The adaptations star
Ian Carmichael as aristocratic sleuth
Lord Peter Wimsey, the second son of the
Duke of Denver. Not wanting for money, charm or intelligence, Wimsey takes up detective work as an amateur pursuit, using his connections and social status to assist the police in their investigations. Carmichael
played the role concurrently in a series of
BBC Radio 4 adaptations from 1973, which eventually completed the whole sequence of Sayers's novels. In
The Radio Detectives (1999), Carmichael recalled that he had hoped to continue with further television adaptations, but acknowledged that by 1975 he was too old to play the part onscreen for the sequence of more romantic novels featuring crime writer
Harriet Vane. He felt that as a result of a technician strike, production of the fifth adaptation under a new producer,
Bill Sellars, was not as successful, after which the series was not renewed.
Glyn Houston played Wimsey's loyal
valet and assistant
Mervyn Bunter in three adaptations and
Derek Newark in
The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club (the character does not appear in
Murder Must Advertise).
Mark Eden played
Inspector Charles Parker, Lord Peter's friend and contact at
Scotland Yard in four adaptations. The series was recorded in the then-standard format of videotape for studio sequences (recorded at
Television Centre, London and
Pebble Mill Birmingham from the second serial) and 16mm film for exterior location scenes.
Locations Locations included
St Peter's Church, Walpole St Peter and
Terrington St John, Norfolk for
The Nine Tailors and
Kirkcudbright,
Galloway in Scotland for
Five Red Herrings, the latter almost entirely shot on film due to a technician strike, with only a few studio sequences taped in studios in Glasgow.
Music The 1930s-style theme tune was written by
Herbert Chappell. The BBC record of Herbert Chappell's theme tune featured a second track, "Size Ten Shuffle", which in rearranged form was used as the theme for
FilmFair's
Paddington (1976–1980). == Reception ==