What is it? Lovejoy, Season 1, 10 episodes on three discs from Acorn
When? Now
How much? $49.99
What is Lovejoy? Not what. Who.
Lovejoy (Ian McShane) is an antiques dealer in England. That may conjure up an image of a stuffy, snooty intellectual dressed in tweeds and sporting a monocle, but that image would be quite wrong.
Actually, our hero is something of a slob, more often seen in jeans and old T-shirts than in a suit and tie. He has a real way with the ladies, is perpetually short of money and is not above getting involved in stolen goods and other questionable operations.
But Lovejoy is also an expert. His knowledge of history and artifacts is encyclopedic and he has an unquestionable knack for being able to spot a fake (or a genuine find) at a glance.
It's a gift that serves him well, but also gets him into a certain amount of trouble. Antiques are serious business. There are collectors and dealers who would not shy away from thievery, battery and even murder to get what they want. Con men and other disreputable types abound. With his connections and talent, Lovejoy is often pulled into mysteries, whether it's unlocking the riddle of a Japanese firefly cage or solving a murder linked to a pair of (allegedly fictional) dueling pistols.
He constantly butts heads with his main nemesis, Charlie Gimbert (Malcolm Tierney), and has a shaky relationship with the local constabulary.
There are a few friends in his corner, though, such as his dim-but-enthusiastic apprentice Eric Catchpole (Chris Jury) and rumpled, shady pal Tinker Dill (Dudley Sutton), who knows a lot about antiques, whether he's inebriated or not.
He also gets quite a bit of high-level assistance from Lady Jane Felsham (Phyllis Logan), an aristocratic decorator who's not nearly as stuffy as her title implies and who hits it off with Lovejoy right away. They share an interest in antiques and a flair for witty banter. However, her husband (Pavel Douglas) does not entirely approve of Lovejoy or of his wife's friendship with him -- mainly because he tends to get her into trouble.
What's it like? Pretty lightweight. It's not a comedy per se, but it also doesn't take itself too seriously. Most of the characters have tongues planted firmly in cheeks.
The antiques angle adds a nice, fresh (yet old) angle to what is otherwise a fairly standard mystery.
Much of the show really relies on McShane, who makes a charming, funny (in a low-key way) and roguish hero, and his chemistry with his co-stars (particularly Logan) is strong.
Are there extras? No.
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Next week: Dalziel and Pascoe, Season 10; Shogun, Miniseries (Blu-ray); Xena: Warrior Princess, Season 5.
Style on 07/13/2014