Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries
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''Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries'' is an Australian
drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has been ...
television series. It was first broadcast on
ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...
on 24 February 2012. It is based on author
Kerry Greenwood Kerry Isabelle Greenwood (born 1954) is an Australian author and lawyer. She has written many plays and books, most notably a string of historical detective novels centred on the character of Phryne Fisher, which was adapted as the popular tele ...
's historical mystery novels, and it was created by
Deb Cox Deborah Cox (born 29 January 1958) is an Australian screenwriter and producer for television and film. Cox started working in the television industry as a production assistant for the Crawford Productions television series '' Skyways''. It was ...
and Fiona Eagger. The series revolves around the personal and professional life of
Phryne Fisher The Honourable Phryne Fisher ( ), often called "Miss Fisher", is the main character in Australian author Kerry Greenwood's series of Phryne Fisher detective novels. The character later appeared in a television series called '' Miss Fisher's Mur ...
(
Essie Davis Esther Davis (born 19 January 1970) is an Australian actress and singer, best known for her roles as Phryne Fisher in ''Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries'' and its film adaptation, '' Miss Fisher & the Crypt of Tears'', and as Amelia Vanek in '' T ...
), a glamorous private detective in 1920s
Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
. Three series have been broadcast, and a feature film titled ''
Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears ''Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears'' is a 2020 Australian mystery adventure film directed by Tony Tilse and starring Essie Davis as Phryne Fisher. It is based on the '' Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries'' television series and the series of Ph ...
'' was released in February 2020. A television spin-off ''
Ms Fisher's Modern Murder Mysteries ''Ms Fisher's Modern Murder Mysteries'' (also stylised as ''Ms Fisher's MODern Murder Mysteries'') is an Australian television drama series which began screening on the Seven Network on 21 February 2019. The series is a spin-off of the drama s ...
'' was broadcast in 2019. ''Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries'' has been aired in over 100 countries and territories.


Plot and series

''Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries'' revolves around the personal and professional life of
Phryne Fisher The Honourable Phryne Fisher ( ), often called "Miss Fisher", is the main character in Australian author Kerry Greenwood's series of Phryne Fisher detective novels. The character later appeared in a television series called '' Miss Fisher's Mur ...
(
Essie Davis Esther Davis (born 19 January 1970) is an Australian actress and singer, best known for her roles as Phryne Fisher in ''Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries'' and its film adaptation, '' Miss Fisher & the Crypt of Tears'', and as Amelia Vanek in '' T ...
), a glamorous private detective in late 1920s
Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
. In the first series, a running theme is the kidnapping and death of Phryne's younger sister Janey when they were children watching a circus, a crime that still haunts Phryne, feeling she should have protected her sister. The first thirteen-part series was filmed over a six-month period in and around Melbourne from July 2011 and each episode had a budget of A$1 million. The drama has been bought by broadcasters in 120 countries and territories worldwide. A second series was commissioned in August 2012 and filming began in February 2013. The series began airing from 6 September 2013 and concluded with a Christmas special on 22 December 2013. A third series was commissioned in June 2014 and began airing on 8 May 2015.


Cast and characters


Main

*
Essie Davis Esther Davis (born 19 January 1970) is an Australian actress and singer, best known for her roles as Phryne Fisher in ''Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries'' and its film adaptation, '' Miss Fisher & the Crypt of Tears'', and as Amelia Vanek in '' T ...
as The Honourable
Phryne Fisher The Honourable Phryne Fisher ( ), often called "Miss Fisher", is the main character in Australian author Kerry Greenwood's series of Phryne Fisher detective novels. The character later appeared in a television series called '' Miss Fisher's Mur ...
, an independent, glamorous private detective, who is determined to solve any crime. *
Nathan Page Nathan Page (born 25 August 1971) is an Australian actor, best known for his commercial voice-over work and his role as Detective Inspector Jack Robinson in '' Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries''. Early life Page grew up in an Air Force family ...
as Detective Inspector John "Jack" Robinson, a police detective who works reluctantly with Miss Fisher. *
Ashleigh Cummings Ashleigh Cummings is an Australian actress. She became known for her role as Robyn Mathers in '' Tomorrow, When the War Began''. The film, based on the book of the same name, earned Cummings a nomination for Best Young Actor at the 2010 Austra ...
as Dorothy "Dot" Williams, Miss Fisher's paid companion. Dot is a devout Catholic and has an ongoing relationship with Hugh Collins, a Protestant, and in late Series 3 marries him. *
Hugo Johnstone-Burt Hugo Kingsley Johnstone-Burt (born 1988) is a Scottish-Australian actor. He grew up in Sydney and decided to become an actor after attending his first drama class. Johnstone-Burt graduated from the National Institute of Dramatic Art in 2009. He ...
as Constable Hugh Collins, Inspector Robinson's right-hand man and Dot's boyfriend, and later husband. * Richard Bligh as Mr. Butler, Miss Fisher's loyal butler, an excellent household manager who provides good advice when needed, and a veteran of the Australian Imperial Force who can put up a fight if required to.


Recurring

* Travis McMahon as Bert Johnson, ex- AIF veteran and a working-class devout
communist Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, a s ...
who often assists in Miss Fisher's investigations. *
Anthony Sharpe Anthony J Sharpe (born 24 September 1974) is an Australian actor, producer and singer, best known for his role playing the character of Cecil Yates (Cec) on ABC1's ''Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries.'' He grew up in Melbourne and became involved ...
as Cec Yates, also ex-AIF and friend of Bert and also working-class devout communist who often assists in Miss Fisher's investigations. *
Tammy MacIntosh Tammy MacIntosh (born 16 February 1970) is an Australian actress known for portraying Dr. Charlotte Beaumont in the medical drama '' All Saints'' and Jool in the TV series ''Farscape''. She is also known for her roles on television series ''The F ...
as Dr. Elizabeth "Mac" Macmillan, Miss Fisher's close friend and doctor at a women's hospital in Melbourne, and a lesbian who sports fashionable menswear. *
Miriam Margolyes Miriam ( he, מִרְיָם ''Mīryām'', lit. 'Rebellion') is described in the Hebrew Bible as the daughter of Amram and Jochebed, and the older sister of Moses and Aaron. She was a prophetess and first appears in the Book of Exodus. The ...
as Prudence Elizabeth Stanley, Miss Fisher's aunt and a reputation-conscious society matron. * Ruby Rees-Wemyss as Jane Ross, Miss Fisher's ward who shares the same first name of Phryne's deceased sister, "Janey". (Series 1, 2) *
Nicholas Bell Nicholas Bell (born 15 August 1958) is an English actor who has worked in Australia for more than 20 years. He works regularly with the Melbourne Theatre Company as well as with all the major television broadcasters in Australia, most notably th ...
as Murdoch Foyle, a former university lecturer imprisoned after the disappearance of Miss Fisher's sister Jane. (Series 1) * Pip Miller as The Baron of Richmond (Henry George Fisher), Phryne's father (series 3)


Production


Background

Head writer and producer of the series,
Deb Cox Deborah Cox (born 29 January 1958) is an Australian screenwriter and producer for television and film. Cox started working in the television industry as a production assistant for the Crawford Productions television series '' Skyways''. It was ...
, has said that she and Fiona Eagger were looking to adapt a crime novel for television and believed the
Australian Broadcasting Corporation The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is the national broadcaster of Australia. It is principally funded by direct grants from the Australian Government and is administered by a government-appointed board. The ABC is a publicly-own ...
(ABC) were looking for a prime-time crime series for their network. The producers were disappointed by what they initially found and Cox explained: "It takes so long to raise the finance and script and produce a television series, so you need to feel it's worthwhile—both financially and philosophically. It was hard to find a reason to bring stories about psychotic killers and serial murderers to the screen." Cox and Eagger then came across
Kerry Greenwood Kerry Isabelle Greenwood (born 1954) is an Australian author and lawyer. She has written many plays and books, most notably a string of historical detective novels centred on the character of Phryne Fisher, which was adapted as the popular tele ...
's
Phryne Fisher The Honourable Phryne Fisher ( ), often called "Miss Fisher", is the main character in Australian author Kerry Greenwood's series of Phryne Fisher detective novels. The character later appeared in a television series called '' Miss Fisher's Mur ...
murder mystery series and were drawn to them because of their diverse fan base. Eagger said that they were curious to discover what made the series appeal to all generations. Eagger told a writer for '' If Magazine'', "We were a bit curious to know what it was about it that could appeal to a 16-year-old and a 70-year-old. Phryne is one of the first feminists. She chooses to live alone, she chooses not to get married. She's got many lovers. She's a bit of a
James Bond The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors have ...
action hero—she's much better dressed than James Bond though." Cox and Eagger realised that the novels reflected their moral values and fit in with their style of storytelling, so they began adapting them. Cox and Eagger initially thought adapting novels would be easier than writing an original screenplay, but soon discovered that it was not. Speaking to Andrew Wrathall from Fancygoods.com.au, Cox stated,
"It takes a whole new set of skills to preserve what's most important in the stories, rationalise the impossible, gather what's left into a cohesive whole and still reflect the boundless worlds of imagination encouraged in the readers' minds by a few hundred words on paper—in a way that's achievable in production terms!"
She added that the restrictions tested their limits of creativity and inventiveness. Greenwood was invited to the first brainstorming session for the series and provided the producers with answers to their questions and helped with the historical background to the novels. The author would read the scripts and help make corrections. Cox praised Greenwood's ability to write for the screen and accept the changes they made to the novels. In June 2011, it was announced that the ABC had commissioned a thirteen-part series to air on their
ABC1 ABC TV, formerly known as ABC1, is an Australian national public television network. It is owned and operated by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, and is the flagship ABC Television network. The headquarters of the ABC TV channel an ...
channel the following year. The drama was originally titled ''The Phryne Fisher Murder Mystery Series'', but was changed on the advice of distributor
All3Media All3Media Limited is a British worldwide independent television, film and digital production and distribution company based in London, England. The All3Media group comprises more than 40 production and distribution companies from across the U ...
, who wanted to avoid having to tell international broadcasters how to pronounce Phryne's name.


Series 1

The first series was filmed over a six-month period in and around Melbourne from July 2011. Greenwood had researched the history of the city "meticulously" for the novels, so the producers were keen to do the same. While they used some real locations, others were recreated, including a
Turkish bath A hammam ( ar, حمّام, translit=ḥammām, tr, hamam) or Turkish bath is a type of steam bath or a place of public bathing associated with the Islamic world. It is a prominent feature in the culture of the Muslim world and was inherited ...
house and the Eastern Market. The interior of Phryne's house was built on a
sound stage A sound stage (also written soundstage) is a soundproof, large structure, building, or room with large doors and high ceilings, used for the production of theatrical film-making and television productions, usually located on a secured movie or ...
at the ABC's studio in
Elsternwick Elsternwick is an inner suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 9 km south-east of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Glen Eira local government area. Elsternwick recorded a population of 10,887 at the 2 ...
. The historic house Wardlow in Parkville, Victoria was used as the exterior to the house. A number of National Trust houses provide settings including
Rippon Lea Estate Rippon Lea Estate is a heritage-listed historic house and gardens located in Elsternwick, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is in the care of the National Trust of Australia. It was added to the Australian National Heritage List on 11 August 20 ...
at Elsternwick, Labassa at Caulfield North and
Como House Como House is a historical house, with associated gardens in the City of Stonnington, Victoria, Australia. It was constructed in 1847 for Sir Edward Eyre Williams, and now serves as a tourist attraction under the custodianship of the National ...
in South Yarra. Each episode had a budget of $1 million. Eagger said "I wanted every cent on screen. I wanted the steam train, I wanted the plane, I wanted the
ocean liner An ocean liner is a passenger ship primarily used as a form of transportation across seas or oceans. Ocean liners may also carry cargo or mail, and may sometimes be used for other purposes (such as for pleasure cruises or as hospital ships). Ca ...
and the Hispano-Suiza. It stretched everyone, it really made people bleed." ABC TV, Film Victoria,
Screen Australia Screen Australia is the Australian Federal Government's key funding body for the Australian screen production industry, created under the ''Screen Australia Act 2008''. From 1 July 2008 Screen Australia took over the functions of its predecess ...
and distributor All3Media funded the series.


Series 2

The second series was approved for Screen Australia funding in July 2012. Filming began on 18 February 2013 in Melbourne. The shoot wrapped on 9 August. On 6 August 2012, Michael Idato from ''
The Sydney Morning Herald ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' (''SMH'') is a daily compact newspaper published in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, and owned by Nine. Founded in 1831 as the ''Sydney Herald'', the ''Herald'' is the oldest continuously published newspaper ...
'' said that the ABC had commissioned a second series of ''Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries''. Idato reported the second series would go into production later in the year. ABC's Head of Fiction, Carole Sklan, stated
"ABC TV is delighted to be bringing a second series of ''Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries'' to the screen. The first series proved an instant hit with viewers and Every Cloud Productions has again assembled a stellar cast and team for 13 more exciting, intriguing, and unpredictable mystery stories."
The second series is based on Greenwood's novels ''Dead Man's Chest'', ''Unnatural Habits'' and various short stories. Cox commented that she and Eagger were "thrilled" that many of the cast and crew from the first series were returning. The second series premiered on 6 September 2013.


Series 3

In February 2014, ABC TV channel controller Brendan Dahill told David Knox from
TV Tonight TV Tonight is an Australian-based website which features reviews, news and programming information related to television in Australia as well as OzTAM ratings information. The site was started by television critic David Knox in 2007 after list ...
that a third series of ''Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries'' had yet to be commissioned. Dahill explained
The position we are in is an embarrassment of riches—tons of successful series and at some point Carole (Sklan, Head of Fiction) and I need to sit down and work out how many of the successful shows we can afford to return, without standing still, and still doing new stuff. Woven into that we obviously need to know how much money we think we're going to have.
Knox added that there were fears funds to the broadcaster could be cut. Colin Vickery, writing for
news.com.au news.com.au is an Australian website owned by News Corp Australia. It had 9.6 million unique readers in April 2019 and covers national and international news, lifestyle, travel, entertainment, technology, finance, and sport. Staff The organiza ...
, reported that another reason ''Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries'' had not been green-lit for a third series was due to ABC wanting to attract a younger audience. Vickery also said that if the show was given a third series it would not air until 2015. On 13 June 2014, it was confirmed that ''Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries'' had been commissioned for a third series. ABC renewed the series after a social media campaign run by fans of the show. The third series began shooting in mid-October 2014 in Melbourne and wrapped on 23 January 2015. Eagger told ''If Magazine''s Emily Blatchford that all of the cast would be returning, and admitted that the writers wanted to add some magic to the series and include an episode set in the military. She also hinted that there might be a wedding. Eagger added "It's a tough time for the ABC so we are thrilled they are able to bring us back, and to have that support from Film Victoria as well." The third series began airing from 8 May 2015.


Costumes

The costume designer for the series was
Marion Boyce Marion may refer to: People *Marion (given name) *Marion (surname) *Marion Silva Fernandes, Brazilian footballer known simply as "Marion" *Marion (singer), Filipino singer-songwriter and pianist Marion Aunor (born 1992) Places Antarctica * Mario ...
. She told ABC's Darren Smith that she loves the 20s and 30s and thought the opportunity to work on a show in her hometown (Melbourne) was "fantastic." Boyce had eight weeks' pre-production, but she said that she began putting stuff together early on. She stated "After those eight weeks, we had 16 days to complete the next two episodes. It was a fast and furious process, and the series included circuses, bohemian nightclubs and the docks. Each episode is quite different from the rest." The costume department included one cutter, one sewer, a costume coordinator and a buyer who was also an art finisher. Boyce called the team "incredibly talented", as they had to do a lot of different jobs. The team, Mandy Murphy and Gareth Blaha, the head of the ABC's Costume Department, along with two
milliners Hat-making or millinery is the design, manufacture and sale of hats and other headwear. A person engaged in this trade is called a milliner or hatter. Historically, milliners, typically women shopkeepers, produced or imported an inventory of g ...
, made some of the hats. Boyce and her team created around 120 costumes for the series, including sleepwear, daywear, nightwear and special-occasion outfits. Boyce explained that while vintage pieces were incorporated into the series, the department designed the majority of costumes. Cox told Alexandra Spring from ''
Vogue Australia ''Vogue'' ''Australia'' is the Australian edition of ''Vogue'' magazine. ''Vogue Australia'' became the 4th edition of Vogue in 1959 after '' Vogue'', ''British Vogue'' and ''Vogue Paris''. Prior to becoming a stand-alone issue, the Australian edi ...
'' that some of the costumes were sourced from
eBay eBay Inc. ( ) is an American multinational e-commerce company based in San Jose, California, that facilitates consumer-to-consumer and business-to-consumer sales through its website. eBay was founded by Pierre Omidyar in 1995 and became a ...
and vintage shops. Cox said "Once you go back to the 1920s, things have either deteriorated or they are too small because the women were smaller, so it means a lot of it has to be made from scratch." The fabrics were taken from Boyce's own collection and fabric stores in Melbourne and Sydney. The designer admitted that parting with some of the fabrics was difficult, as she had had some of them for around 25 years. Boyce told Smith that at the end of filming, the costumes that were hired were returned: those made from fabric bought by the ABC were sent back to them, and those made from fabrics out of Boyce's own collection came back to her. Boyce explained that Phryne is "completely fluid" and has "an extraordinary amount of energy", so she wanted her outfits to move with her when she went from room to room. When it came to Dot, Boyce designed her wardrobe with her religion and position in society in mind. Dot's clothes are more buttoned up, so she does not show off her body parts. Boyce commented "She was a really nice contrast to Phryne and a lot more conservative. Dot has nice tweeds and cardigans."


Episodes


International broadcast

Distribution of ''Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries'' was acquired in 120 territories worldwide. The Canadian broadcaster
Knowledge Network Knowledge Network, also branded as British Columbia's Knowledge Network, is a Canadian publicly funded educational cable television network serving the province of British Columbia. It is owned by the Knowledge Network Corporation, a Crown co ...
began airing the series at 8:30 pm on 5 October 2012. The
UKTV UKTV Media Limited, simply known as UKTV, is a British multi-channel broadcaster, which, since 2019, has been wholly owned by BBC Studios (formerly BBC Worldwide), a commercial subsidiary of the BBC. It was formed on 1 November 1992 through ...
network acquired the broadcasting rights to ''Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries'' in the United Kingdom in September 2012. Series 1 premiered on the network's
Alibi An alibi (from the Latin, '' alibī'', meaning "somewhere else") is a statement by a person, who is a possible perpetrator of a crime, of where they were at the time a particular offence was committed, which is somewhere other than where the crim ...
channel on 11 February 2013. French broadcaster
France 3 France 3 () is a French free-to-air public television channel and part of the France Télévisions group, which also includes France 2, France 4, France 5 and France Info. It is made up of a network of regional television services providing ...
acquired ''Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries'' in January 2013, while Alibi and the Knowledge Network renewed their deals to air Series 2. Alex Farber of ''
Broadcast Broadcasting is the distribution of audio or video content to a dispersed audience via any electronic mass communications medium, but typically one using the electromagnetic spectrum ( radio waves), in a one-to-many model. Broadcasting began ...
'' reported that Norway's
TVNorge TVNorge (literally "TVNorway"; originally abbreviated TVN, now just abbreviated N in the logos) is a Norwegian television channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery EMEA. History TVNorge went on the air on 5 December 1988 and was the first adver ...
, Poland's
Canal+ Canal+ (Canal Plus, , meaning 'Channel Plus'; sometimes abbreviated C+ or Canal) is a French premium television channel launched in 1984. It is 100% owned by the Groupe Canal+, which in turn is owned by Vivendi. The channel broadcasts several ki ...
, and Eastern Europe's
Viasat Viasat may refer to: *Viasat (American company) (founded 1986) * Viasat (Nordic television service) (founded 1991) * Danish 1st Division, officially Viasat Divisionen, second-highest football league in Denmark * Viasat Cup, 2006 Danish football to ...
networks had also picked up the show. The series began airing on Italy's
Rai 1 Rai 1 () is an Italian free-to-air television channel owned and operated by state-owned public broadcaster RAI – Radiotelevisione italiana. It is the company's flagship television channel, and is known for broadcasting mainstream and gener ...
channel on 31 July 2013. The series first became available in North America on
Acorn TV The acorn, or oaknut, is the nut of the oaks and their close relatives (genera ''Quercus'' and '' Lithocarpus'', in the family Fagaceae). It usually contains one seed (occasionally two seeds), enclosed in a tough, leathery shell, and borne ...
only. ''Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries'' premiered in the United States on PBS in 2013 with further stations broadcasting the series in the Autumn, and others more in 2014. The series premiered on Ovation in the US as well along with the PBS broadcast in 2016. But the series still continues to air past the point it went off on PBS after it ended. ''Miss Fisher Uncovered'', a behind-the-scenes special for American audiences featuring interviews with cast and crew, and author Kerry Greenwood, was broadcast in the U.S. in August 2015. There has been minor censorship on at least some American Public Television stations. In the episode "Murder in Montparnasse," Miss Fisher had posed for a full frontal nude painting as a young woman. When the painting was seen in the episode, portions of it were blurred. There was no blurring on Netflix. the series has aired in 172 territories.
Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
holds broadcasting rights for all three series in several countries, including the United States, Denmark, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Canada. It also currently hold rights for the first two series in the Australian market in association with ABC TV and
ABC Commercial ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...
.


Home media

''Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries - OST'', a CD collection featuring various artists used as music on the show, was released in Australia by
ABC Commercial ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...
on 27 April 2012. The compilation included the series' theme music by Greg J. Walker. The selections were made available simultaneously on
iTunes iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mul ...
. The soundtrack for Series 2 was released on 15 November 2013, and for Series 3 on 1 May 2015. The official soundtrack for the series featuring music composed by Greg J. Walker was released on iTunes on 10 June 2014. Episodes 1–7 were released on
DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...
in Region 4 on 3 May 2012, while episodes 8–13 were released on 7 June 2012. The series was also released on
Blu-ray The Blu-ray Disc (BD), often known simply as Blu-ray, is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released on June 20, 2006 worldwide. It is designed to supersede the DVD format, and capable of sto ...
. Series 1 was released as a DVD
box set A box set or (its original name) boxed set is a set of items (for example, a compilation of books, musical recordings, films or television programs) traditionally packaged in a box and offered for sale as a single unit. Music Artists and bands ...
by ABC Commercial in November 2012. Series 2 was released on DVD as a box set by Acorn Media on 27 May 2014. The complete series (1–3) was released as a DVD box set by ABC Commercial on 4 November 2015. ''Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries'' became available for streaming and VOD on
Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
in the U.S. in September 2014. It became available in the United Kingdom in June 2015, in Canada in March 2016, and in Australia/New Zealand in April 2017. The series became available on
Amazon Video Amazon Prime Video, also known simply as Prime Video, is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming and rental service of Amazon offered as a standalone service or as part of Amazon's Prime subscription. The service pri ...
on 16 May 2016.


Film adaptation

A stand-alone action-adventure feature film picked up the story from the end of the third series. It wrapped production in November 2018 and stars Essie Davis, Nathan Page, and other members of the original television series, along with new guest stars
Rupert Penry-Jones Rupert William Penry-Jones (born 22 September 1970) is a British actor, known for his performances as Adam Carter in '' Spooks'', Clive Reader in ''Silk'', DI Joseph Chandler in ''Whitechapel'', and Mr Quinlan in the American horror series ''The ...
,
Daniel Lapaine Daniel Lapaine (born 15 June 1971) is an Australian stage, film and television actor, currently residing in London. He also works as a writer and director. Career Born in Sydney, New South Wales to an Italian father and an Australian mother ...
and
Jacqueline McKenzie Jacqueline Susan McKenzie (born 24 October 1967) is an Australian film and stage actress. Early life Born in Sydney, New South Wales, McKenzie attended Wenona School in North Sydney until 1983 then moved to Pymble Ladies' College, where she ...
. The film was budgeted at $8 million and was directed by
Tony Tilse Tony Tilse is an Australian television director. He won the Australian Directors' Guild Award for best direction of a TV drama series (periodical) and TV mini-series for '' Underbelly'' in 2008. Tilse also directed ''The Postcard Bandit'', and ' ...
. Since 2016, there had been speculation on the possibility that the television series would be made into a feature film. In May 2016, Essie Davis acknowledged interest in playing Miss Fisher in a film. " e’rejust working out the ideas of how to make it bigger and better and more fabulous than the TV show," she said. Later that year, it was revealed that plans were afoot to produce a trilogy of Phryne Fisher films. In April 2017, a photo was published on the official ''Miss Fisher Murder Mysteries''
Instagram Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...
account showing Essie Davis and Nathan Page holding advance copies of a film script titled ''Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears''. On 14 September 2017, a crowdfunding campaign was launched on
Kickstarter Kickstarter is an American public benefit corporation based in Brooklyn, New York, that maintains a global crowdfunding platform focused on creativity. The company's stated mission is to "help bring creative projects to life". As of July 2021, ...
in support of the film. On 15 December 2017, an additional ongoing crowdfunding campaign was begun through IndieGoGo in order to allow fans to continue supporting the effort. The original campaign reached its goal of $250,000 in less than 48 hours. Filming began in October 2018 and was completed by 27 November 2018.


Television spin-off

A television spin-off, titled ''Ms Fisher's Modern Murder Mysteries'', was announced in July 2018 and first aired in 2019. The new series follows Phryne Fisher's niece, Peregrine Fisher, in mid-sixties mod-era Melbourne, as she inherits her aunt's home and car and becomes a private detective in her own right. The series aired on the Seven Network in Australia followed by an international release. Geraldine Hakewill leads the cast as Peregrine Fisher. Joel Jackson is Detective James Steed, while
Catherine McClements Catherine McClements is an Australian stage, film and television actress and television presenter. She is known for her TV roles in '' Water Rats'' and '' Tangle'', for which she won Logie Awards, and has performed in stage productions for thea ...
portrays "Birdie, an ex-member of WW2 Special Forces who is the president and mastermind of The Adventuresses’ club".


International adaptions

A Mandarin language version of the television show was produced by the Shanghai 99 Visual Company, Tencent Penguin Film and talent management company Easy Entertainment. It consists of 30 episodes, starring
Ma Yili Ma Yili (, born 29 June 1976) is a Chinese actress. Ma ranked 42nd on ''Forbes'' China Celebrity 100 list in 2019. Early life Ma was born in Hongkou District, Shanghai on June 29, 1976, with her ancestral home in Rudong County, Nantong, Jiangsu ...
and
Gao Weiguang Gao Wei Guang (, born 16 January 1983) is a Chinese actor and supermodel. He is known for his lead roles in hit dramas Candle in the Tomb: The Wrath of Time, ''Candle In The Tomb: The Wrath Of Time'', Eternal Love of Dream, ''Eternal Love Of Dre ...
. Known as ''Miss S.'', the series is set in Shanghai in the 1930s. The creators of ''Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries'' assisted in the making of this series. It first aired on August 28, 2020.


Reception

While reviewing the first episode, David Brown from the ''
Radio Times ''Radio Times'' (currently styled as ''RadioTimes'') is a British weekly listings magazine devoted to television and radio programme schedules, with other features such as interviews, film reviews and lifestyle items. Founded in May 1923 by J ...
'' commented "Just when you thought that all variations of the amateur-detective genre had been explored, along comes Miss Phryne Fisher, who sashays through the jazz clubs of late 1920s Ballarat, tackling villains with her pearl-handled pistol. The plot's hardly revolutionary, but it is worth watching for lead actress Essie Davis, with her sleek bob and killer cheekbones, who runs bad guys to ground with both wit and raunch."


Accolades


References


External links

*
Wayback Machine archive copy from June 26, 2015

''Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries''
at
PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcasting, public broadcaster and Non-commercial activity, non-commercial, Terrestrial television, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly fu ...
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries 2012 Australian television series debuts 2010s Australian crime television series Australian drama television series English-language television shows Lesbian-related television shows 2010s mystery television series Television shows based on Australian novels Television series set in the 1920s Television shows set in Melbourne Mystery television series Detective television series Period television series Australian Broadcasting Corporation original programming 2015 Australian television series endings