The British mystery series Rosemary & Thyme makes no bones about the segment of the mystery genre that it falls into: the cute segment. Our amateur detectives are Laura Thyme (Pam Ferris) and Rosemary Boxer (Felicity Kendal), who also happen to be avid gardeners. When a suspicious death of a mutual acquaintance brings them together, the two women become friends and establish their own gardening business... which, in the tradition of shows like Murder, She Wrote, means that they're also stumbling over some sort of crime every week. The overall tone is cheerful, with ample attention paid to gardening lore as well as setting up the mysteries; as I said, it's unabashedly cute.

While the show's premise may seem a bit fluffy, and certainly is unlikely to appeal to those who prefer a more hard-bitten style of mystery, the truth is that Rosemary & Thyme is reasonably well done for what it is. What I like most about it is the casting of the two leads: it's always nice to see strong female characters, especially mature ones, and in Rosemary & Thyme we get engaging performances from both Ferris and Kendal. The roles aren't particularly demanding in terms of dramatic performances, but it's clear that the actors are engaged with what they're doing and having a good time, and that upbeat energy is carried onto the screen.

The gardening angle is highlighted in all the episodes, as it's the protagonists' gardening skills that get them involved in the various mysteries to begin with. More than that, though, the stories often involve gardening in the plot in some way, whether it's the existence of a botanical secret message or a plant connection to a murder. It requires a certain willing suspension of disbelief, but then again, so all mystery series with amateur detectives; in any case, Rosemary & Thyme's gardening theme is well handled, and will make the rather lightweight mysteries more appealing for viewers with a green thumb.

The fluffy nature of the mysteries does keep Rosemary & Thyme in its niche position, though. These aren't really tightly plotted or dynamic, although they're reasonably competent in execution. On the bright side, there's a nice variation in the evil deeds that our gardening duo investigate, so while murder is at the heart of all the stories, it's presented with enough variety that the stories don't feel repetitive.

The DVD

Rosemary & Thyme's six 50-minute episodes from its first (2003) season are spread out over three DVDs, each in its own plastic keepcase, which in turn fits into a glossy paperboard slipcase.

Video

Rosemary & Thyme appears in a visually pleasing anamorphic widescreen transfer, at the show's original aspect ratio of 1.85:1. The image tends to be a bit soft, particularly in longer-distance shots, but overall it looks quite nice; colors are bright and natural-looking, and the print is clean.

Audio

The Dolby 2.0 soundtrack generally holds its own, offering clear dialogue and a correct balance between the background music and the actors' voices. However, there are a few occasions when the dialogue sounds a bit off, with a flat and slightly tinny quality to it. For the most part, though, the sound quality is quite satisfactory.

Extras

The first DVD contains an interesting eight-minute interview with stars Felicity Kendal and Pam Ferris, which is presented in anamorphic widescreen. We also get text production notes, a photo gallery, and cast filmographies.

Final thoughts

Rosemary & Thyme offers a light, entertaining mystery series, featuring protagonists who combine full-time gardening with part-time sleuthing. There's not a lot of depth here, but Felicity Kendal and Pam Ferris do a solid job in the title roles, and the show is sure to appeal to viewers who enjoy shows like Murder, She Wrote and Midsomer Murders. The presentation in anamorphic widescreen adds some sparkle to the set, which contains all six episodes from the series' first year. Recommended.