Hetty Wainthropp Investigates is a television series adaptation of David Cook's novel Missing Persons. The series features an unlikely pair for detective work, a senior citizen and a teenage boy. In this first season, the duo unravels some fairly dull mysteries in a whooping six episodes. To say the least, this show isn't very entertaining, which is due to a couple of reasons. First, the show itself seems a bit too surreal and second, the mystery aspect really isn't that mysterious. In the end, the show feels a little dry, lacking any really strong entertainment value.

The series stars Patricia Routledge as Hetty Wainthropp, a senior citizen who realized she had a knack for solving mysteries after her sixtieth birthday. This comes to be an issue with the series, not because she's sixty, but rather that there is something odd about her character. Hetty has a very strong, aggressive, and domineering personality. Because of this, it seems odd that she waited so long to get out in the real world and try to make a difference. It took this former housewife a really late mid-life crisis to realize her place in the world.

In actuality, Hetty's character seems to fit the detective type very well. She's really smart, quick to understand, and can see the overall picture with a substantial amount of clues. The problem with her character is that it just seems so unreal. In addition, she pairs herself up with a seventeen year old boy. Dominic Monaghan plays her teenage sidekick, Geoffrey Shawcross. Monaghan is best known for his acting skills as a hobbit, Merry Brandybuck (The Lord of the Rings Triology). This completely surreal pairing leaves the show feeling a little bit weird. No offense to either of them, but really, who would take them seriously? I sure wouldn't expect much from an uneducated boy and a woman who gets senior citizen discounts at the movie theater.

Once we get past the bizarre pair of detectives, we're left with an outright boring series. This is the biggest problem with it. The show just doesn't seem that entertaining. When compared to other mystery television series, it feels too dry. However, it may be unfair to compare other mystery shows to this series. For instance, it's obvious that this series won't have the same flash as one of the C.S.I. series or Law & Order: Criminal Intent. Because of that, in a modern aspect, Hetty Wainthropp Investigates just doesn't seem that appealing. Of course, we can consider other mystery television series like Columbo, which also lacked that flashy modern forensics aspect. However, a show like Columbo is still very entertaining. Why? Because the show was presented in a much different way. The mysteries in a show like Columbo were mysterious, gripping, and entertaining. On the other hand with Hetty Wainthropp Investigates, we're left with mysteries that just seem a bit dull. The mysteries behind each episode in this first season release are tedious at best. They tend to be fairly hollow, with the majority of it revealed in the beginning of the episode. Furthermore, the investigative techniques just don't seem that interesting.

Overall, the first season of Hetty Wainthropp Investigates isn't very entertaining. The show lacks a really strong mysterious quality, which oddly enough is supposed to be one of the show's main attractions. In addition, unique pairing of a sixty-year old woman and a seventeen-year old boy just doesn't make for the best set of detectives. It's a bit too surreal.

Episode Guide
1. "The Bearded Lady"
2. "Eye Witness"
3. "Fingers"
4. "Widdershins"
5. "A High Profile"
6. "Safe as Houses"

The DVD

Video:
The video is given in its original television aspect ratio of 1.33:1 full frame color. The quality isn't very impressive, as it has a distinct grain in the image. In comparison to most television releases on DVD, it's slightly lower quality. The cause isn't due to video compression, but the source medium.

Sound:
This DVD release comes with an English 2.0 Dolby digital stereo sound track. The audio track is very basic and adequately meets the needs of the presentation.

Extras:
The extras in this DVD release are about as impressive as the series, which really isn't saying very much. The extras are found on the first disc and they include a photo gallery and a featurette. The photo gallery is really unexciting and features screen shots of the first season. The featurette is a 26 minute interview with Patricia Routledge. While I would like to say that this interview was mind-blowing, it was the complete opposite. I suppose that since I really did not enjoy the series, hearing Routledge answer questions regarding the series just wasn't that exciting. Fans, if they exist, will find it much more enjoyable than I did.

Final Thoughts:
Hetty Wainthropp Investigates is a television mystery series that when it comes to mystery is lackluster. The first season release doesn't seem to provide very much entertaining content. Sure seeing an episode or two won't hurt, but watching the entire first season can be a painful task. Furthermore, with such a short runtime and a high M.S.R.P. at $59.99, you won't get your money's worth. This show should be reserved for the fans and the fans only.