Murder Most Puzzling
| Murder Most Puzzling | |
|---|---|
| Genre | |
| Created by | Dominique Moloney |
| Based on | The Puzzle Lady series by Parnell Hall |
| Directed by | Tom Dalton |
| Starring |
|
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 6 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Producers |
|
| Running time | 120 minutes |
| Production companies | Paramount ZDF 5 Channel Zero PBS |
| Original release | |
| Network | 5 |
| Release | 19 June 2025 – present |
Murder Most Puzzling is a 2025 crime mystery television series starring Phyllis Logan and Charlotte Hope, which premiered on 19 June 2025 on 5.[1] It was released on the PBS network on February 26, 2026, under the title The Puzzle Lady.[2]
Premise
[edit]Eccentric celebrity cruciverbalist Cora Felton (aka The Puzzle Lady) and her niece Sherry have moved to the sleepy English town of Bakerbury to escape from a mysterious pursuer from their past. But when a teenage girl is found dead with a crossword clue on her chest, the local police call on The Puzzle Lady to help solve the crime.[3]
Cast
[edit]Main
[edit]- Phyllis Logan as Cora Felton (The Puzzle Lady)
- Charlotte Hope as Sherry Carter
- Adam Best as DCI Derek Hooper
- Richard Croxford as Mayor Firth
- Alistair Brammer as Anton Grant
- Nick Danan as DS Sam Brody
- Jack Weise as PC Danny Finley
- Simon Haines as Rod Reed
- Trevor Kaneswaran as Sunil Baidwan
- Amber Mendez-Martin as Katy Hooper
- Conor Sánchez as Jimmi Potter
- Yasmin Seky as Becky Baidwan
Guest
[edit]- Julie Michelo as Ellen Hooper
- Kevin McNally as Gilbert Sullivan
- Ashionye Michelle Raccah as Babs Dufresne
- Fiona Browne as Edith Potter
- Catherine Rees as Dr Nadia Burke
- Conor Grimes as Mr Trotter
- David Crowley as Stuart Tanner
- Ben Waddell as Gary Gibson
- Amy Morgan as Sioned
- Ben Freeman as Dennis Pride
- Chris Patrick-Simpson as Ray Hendrie
- Tabitha Smythe as Stacey Gallivan
- Jacob Baird as Julian Hendrix
- Maggie Hayes as Ally Brindle
- Sarah Alexander as Gloria Hendrix
- Amanda Doherty as Olivia Lemon
- Matthew Sharpe as Darren Duggan
- Aidan McArdle as Governor Peacock
- Louise Parker as Vicki Tanner
- Declan O’Connor as Dante
Production
[edit]The six-part series[4] is written and created by Dominique Moloney, based on the best-selling Puzzle Lady series of novels by Parnell Hall. Phyllis Logan was announced in the lead role in October 2024.[5] Filming took place in Northern Ireland in late 2024.[6]
Episodes
[edit]| No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Episode 1" | Tom Dalton | Dominique Moloney | 19 June 2025 |
| 2 | 2 | "Episode 2" | Tom Dalton | Dominique Moloney | 26 June 2025 |
| 3 | 3 | "Episode 3" | Tom Dalton | Dominique Moloney | 3 July 2025 |
| 4 | 4 | "Episode 4" | Tom Dalton | Dominique Moloney | 12 March 2026 |
| 5 | 5 | "Episode 5" | Tom Dalton | Dominique Moloney | 19 March 2026 |
| 6 | 6 | "Episode 6" | Tom Dalton | Dominique Moloney | 26 March 2026 |
Broadcast
[edit]It premiered as The Puzzle Lady in Belgium on BBC First on 17 March 2026.[7] It started showing as The Puzzle Lady in the Netherlands on BBC NL on 26 May 2026.[8]
Reception
[edit]Philip Cunnington in the Lancashire Post wrote: "This uneasy mix of the cosy and the corrupt ... finds it hard to sustain interest over its two-hour running time".[9]
References
[edit]- ↑ Robinson, Abby. "Murder Most Puzzling | Release date and schedule | Radio Times". www.radiotimes.com. Retrieved 9 August 2025.
- ↑ "The Puzzle Lady". pbs.org. Retrieved 26 February 2026.
- ↑ Guyoncourt, Sally (18 June 2025). "Murder Most Puzzling cast, filming locations and episode guide for C5 crime drama". The i Paper. Retrieved 9 August 2025.
- ↑ "New 6-Part Mystery Series THE PUZZLE LADY Premieres on WPBS February 26, 2026". WPBS-TV. Watertown, New York. 16 February 2026. Retrieved 21 May 2026.
- ↑ Lauren (8 October 2024). "CHANNEL 5 COMMISSION NEW CRIME DRAMA THE PUZZLE LADY (w/t) STARRING PHYLLIS LOGAN FROM FACTUAL FICTION & DECEMBER FILMS". Northern Ireland Screen. Retrieved 9 August 2025.
- ↑ Daniels, Nia (7 October 2024). "Crime drama films in NI with Phyllis Logan". The Knowledge Online. Retrieved 9 August 2025.
- ↑ "BBC First trakteert in maart op nieuwe crimeverhalen". TVvisie (in Flemish). 28 February 2026. Retrieved 25 May 2026.
- ↑ "The Puzzle Lady". BBC NL (in Dutch). BBC Studios. Retrieved 27 May 2026.
- ↑ Cunnington, Philip (20 June 2025). "Murder Most Puzzling review: You'll be left puzzled by Channel 5's new crime drama, where Prue Leith meets Taggart". Lancashire Post. Iconic Media Group. Retrieved 28 May 2026.