''Mystery!'' (also written ''MYSTERY!'') is a television

anthology series An anthology series is a radio, television, video game or film series that spans different genres and presents a different story and a different set of characters in each different episode, season, segment, or short. These usually have a dif ...

produced by

WGBH WGBH may refer to: * WGBH Educational Foundation, based in Boston, Massachusetts, United States ** WGBH (FM), a public radio station at Boston, Massachusetts on 89.7 MHz owned by the WGBH Educational Foundation ** WGBH-TV WGBH-TV (channel 2), ...

Boston for PBS in the United States. The series was created as a mystery,

police The police are a Law enforcement organization, constituted body of Law enforcement officer, persons empowered by a State (polity), state, with the aim to law enforcement, enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citize ...

and

crime drama Crime films, in the broadest sense, is a film genre inspired by and analogous to the crime fiction literary genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and its detection. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and comb ...

spin-off of the already established PBS show '' Masterpiece Theatre''. From 1980 to 2006, ''Mystery!'' aired mostly British crime series purchased from or co-produced with the BBC or ITV and adapted from British mystery fiction. In 2002, due to pressure to include more American material, a series based on the novels of US mystery writer

Tony Hillerman Anthony Grove Hillerman (May 27, 1925 – October 26, 2008) was an American author of detective novels and nonfiction works, best known for his mystery novels featuring Navajo Nation Police officers Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee. Several of his work ...

was produced, but the vast majority of ''Mystery!'' programming has always been and continues to be British literary adaptations co-produced with UK-based production companies. In 2008, PBS combined ''Mystery!'' with its predecessor ''Masterpiece Theatre'' under the umbrella title ''

Masterpiece A masterpiece, ''magnum opus'' (), or ''chef-d’œuvre'' (; ; ) in modern use is a creation that has been given much critical praise, especially one that is considered the greatest work of a person's career or a work of outstanding creativity, ...

'', which includes the sub-brands ''Masterpiece Classic'', ''Masterpiece Mystery!'', and ''Masterpiece Contemporary''.

Edward Gorey, Derek Lamb, and the ''Mystery!'' opening sequence

''Mystery!'' is noted for its animated opening and closing

title sequence A title sequence (also called an opening sequence or intro) is the method by which films or television programmes present their title and key production and cast members, utilizing conceptual visuals and sound (often a opening theme song with vi ...

s with original drawings created by cartoonist

Edward Gorey Edward St. John Gorey (February 22, 1925 – April 15, 2000) was an American writer, Tony Award-winning costume designer, and artist, noted for his own illustrated books as well as cover art and illustration for books by other writers. Hi ...

and animated by Eugene Federenko,

Derek Lamb Derek Reginald Lamb (20 June 1936 – 5 November 2005) was a British animation filmmaker and producer. While serving as executive producer of the National Film Board of Canada's English Animation Studio from 1976 to 1982, he produced the Oscar-win ...

, and

Janet Perlman Janet Laurie Perlman (born September 19, 1954) is a Canadian animator and children's book author and illustrator whose work includes the short film ''The Tender Tale of Cinderella Penguin'', which was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animat ...

, with music by

Normand Roger Normand Roger (born 1949 in Montreal, Quebec) is a Canadian composer, sound editor and sound designer. He is particularly known for his work as a composer of soundtracks for animated films, having composed more than 200 such works since 1970. He ...

. A PBS veteran, animator Lamb had also created programming for series like ''

Sesame Street ''Sesame Street'' is an American educational children's television series that combines live-action, sketch comedy, animation and puppetry. It is produced by Sesame Workshop (known as the Children's Television Workshop until June 2000 ...

'', ''

The Electric Company ''The Electric Company'' is an American educational children's television series produced by the Children's Television Workshop (CTW, now known as Sesame Workshop). It was co-created by Paul Dooley, Joan Ganz Cooney, and Lloyd Morrisett. The ...

'', and ''

The Great American Dream Machine ''The Great American Dream Machine'' was a weekly satirical variety television series, produced in New York City by WNET and broadcast on PBS from 1971 to 1972. The program was hosted by humorist and commentator Marshall Efron. Other notable cast ...

''. Gorey’s first attempt at creating a storyboard of the opening was estimated to run 10 minutes. Because executive producer Joan Wilson was looking for a 75-second sequence, Gorey was eventually asked to hand over the drawings and allow animators to use his work as inspiration. Gorey, known for his eccentric and stubborn nature, recounted: The Lamb/Gorey sequence has changed several times since 1980. It consisted of a non-linear series of animated period

country house An English country house is a large house or mansion in the English countryside. Such houses were often owned by individuals who also owned a town house. This allowed them to spend time in the country and in the city—hence, for these peop ...

tableaux. The scenes include a formal ball, a crowd of umbrella-toting funeral attendants, three investigators, a croquet game in the rain, and a moaning damsel in various scenes of distress. Over time, the sequence became more streamlined, shorter, and slightly more colorful. For the Hillerman episodes, the American flag was worked into the opening title sequence. Today, the ''Masterpiece'' opening sequence is almost identical across the sub-brands. Each opening fades in and out of scenes of popular characters from each series. The ''Mystery!'' version still features the Gorey/Lamb characters.

Inception and early history

''Mystery!'' was the second British anthology to come to WGBH Boston after '' Masterpiece Theatre''. In 1979 Mobil Oil head of corporate affairs

Herb Schmertz Herbert "Herb" Schmertz (March 22, 1930January 17, 2018) was a vice president of public affairs for the Mobil Corporation whose advocacy for sponsoring programs on PBS significantly influenced the relationship between PBS and major corporations. ...

offered the idea of an all-British crime series show to WGBH manager Henry Becton. Mobil Oil was already the underwriter for ''Masterpiece Theater'' and had seen success with high-profile British series, including '' The Six Wives of Henry VIII'' and ''

Elizabeth R ''Elizabeth R'' is a BBC television drama serial of six 85-minute plays starring Glenda Jackson as Queen Elizabeth I of England. It was first broadcast on BBC2 from February to March 1971, through the ABC in Australia and broadcast in Amer ...

''. By 1979, WGBH was bringing in a diverse array of British programming, to the point that Mobil saw an advantage to creating a unique time slot for the crime/police drama genre. Mobil spent 2.3 million in 1979 and 3.2 million in 1980 toward the shows it sponsored on PBS, including for the kickoff of ''Mystery!'' Not everyone was especially enthusiastic over the genre division between ''Masterpiece Theater'' and ''Mystery!'' Then ''Masterpiece Theater'' host

Alistair Cooke Alistair Cooke (born Alfred Cooke; 20 November 1908 – 30 March 2004) was a British-American writer whose work as a journalist, television personality and radio broadcaster was done primarily in the United States.Rumpole of the Bailey''. Other noted successes include ''

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes ''The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes'' is a collection of twelve short stories by British writer Arthur Conan Doyle, first published on 14 October 1892. It contains the earliest short stories featuring the consulting detective Sherlock Holmes, w ...

'' starring

Jeremy Brett Peter Jeremy William Huggins (3 November 1933 – 12 September 1995), known professionally as Jeremy Brett, was an English actor. He played fictional detective Sherlock Holmes in four Granada TV series from 1984 to 1994 in all 41 episodes. His ...

in the title role, ''

Inspector Morse Detective Chief Inspector Endeavour Morse, GM, is the eponymous fictional character in the series of detective novels by British author Colin Dexter. On television, he appears in the 33-episode drama series '' Inspector Morse'' (1987–2000), ...

'' with

John Thaw John Edward Thaw, (3 January 1942 – 21 February 2002) was an English actor who appeared in a range of television, stage, and cinema roles. He starred in the television series '' Inspector Morse'' as title character Detective Chief Inspector ...

, '' Brother Cadfael'' starring

Derek Jacobi Sir Derek George Jacobi (; born 22 October 1938) is an English actor. He has appeared in various stage productions of William Shakespeare such as '' Hamlet'', '' Much Ado About Nothing'', '' Macbeth'', '' Twelfth Night'', '' The Tempest'', ' ...

, and ''

Prime Suspect ''Prime Suspect'' is a British police procedural television drama series devised by Lynda La Plante. It stars Helen Mirren as Jane Tennison, one of the first female Detective Chief Inspectors in Greater London's Metropolitan Police Service, who ...

'' starring

Helen Mirren Dame Helen Mirren (born Helen Lydia Mironoff; born 26 July 1945) is an English actor. The recipient of numerous accolades, she is the only performer to have achieved the Triple Crown of Acting in both the United States and the United Kingdom ...

Agatha Christie Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, (; 15 September 1890 – 12 January 1976) was an English writer known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving around fiction ...

sleuths

Hercule Poirot Hercule Poirot (, ) is a fictional Belgian detective created by British writer Agatha Christie. Poirot is one of Christie's most famous and long-running characters, appearing in 33 novels, two plays ('' Black Coffee'' and ''Alibi''), and more ...

(

David Suchet Sir David Courtney Suchet''England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1916–2007'' ( ; born 2 May 1946) is an English actor known for his work on British stage and television. He portrayed Edward Teller in the television serial '' Oppen ...

) and

Miss Marple Miss Marple is a fictional character in Agatha Christie's crime novels and short stories. Jane Marple lives in the village of St. Mary Mead and acts as an amateur consulting detective. Often characterized as an elderly spinster, she is one of Ch ...

(at various times Joan Hickson,

Geraldine McEwan Geraldine McEwan (born Geraldine McKeown; 9 May 1932 – 30 January 2015) was an English actress, who had a long career in film, theatre and television. Michael Coveney described her, in a tribute article, as "a great comic stylist, with ...

and Julia McKenzie) have also been featured. ''Mystery!'' won both the 1988 Anthony Award and the

1991 Anthony Award Bouchercon is an annual fan convention, convention of creators and devotees of mystery fiction, mystery and detective fiction. It is named in honour of writer, reviewer, and editor Anthony Boucher; also the inspiration for the Anthony Awards, whi ...

for "Best Television Show".

Hosts

The first host of the show in 1980 was Gene Shalit. In the first broadcast, February 5, 1980, Shalit opened with the introduction: “Good evening. We’re about to set out on a series of entertaining mysteries—15 weeks of suspenseful, sophisticated, crafty conundrums that are darkly diabolical or amusing adventures with introductions that suddenly seem alarmingly alliterative.” Shalit left the show in 1981.

Vincent Price Vincent Leonard Price Jr. (May 27, 1911 – October 25, 1993) was an American actor, art historian, art collector and gourmet cook. He appeared on stage, television, and radio, and in more than 100 films. Price has two stars on the Hollywood Wal ...

took the reins in ''Mystery!''’s second year. Price’s introductions included haunted house gags, including walking through cobwebs and ducking under spiders and bats. He came to Boston twice a year to tape openings and closings for the show. Actress Katherine Emory called Price “the sweetest scary man I ever met". Price was in his seventies when he hosted the show, and eventually had to step down due to failing health in 1989.

Diana Rigg Dame Enid Diana Elizabeth Rigg (20 July 193810 September 2020) was an English actress of stage and screen. Her roles include Emma Peel in the TV series '' The Avengers'' (1965–1968); Countess Teresa di Vicenzo, wife of James Bond, in ''On H ...

took over as host in 1989, and had the opportunity to introduce two mystery series in which she was the star: '' Mother Love'' and '' The Mrs Bradley Mysteries''. Rigg had previously won a BAFTA Award for her work on ''Masterpiece Theater''’s 1985 ''Bleak House'' adaptation. She left ''Mystery!'' in 2003. Beginning in 2004, ''Mystery!'' aired without a host. When the show was re-branded under the ''Masterpiece'' umbrella in 2008, actor

Alan Cumming Alan Cumming (born 27 January 1965) is a British actor. His London stage appearances include ''Hamlet'', the Maniac in '' Accidental Death of an Anarchist'' (for which he received an Olivier Award), the lead in '' Bent'', The National Theatre ...

became the host.

Funding trouble: 1996-2007

In the summer of 1995, Mobil announced that it would stop funding ''Mystery!'' at the end of the season. Its underwritten series ''Masterpiece Theater'' and ''Mystery!'' had been losing audiences for some time. "Many times, over the years, we've watched our best mini-series debut with a flourish … only to see the audience gently or not so gently erode over the weeks," executive producer Rebecca Eaton said, citing last year's ''Middlemarch'' as an example.". Although Mobil had been experiencing restructuring, cutting 1,250 employees, the company refused to blame its actions on cost cutting. The company announced that it would stay with ''Masterpiece Theater'' at least through 1999 though it didn’t leave as underwriter until 2004. After the ExxonMobil merger in 1999, the company reoriented its philanthropic mission to support public health and environmental causes, dropping its commitment to public television. PBS had avoided adding 30-second advertisements before programming blocks, despite underwriters’ requests for more robust representation on the channel. Mobil swore that the decision had nothing to do with PBS’s hesitancy in implementing 30-second advertising spots for its underwriters. Since 1980, Mobil had covered the entire cost of acquiring, repackaging and promoting British dramas for PBS, which had typically cost the company around $10 million a year. Without Mobil, ''Masterpiece Theater'' and ''Mystery!'' were left without consistent support until 2011. As a result of Mobil's initial break from ''Mystery!'', Eaton and her staff began looking for newer, more “relevant” stories to tell in both shows. They also looked to past successes for help. ''Prime Suspect'' had gained a strong following in the U.S. as well as England, so PBS re-ran Series 4 on ''Masterpiece Theater'' during the 1995-1996 season. PBS shifted ''Mystery!'' in 2002 from its Thursday prime-time slot during the regular American TV season to Sunday nights in the summer. ''Mystery!'' continued as a summer series from 2002 to 2004 with shows like '' The Inspector Lynley Mysteries'', ''

Hetty Wainthropp Investigates ''Hetty Wainthropp Investigates'' is a British crime drama television series, starring Patricia Routledge as the title character, Henrietta "Hetty" Wainthropp, that aired for four series between 3 January 1996 and 4 September 1998 on BBC One. ...

'' and ''

Foyle's War ''Foyle's War'' is a British detective drama television series set during and shortly after the Second World War, created by ''Midsomer Murders'' screenwriter and author Anthony Horowitz and commissioned by ITV after the long-running series ...

''.

2008 format change

In 2008, the series was absorbed into ''

'' (the former ''Masterpiece Theatre'') and began using the banner ''Masterpiece Mystery!'' In addition, its theme music was changed. It now carries a signature theme based on its sister program's former theme. This version is hosted by

. Rebecca Eaton reflected on the 2008 changes in an interview with Diane Rehm, citing Mobil’s departure, a competitive media landscape, and trouble branding ''Masterpiece Theater'' and ''Mystery!'' to new audiences. Eaton said: “I realized that this ship of whom I was the captain was at risk of going down, and that I had to do something. And I truly did not know what to do and had no money to do anything anyway. But we got a grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and PBS which we were pretty much allowed to do anything with...we spent it on doing some research into how people perceived Masterpiece. And discovered that they used to watch it, they loved it, they regarded it very highly. They weren't watching it so much anymore. They thought it was too hard to find...And a lot of people were put off by the title. They thought, oh it sounds like it will be very challenging. It sounds like homework....We didn't change the content because we realized whenever anybody, particularly younger viewers watched it, watched Madame Bovary or Sense and Sensibility or Bleak House, they loved it. It was just sort of getting past the rather forbidding title of ''Masterpiece Theater'' and the confusing anthology nature.”

In popular culture

*''Mystery!'' was parodied by ''

s "Mysterious Theatre" sketches in the early 1990s, hosted by the Muppet character Vincent Twice (whose name was always said twice), a parody of

. * The 1990s ''Mystery!'' opening was parodied on a 1998 episode of fellow WGBH program ''

Arthur Arthur is a common male given name of Brythonic origin. Its popularity derives from it being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur. The etymology is disputed. It may derive from the Celtic ''Artos'' meaning “Bear”. Another theory, more wi ...

'' entitled "Binky Rules."

List of series presented on ''Mystery!''

American Mystery! Specials

The American Mystery! Specials featured three stories set in the United States. They were based on

's Navajo Tribal Police stories featuring

Joe Leaphorn Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn is a fictional character created by the twentieth-century American mystery writer Tony Hillerman; he is one of two officers of the Navajo Tribal Police who are featured in a number of Hillerman's novels. The other officer ...

, played by Wes Studi, and

Jim Chee Jim Chee is one of two Navajo Tribal Police detectives in a series of mystery novels by Tony Hillerman. Unlike his superior Joe Leaphorn, the "Legendary Lieutenant", Chee is a staunch believer in traditional Navajo culture; indeed, he is studyi ...

, portrayed by

Adam Beach Adam Beach (born November 11, 1972) is a Canadian actor. He is best known for his roles as Victor Joseph in '' Smoke Signals'', Frank Fencepost in ''Dance Me Outside'', Tommy on ''Walker, Texas Ranger'', Kickin' Wing in ''Joe Dirt'', U.S. Marine ...

: *'' Skinwalkers'' 2002 (1) *''

Coyote Waits The coyote (''Canis latrans'') is a species of canine native to North America. It is smaller than its close relative, the wolf, and slightly smaller than the closely related eastern wolf and red wolf. It fills much of the same ecological nich ...

'' 2003 (1) *''

A Thief of Time ''A Thief of Time'' is the eighth crime fiction novel Joe Leaphorn / Jim Chee Navajo Tribal Police series by Tony Hillerman, first published in 1988. It was adapted for television as part of the PBS ''Mystery!'' series in 2004. The story in ...

'' 2004 (1)

References

Bibliography

*Eaton, Rebecca (2013). ''Making Masterpiece: 25 Years Behind the Scenes at Masterpiece Theatre and Mystery! at PBS,'' Viking Adult. *Hilmes, Michele (2012). ''Network Nations: A Transnational History of British and American Broadcasting.'' Routledge. *Knox, Simone (2012). “Masterpiece Theatre and British Drama Imports on US Television: Discourses of Tension.” ''Critical Studies in Television'' 7:1 (29-48). *Miller, Ron (1996). ''MYSTERY!: A Celebration'', WGBH Educational Foundation, 1996. . *Neves, Sheron (2013). “Running a Brothel from Inside a Monastery: Drama Co-Productions at the BBC and the Trade Relationship with America from the 1970s to the 1990s,” PhD dissertation, University of London-Birkbeck. *Weissmann, Elke (2012). ''Transnational Television Drama: Special Relations and Mutual Influence Between the US and the UK''. Palgrave Macmillan.

External links

Official ''Masterpiece'' website
* {{PBSTV 1980 American television series debuts 2006 American television series endings 1980s American drama television series 1990s American drama television series 2000s American drama television series PBS original programming Television series by WGBH Edgar Award-winning works 1980s American anthology television series Anthony Award-winning works English-language television shows 1990s American anthology television series 2000s American anthology television series