The Inspector Lynley Mysteries

Production

The first episode (pilot), A Great Deliverance, was broadcast on 12 and 13 March 2001, the only two-part episode throughout the series run. It also based on the first Inspector Lynley novel. The first full series began broadcasting on 8 April 2002, with the first episode based on and named after the third novel, Well-Schooled in Murder. The first eleven episodes were based on and named after the eleven Inspector Lynley novels published from 1988 to 2001, but not all in the published sequence.

Filming

Exterior shots of Lynley and Havers' base were filmed at the Bircham Dyson Bell solicitors offices on Broadway, central London. The first episode of series five was notable for being shot in Dungeness in Kent. In the first episode, Lynley drove a Peugeot 607; whereas in both series one and two 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, drive one in the George novels. In the pilot episode, the character of Helen Clyde was played by Emma Fielding. She was portrayed by Lesley Vickerage from series one to three (from series three she and Lynley had married and she was thus known as Helen Lynley) and by Catherine Russell in series five.

Cast

• Nathaniel Parker as Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley
• Sharon Small as Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers
• Emma Fielding as Helen Clyde (Pilot)
• Lesley Vickerage as Helen Clyde (Series 1-2) / Helen Lynley (Series 3)
• Catherine Russell as Helen Lynley (Series 5)
• Paul Hickey as Forensic Pathologist Stewart Lafferty (Series 4-6)
• Shaun Parkes as Detective Constable Winston Nkata (Series 5-6)

Episode list

A Great Deliverance (2001)

Series 1 (2002)

Series 2 (2003)

Series 3 (2004)

Series 4 (2005)

Series 5 (2006)

Series 6 (2008)

The broadcast of Limbo and Know Thine Enemy was initially postponed: they were due to air on 9 and 16 August 2007 respectively but did not air as scheduled. Their premiere broadcast came on 11 and 18 November 2007 on BBC Entertainment, before being broadcast on BBC One for the first time on 25 May and 1 June 2008 respectively.

25 May 2008 (BBC One) 1 June 2008 (BBC One)

• Based on true events in Ontario, Canada, where married couple Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka video recorded the sexual torture of teens Leslie Mahaffy and Kristen French, both later murdered. Homolka's sister Tammy was also a birthday "gift" for Bernardo, drugged and raped, and accidentally choking to death. The video tapes were found when Homolka made a plea deal after being assaulted by Bernardo.

International broadcasts

In the United States, all six series were broadcast on PBS from 2002 to 2008.

• A Great Deliverance was broadcast on the series Mystery! in two parts as Inspector Lynley I on 19 and 26 August 2002.
• Series 1 was shown on Mystery! as Inspector Lynley II on 31 August and 7, 14, and 21 September 2003.
• Series 2 was shown on Mystery! as Inspector Lynley III on 5, 12, 19, and 26 September 2004.
• Series 3 was shown on Mystery! as Inspector Lynley IV on 26 June and 3, 10, and 17 July 2005.
• Series 4 was shown on Mystery! as Inspector Lynley V on 10, 17, 24 September, and 1 October 2006.
• Series 5 was shown on Mystery! as Inspector Lynley VI on 9 and 16 September and 7 and 14 October 2007.

Episode 4 was the final broadcast of Mystery! before WGBH retooled the classic anthology series, along with Masterpiece Theatre, into Masterpiece.

• Series 6 was shown on Masterpiece Mystery! as Inspector Lynley VII on 10 and 17 August 2008.

In December 2014, Knowledge Network began broadcasting the series from the beginning in Canada.

Home media

Reboot

A new adaptation of the Lynley books named "Lynley" started streaming on BritBox in September 2025. It is written by Steve Thompson and directed by Ed Bazalgette. Leo Suter stars as Lynley, whilst Havers is played by Sofia Barclay. The first series comprises four 90-minute episodes.

References

References

1. "www.edel.de: Edel AG - WOLLEN, KÖNNEN, MACHEN".
2. Kent Film Office. (9 July 2006). "Kent Film Office The Inspector Lynley Mysteries – Natural Causes Article".
3. "Top 30 Programmes – BARB". barb.co.uk.
4. "Weekly top 30 programmes - BARB".
5. "Archived copy of the BBC's response to complaints (14 August 2007)".
6. Goldbart, Max. (26 July 2024). "Inspector Lynley Series In The Works At BritBox International & 'Wolf Hall' Producer Playground".