Mother Redcap was the sixth and final episode of Jonathan Creek’s second season and featured both an impossible murder and a fascinating historical mystery. In this podcast Gerry and Iain take a look at table manners and sisterly vengeance.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | TuneIn | RSS
The undoubted highlight of this episode was the performance of Brian Murphy as Ken Speed, a veteran police officer. Victim Judge Forrest Sweetland and his wife Gwynneth were played by Leonard Kavanagh and Georgine Anderson respectively, while Nicola Walker portrayed the salad-licking PC Fay Radnor.
Supporting performances came from Barbara Horne as Dr Climpson, Marcus Gilbert as Jason Tippet and both Scarlett O’Neal and Hilary Sesta as the younger and present-day versions of the Mother Redcap accomplice-turned-bag lady.
Mother Redcap was again written by the show’s creator, David Renwick. Keith Washington continued behind the camera, while Verity Lambert remained as producer.
Mother Redcap was released in 1998. It is 49 minutes long and originally aired on the BBC. The episode can be viewed on Netflix in the UK and Ireland and the entire series is available on DVD in the UK and other countries, including a comprehensive box set of all the episodes up until Christmas 2016, released by the BBC.
Thank you again for your wonderful podcasts. Really appreciate all the time & effort you put into each one. I enjoy all of them (the podcasts, not always the episode).
In this episode with the judge being stabbed, you mentioned in the podcast about a plot on another show where a character was stabbed but didn’t know it — The show Vera had that with a woman stabbed just as she gets on a train — no real bleeding or anything & she dies a few stops later. (Love the show Vera). Anyway, it just reminded me of that.
As for this episode and the show really — I just don’t like the whole romantic nonsense between Maddie & Jonathan. They’re great as just friends. But then the writers seem to think if there’s a man & woman working together one or both must have a romantic interest in the other. How bothersome. Also, I’ve come to believe that any show that sticks a naked woman in is because the writers don’t think their script stands on its own merits. It has to cater to the male-gaze. I cant even blame it on the well-back-then– as it’s worse than ever now. Also, that the guy was a nudist yet conveniently lives with other nudists who we just had to see – could’ve put those tea cups & saucers just as carefully placed as the teapot.
Okay, enough ranting. Thank you again, your podcasts are the best! I put all the stars I could on iTunes for each show. It means a lot that you’re making them available for people like me who found them much later.
Hi DianeEllen. Thanks for the support, we really appreciate it!
Tend to agree with you on the nudists here, there was more comedy potential in conveniently placed household items, I think!
Hi Gerry and Iain. Stopping in to comment on the podcast and JC episode itself. The missus and I both like this episode for a lot of the same reasons you mentioned–we’re fans of Speed, and agree the humor in some of the previous episodes had taken a nasty turn, which this did some to rectify. We’re also fans of the chemistry between Jonathan and Maddie–it makes for some genuinely funny and even a few tender moments across the series. None of the other female leads quite measured up for us. Agreed with the idea Maddie wouldn’t have been very prone to sitting on that floor, let alone taking off her shoes, for any reason at all so that was a bit forced. But the episode was a fun trip overall. This weirdness with women’s features or habits that Jonathan has started to exhibit reminds me of Jerry Seinfeld’s character, who often ended promising relationships on the show due to ridiculously minor issues like this. Enjoying the ride you’re taking us on!
Thanks Salty, good to hear from you. Love the Seinfeld comparison, hadn’t thought of that!