Moonflower Murders’ Lesley Manville heaps praise on legendary TV sleuths as co-star brands BBC drama ‘new Miss Marple’
Moonflower Murders star Lesley Manville has heaped praise on the legendary TV sleuths who came before her in a new gushing admission.
The BBC drama originally launched as the Magpie Murders in 2022 but is back for another series with a brand new name.
Ahead of the launch of the new detective drama, Lesley’s co-star branded the upcoming BBC drama as the “new Miss Marple”.
Lesley, 68, is known for her roles in huge projects such as the smash-hit Netflix series, The Crown.
Lesley played Princess Margaret in the hit series, whilst the star was nominated for an Oscar in 2018 for character in Phantom Thread.
Her latest drama sees Lesley playing former publisher turned amateur-sleuth Susan after walking away from her life and setting up home on the sunny island of Crete.
Her sleuthing attention was re-caught after discovering the case of a missing hotel employee.
Speaking about her brand new character, Lesley said: “We’ve got a very forward thinking woman at the helm, who’s not the classic detective.
“Or she’s not a detective but she becomes the detective, and that’s been quite different in Moonflower to Magpie, because she is being more of a detective in this.”
“I’ve noticed that there’s a lot of questions to learn in the script.
“As opposed to just having a good old argument with somebody, you gotta remember the questions, you know, well where were you then, what did you do, why did you do that, when did you do that, how did you do that?”
The legendary actress paid tribute to several icons who have been known to land well with the fans of murder mystery series.
“It’s made me admire Angela Lansbury and David Suchet who did all the Poirots,” she explained.
“David was doing a denouement every episode. I delivered the denouement at the end of Moonflower and I was learning it for six weeks.”
She jokingly added: “It’s not easy being a detective. “
Meanwhile, her co-star Mark Gatiss had nothing but praise for the new drama as he gushed about his new co-star.
He remarked: “I’m excited for everyone to just enjoy the cleverness of it and it’s a lovely story, a very clever story. The cast are delightful.
“I think one of the most appealing and successful things about Magpie Murders was it sort of ticked everyone’s boxes, but it’s not just straightforwardly charming.
“It’s challenging and interesting, and I think the character of Pünd is rather nicely drawn. The idea of a German detective in England after the war is rather lovely.
“And Tim’s just fantastic. It’s the part he was born to play. And Lesley’s magnificent as ever. It’s just a lovely combination of things, isn’t it?
BBC crime dramas
The BBC is reopening case files on an all-star line-up of crime dramas this summer.
Here’s a refresher on the popular programmes which span six decades.
- Campion: Aired from 1989 to 1990, this detective drama series was adapted from novels by Margery Allingham and stars Peter Davison.
- Dalziel And Pascoe: A gritty detective drama series about a mismatched pair of policemen, based on the award-winning books by Reginald Hill. Aired from 1996 to 2007.
- Death In Paradise: A misanthropic detective inspector is assigned to a Caribbean island against his will. Premiered in 2011 and is still on air to this day.
- Happy Valley: Created by Sally Wainwright, this northern noir follows Sarah Lancashire as Sgt Catherine Cawood – tough, defiant and facing her traumatic past.
- Hinterland: Welsh drama starring Richard Harrington. Brooding DCI Tom Mathias uncovers secrets – and links to his troubled past amid mountainous terrain and close-knit villages. Aired from 2013 to 2016.
- Inspector Lynley Mysteries: Based on the novels of Elizabeth George, this drama series is about upper-crust DI Thomas Lynley and working class DS Barbara Havers. Aired from 2001 to 2007.
- Jonathan Creek: Starring comedian Alan Davies, this comedy-drama series follows a inventor of magic tricks who is often called in to solve puzzling murders. Aired from 1997 to 2016.
- Law & Order: Originally broadcast in 1978, this four-part drama series is about the British judicial system. Stars include Peter Dean and Derek Martin.
- Life On Mars: Beguiling science-fiction police drama following a Manchester policeman who travels back to 1973 following a car accident. Stars John Simm and Philip Glenister. Aired from 2006 to 2007.
- Line Of Duty: Created by Jed Mercurio, this drama follows the investigations of AC-12, a controversial police anticorruption unit. Stars Martin Compston, Vicky McClure and Adrian Dunbar, aired from 2012 to 2021.
- Luther: Crime drama series starring Idris Elba as DCI John Luther. Aired from 2010 to 2019, with a follow-up film released in 2023.
- New Tricks: Warm-hearted drama following an eccentric group of old-fashioned detectives. Starring Dennis Waterman, Amanda Redman, Alun Armstrong and James Bolam. Aired from 2003 to 2015.
- Sherlock: Benedict Cumberbatch stars a modern day Sherlock Holmes, teaming up with Martin Freeman‘s war veteran Dr Watson to solve impossible crimes. Aired from 2010 to 2017.
- Shetland: Detective drama starring Douglas Henshall, Ashley Jensen and Alison O’Donnell, showcasing the dark side of one of the most beautiful places on earth. Premiered in 2013 and is still on air to this day.
- The Cops: Set in the fictional northern town of Stanton, this acclaimed, provocative police drama stars Katy Cavanagh, Rob Dixon and John Henshaw. Aired from 1998 to 2001.
- Waking The Dead: With a cast including Trevor Eve, Sue Johnston and Wil Johnson, this series follows a cold case team who unearths sleeping secrets, but sometimes the past is best left buried. Aired from 2000 to 2011.
- Wallander: Starring Sir Kenneth Branagh, Kurt Wallander is unable to unsee the dark crimes he’s tasked to investigate while Wallander’s job comes at a cost to his family and relationships. Aired from 2008 to 2016.
He added: “It’s very classy, and that’s always a nice feeling, I think. I remember that feeling very strongly about the Joan Hickson Miss Marple’s when I was a kid.
“I felt like I was in the hands of grownups. And there’s something very reassuring about that.
“It’s just like this is a lovely way to spend an evening.”
Lesley is also known to have melted the hearts of cinemagoers around the world when she starred in the title role in Mrs Harris Goes To Paris.
The actress has also had high-profile parts in dramas such as World On Fire and Sherwood.
All episodes of Moonflower Murders will be available on BBC iPlayer from Saturday 16 November, with episodes airing weekly on BBC One from that evening.