The Inspector Lynley Mysteries is a series of BBC television programmes about Detective Inspector Thomas "Tommy" Lynley, 8th Earl of Asherton (Nathaniel Parker) of Scotland Yard and Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers (Sharon Small). In addition to the tensions involved in solving murder cases, the series thrives on the characters' clashes regarding personality, gender, and class, since Lynley is an earl (a peer of the realm), while Havers comes from a working-class background. All episodes from the first two series and two from the third are based on novels by the American author Elizabeth George, though the author's plots and characters are often significantly altered. Later episodes are original stories for television based on her characters. The first broadcast was on 12 March 2001. The theme music is by Debbie Wiseman. In August 2007, the BBC announced its intention to make no more episodes of The Inspector Lynley Mysteries. Fans of the series mounted a campaign to save the series with a petition and contacts to the BBC. In the first episode, Lynley drove a Peugeot 607; in subsequent early episodes, he drove a Jensen Interceptor, and in later episodes a Bristol 410. Despite the frequently recurring remark in PBS Mystery! presenter Diana Rigg's introductions to the series that Lynley "is the one with the Bentley", he never drove a Bentley on TV. (He does, however, in the George novels) Exterior shots were filmed at the Bircham Dyson Bell solicitors offices on Broadway, central London. In the pilot episode the character of Helen was played by Emma Fielding.

• published: 21 Nov 2013