 14:34
  SPEAKER_00: But that didn't take away from how much I enjoyed following the investigation.
• 14:41
  SPEAKER_00: There was plenty to keep me interested as the different parts of the mystery came together.
• 14:46
  SPEAKER_00: And I do want to mention that the cult is a major part of this episode.
• 14:50
  SPEAKER_00: So obviously, if that isn't something you enjoy watching, that's okay.
• 14:54
  SPEAKER_00: You may want to skip this selection.
• 14:55
  SPEAKER_00: This is also from the later era of Midsummer Murders with Neil Dudgeon
• 15:00
  SPEAKER_00: as John Barnaby and Nick Hendricks as Jamie Winter.
• 15:04
  SPEAKER_00: So if you strongly prefer the original cast,
• 15:06
  SPEAKER_00: this might not be your favorite version of the show.
• 15:09
  SPEAKER_00: But I still thought it was a wonderful Halloween pick and you can jump right into this mystery.
• 15:13
  SPEAKER_00: You don't need to catch up on the detective's backstory to follow the case
• 15:16
  SPEAKER_00: unless you're just someone who has to watch everything in order.
• 15:19
  SPEAKER_00: I used to be like that, but then I realized it's not possible.
• 15:22
  SPEAKER_00: There's no way, but I understand.
• 15:25
  SPEAKER_00: So my overall rating is a 4.25 out of 5, and my cozy rating is also a 4.25 out of 5.
• 15:31
  SPEAKER_00: If you want your village murder mystery with witches,
• 15:34
  SPEAKER_00: suspicious rituals,
• 15:36
  SPEAKER_00: and again,
• 15:37
  SPEAKER_00: an eerie atmosphere, this is a good one to put on your Halloween watch list.
• 15:41
  SPEAKER_00: Now, we're turning the cozy doll down for my not-so-cozy pic.
• 15:46
  SPEAKER_00: I love a mystery involving a vicar, but Midwinter of the Spirit takes us somewhere much darker.
• 15:52
  SPEAKER_00: Anna Maxwell Martin has more than a village murder on her hands in this one.
• 15:56
  SPEAKER_00: Now, you can watch this on BritBox.
• 15:57
  SPEAKER_00: It was released in 2015, rated TV-14.
• 16:00
  SPEAKER_00: It has one season with three episodes, so this is a short series.
• 16:06
  SPEAKER_00: I'm gonna double check.
• 16:07
  SPEAKER_00: I'm gonna go back and I'll make sure I need, I'll update this if I have to.
• 16:10
  SPEAKER_00: I think it's TV-14,
• 16:11
  SPEAKER_00: but when I think about it, I'm like, this definitely should have been a TVMA.
• 16:15
  SPEAKER_00: But anyway,
• 16:16
  SPEAKER_00: the cast includes Anna Maxwell Martin,
• 16:18
  SPEAKER_00: David Threlfall, Sally Messam, Nicholas Pinnock, Kate Dickey and Siobhan Finneran.
• 16:24
  SPEAKER_00: And friends, Anna Maxwell Martin is wonderful in just about everything she's in.
• 16:28
  SPEAKER_00: We know that.
• 16:29
  SPEAKER_00: She doesn't disappoint here either.
• 16:31
  SPEAKER_00: Now, she plays Marilee Watkins,
• 16:33
  SPEAKER_00: a vicar and a single mom who's training in deliverance ministry or exorcism.
• 16:38
  SPEAKER_00: Now, when she's asked to help investigate a gruesome murder,
• 16:41
  SPEAKER_00: she finds herself drawn into something that begins to really threaten her own life
• 16:45
  SPEAKER_00: and family.
• 16:46
  SPEAKER_00: Now, Marilee is already caring a lot.
• 16:49
  SPEAKER_00: She's grieving her husband while also dealing with the hurt surrounding his infidelity.
• 16:53
  SPEAKER_00: That's a very complicated emotional situation where she's mourning someone
• 16:57
  SPEAKER_00: but still having painful feelings about what happened in their relationship.
• 17:02
  SPEAKER_00: And she's trying to parent her teenage daughter through that grief too.
• 17:05
  SPEAKER_00: Now, I love a mystery involving a priest.
• 17:08
  SPEAKER_00: Bonus points if it's a woman.
• 17:10
  SPEAKER_00: So that really interested me.
• 17:12
  SPEAKER_00: But what stood out was that this felt equally like a mother-daughter relationship story.
• 17:17
  SPEAKER_00: And alongside the supernatural danger,
• 17:19
  SPEAKER_00: we do have two people dealing with loss and then struggling to connect.
• 17:24
  SPEAKER_00: Now, for me, Anna Maxwell Martin does bring All the emotions, you know, so well to Marilee.
• 17:31
  SPEAKER_00: She is trying to care for her daughter, help people spiritually, too, while struggling herself.
• 17:36
  SPEAKER_00: And as things become more disturbing, those responsibilities are much harder to manage.
• 17:42
  SPEAKER_00: This is a really,
• 17:43
  SPEAKER_00: really good ensemble cast,
• 17:45
  SPEAKER_00: but the heart of this one for me was really the lengths a mother will go
• 17:50
  SPEAKER_00: to save her daughter while also trying to help others and save souls.
• 17:54
  SPEAKER_00: Now I do want to pause for the content warnings though, because This is not an easy watch.
• 17:58
  SPEAKER_00: There are disturbing themes involving abuse,
• 18:01
  SPEAKER_00: specifically child sexual abuse as well as nudity and violence.
• 18:05
  SPEAKER_00: There are also storylines involving foster care and adoption.
• 18:08
  SPEAKER_00: If those subjects are sensitive for you, please check a detailed content guide before watching.
• 18:14
  SPEAKER_00: The TV14 rating alone would not tell me everything I'd want to know going into this.
• 18:19
  SPEAKER_00: My overall rating is a 4 out of 5 and my cozy rating is a 2 out of 5.
• 18:23
  SPEAKER_00: This is for those who want a darker supernatural mystery this Halloween with
• 18:27
  SPEAKER_00: a very complicated family relationship at the center of it.
• 18:30
  SPEAKER_00: Just don't go into it expecting it to be all cozy just because there's a vicar involved.
• 18:36
  SPEAKER_00: Next, we're heading to Oxford,
• 18:38
  SPEAKER_00: one of my favorite places,
• 18:39
  SPEAKER_00: for a Halloween case that kept me hooked right through the ending.
• 18:42
  SPEAKER_00: You may want to set your crafting down for this one, friends.
• 18:45
  SPEAKER_00: My best Halloween detective mystery pick is Inspector Lewis, Falling Darkness.
• 18:49
  SPEAKER_00: This episode was released in You can find it on BritBox Season 4, Episode 4.
• 18:54
  SPEAKER_00: So set aside approximately an hour and a half.
• 18:58
  SPEAKER_00: The BritBox Season listing through Prime Video rates at TV14.
• 19:02
  SPEAKER_00: But friends, this one was so, so good.
• 19:06
  SPEAKER_00: I had never seen this episode before and it kept me hooked.
• 19:09
  SPEAKER_00: The series is set in Oxford,
• 19:11
  SPEAKER_00: like I said,
• 19:11
  SPEAKER_00: where Inspector Robbie Lewis,
• 19:13
  SPEAKER_00: played by Kevin Waitley,
• 19:15
  SPEAKER_00: works alongside Detective Sergeant James Hathaway, played by Lawrence Fox.
• 19:19
  SPEAKER_00: In this episode of How Now,
• 19:21
  SPEAKER_00: the circumstances have a very weird connection to vampire imagery and as Lewis
• 19:23
  SPEAKER_00: and Hathaway investigate,
• 19:36
  SPEAKER_00: Laura's past becomes part of the mystery.
• 19:39
  SPEAKER_00: That is really all I'm going to give you because this storyline has so much to uncover.
• 19:42
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, the acting,
• 19:43
  SPEAKER_00: the twist,
• 19:44
  SPEAKER_00: the relationships, I really, really, really loved following this investigation.
• 19:49
  SPEAKER_00: But this one, as it says on BritBox, this is very cerebral.
• 19:53
  SPEAKER_00: So you may want to set your craft down for this one too.
• 19:56
  SPEAKER_00: There are quite a few characters and connections to keep track of and you're going
• 20:00
  SPEAKER_00: to want to pay attention.
• 20:01
  SPEAKER_00: But despite the darkness, the Oxford setting brings so much coziness for me.
• 20:06
  SPEAKER_00: And that gave the episode a little bit of a balance, even as the case became more disturbing.
• 20:12
  SPEAKER_00: Now, I do want to mention some content warnings involving suicide,
• 20:15
  SPEAKER_00: mental health, and themes surrounding adoption and foster care.
• 20:19
  SPEAKER_00: And again, please check a detailed content guide if those are sensitive subjects for you.
• 20:25
  SPEAKER_00: And the ending, I was on the edge of my seat.
• 20:27
  SPEAKER_00: There was a moment where I was like, what?
• 20:28
  SPEAKER_00: Like my mouth was open.
• 20:30
  SPEAKER_00: I'm not going to say nothing else, but this mystery kept my attention through the end.
• 20:34
  SPEAKER_00: There's also a familiar face for my Father Brown friends.
• 20:37
  SPEAKER_00: I am a diehard Father Brown fan.
• 20:40
  SPEAKER_00: Alex Price, who plays Sid, appears in this episode.
• 20:43
  SPEAKER_00: Sid is one of my favorite characters,
• 20:44
  SPEAKER_00: so I was happy to see And a little side note, Kevin Waitley is also in Forever Home.
• 20:50
  SPEAKER_00: This is an adaptation of Graham Norton's novel on Channel 5 in the UK.
• 20:54
  SPEAKER_00: That is another series I would love to see come to the U.S.
• 20:57
  SPEAKER_00: Come on, I don't know, Britbox gonna pick it up, something, somebody.
• 21:01
  SPEAKER_00: Now, you can watch Fallen Darkness as a standalone case.
• 21:05
  SPEAKER_00: You won't be familiar with all the regular characters,
• 21:07
  SPEAKER_00: but you don't need to catch up on the whole series just to follow this mystery.
• 21:11
  SPEAKER_00: I'm giving it a 5 out of 5 with a cozy rating of a 3.5 out of 5.
• 21:15
  SPEAKER_00: There's darkness here,
• 21:15
  SPEAKER_00: but there's also enough balance for me to really enjoy this investigation.
• 21:19
  SPEAKER_00: I love this episode so much.
• 21:21
  SPEAKER_00: And if you want an absorbing,
• 21:22
  SPEAKER_00: twisty detective mystery with an actual Halloween setting,
• 21:26
  SPEAKER_00: this is a wonderful choice.
• 21:29
  SPEAKER_00: And finally, friends, what would I put on for Halloween night?
• 21:32
  SPEAKER_00: If you've already started the new Tommy and Tuppence, this is your invitation to catch up.
• 21:37
  SPEAKER_00: The final two episodes bring the fall fashion Halloween decorations and a mystery
• 21:41
  SPEAKER_00: that makes them my personal Halloween night choice.
• 21:44
  SPEAKER_00: This is a 2026 series on BritBox-rated TVMA starring Antonia Thomas,
• 21:49
  SPEAKER_00: Josh Dillon, and Imelda Staunton.
• 21:52
  SPEAKER_00: So set aside about an hour and a half for these final two episodes.
• 21:56
  SPEAKER_00: The series brings Agatha Christie's Detective Now,
• 22:04
  SPEAKER_00: a personal tragedy pulls Tommy and Tuppence into a cold case with
• 22:08
  SPEAKER_00: a mysterious pain leading them toward a village hiding secrets from his past.
• 22:12
  SPEAKER_00: Now, this recommendation is specifically for those of you
• 22:15
  SPEAKER_00: who have already started watching and need to catch up and for those of you
• 22:18
  SPEAKER_00: who are okay with this modern version of Tommy and Tuppence because I've heard a lot
• 22:22
  SPEAKER_00: of people who love the Maybe the original or the partners in crime that complained
• 22:27
  SPEAKER_00: about this one.
• 22:28
  SPEAKER_00: But yeah,
• 22:29
  SPEAKER_00: unlike some of the other selections,
• 22:31
  SPEAKER_00: I would not suggest jumping straight into these episodes.
• 22:34
  SPEAKER_00: There's a lot happening with the characters that you'll appreciate a lot more to me
• 22:38
  SPEAKER_00: if you followed them from the beginning.
• 22:39
  SPEAKER_00: But if you are catching up, please save the final two for your Halloween evening.
• 22:44
  SPEAKER_00: Something major happens in episode five, and I'm keeping that to myself.
• 22:47
  SPEAKER_00: But what I will say is that these episodes give you all the fall and Halloween atmosphere.
• 22:53
  SPEAKER_00: Like I said, the fashion, the costumes, the Halloween party, you're going to be in the spirit.
• 22:58
  SPEAKER_00: And honestly, episode five was one of the best of the season for me.
• 23:01
  SPEAKER_00: So I gave it a 4.75 out of 5.
• 23:04
  SPEAKER_00: I was so invested in what was happening, both with the mystery and the characters.
• 23:08
  SPEAKER_00: Now, episode 6 was a little weaker for me because of the ending.
• 23:12
  SPEAKER_00: So that one gets a 4 out of 5.
• 23:15
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe even a 3.75.
• 23:17
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know.
• 23:17
  SPEAKER_00: I couldn't choose between the two.
• 23:19
  SPEAKER_00: There was also a supporting performance that I wasn't really fond of.
• 23:23
  SPEAKER_00: But overall, there was still plenty here that kept me watching.
• 23:26
  SPEAKER_00: And that romance storyline,
• 23:28
  SPEAKER_00: if you've been following Tommy and Tuppus,
• 23:30
  SPEAKER_00: you're going to want to see where So depending on what you've been hoping for,
• 23:34
  SPEAKER_00: you might finish happy or like me, I got a little pissed off.
• 23:37
  SPEAKER_00: Now, my cozy rating for these two episodes is a four out of five.
• 23:41
  SPEAKER_00: There is a child kidnapping storyline, which is not cozy.
• 23:45
  SPEAKER_00: Please keep that in mind.
• 23:46
  SPEAKER_00: But somehow between the characters and the mystery and that it is seasonal,
• 23:52
  SPEAKER_00: this felt like a cozy mystery to me.
• 23:55
  SPEAKER_00: And BritBox,
• 23:56
  SPEAKER_00: if you're listening,
• 23:57
  SPEAKER_00: when the characters curse, there are other words besides the F word.
• 24:01
  SPEAKER_00: Look, I don't mind the little curse and that's fine, but just mix it up a little bit, okay?
• 24:06
  SPEAKER_00: I feel like we didn't have many other cuss words, but the F word.
• 24:10
  SPEAKER_00: Anyway, so for those of you already watching,
• 24:13
  SPEAKER_00: this is my choice for a Halloween night with tea and your treats and
• 24:16
  SPEAKER_00: the final two episodes of Tommy and Tuppence,
• 24:19
  SPEAKER_00: but you may not want to watch this with little kids around.
• 24:22
  SPEAKER_00: And there you have it friends,
• 24:23
  SPEAKER_00: seven picks to help you choose your own level of spooky this Halloween.
• 24:27
  SPEAKER_00: Which one is going on your watch list?
• 24:29
  SPEAKER_00: Have you watched them all?
• 24:30
  SPEAKER_00: Let me know.
• 24:30
  SPEAKER_00: And then tell me what you love watching this time of year.
• 24:33
  SPEAKER_00: But don't forget my CCC Halloween bonus guide arrives on Substack this Friday,
• 24:38
  SPEAKER_00: October 23rd.
• 24:39
  SPEAKER_00: With all of today's selections plus additional picks,
• 24:42
  SPEAKER_00: it's available to free subscribers and you'll find the subscription link in
• 24:45
  SPEAKER_00: the show notes.
• 24:46
  SPEAKER_00: And if you'd like to support Cozy Comfort Club,
• 24:49
  SPEAKER_00: you can buy me a coffee, And you can also become a paid subscriber.
• 24:53
  SPEAKER_00: So through a paid subscription,
• 24:55
  SPEAKER_00: you'll receive my monthly What to Watch Next bonus post
• 24:58
  SPEAKER_00: and your support helps me keep sharing my love of British TV with you all.
• 25:03
  SPEAKER_00: Now, whether you're a free or paid subscriber, I'm So, so glad you're here.
• 25:07
  SPEAKER_00: My cozy fall watch list and tracker is linked in the show notes too.
• 25:10
  SPEAKER_00: And subscribers can grab the free cozy bingo board for a little extra autumn fun.
• 25:15
  SPEAKER_00: And next week,
• 25:15
  SPEAKER_00: we're keeping Halloween going with Read It and Watch It,
• 25:18
  SPEAKER_00: pairing Agatha Christie's Halloween party with its prior old adaptation.
• 25:25
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you so much for spending part of your day with me.
• 25:28
  SPEAKER_00: If you enjoyed this episode,
• 25:29
  SPEAKER_00: share it with a friend who's looking for something cozy or spooky
• 25:32
  SPEAKER_00: to watch this Halloween.
• 25:33
  SPEAKER_00: And until next time, friends, come for murder, stay for tea, and happy watching.
• 25:38
  [music]