The Great Detective - Murder by Proxy, Part 1

This episode: Murder by Proxy Part 1 - In the first of two episodes, lawyer Martin Betcherly is convinced that his wife Veronica and her lover are plotting to kill
him. He appeals to his good friend Inspector Cameron. From Season 3.
This Canadian Broadcasting Company series ran from 1979-1982 and starred Douglas Campbell as Inspector Alistair Cameron, the Provincial Detective. It is a period series, set around 1890. Though the Inspector resides in Toronto his jurisdiction is outside the city, covering the remainder of the province. While neither as cerebral nor as innovative as Sherlock Holmes, the Great Detective is reminiscent of him because of the similar societal setting and the limited technology. That means Cameron relies on deduction rather than force or advanced techniques and therefore, this is a family-friendly show. It has little violence and the Victorian setting ensures little or no foul language and no explicit scenes or innuendo. Based on the memoirs of the first real-life detective in Ontario, Cameron does not investigate run-of-the-mill murders, etc. Rather, he only is called upon in special cases, with his authority coming directly from the Prime Minister. He is assisted in most episodes by his friend and colleague, Dr. Chisholm, a forensic pathologist who is called upon to autopsy many of the victims. His work often provides the evidence that enables Cameron to solve the mystery and make an arrest. While their relationship is much like that of Holmes and Dr. Watson, unlike that pair, the friendship between the two here provides some comic relief. There are other regular characters which appear in certain episodes, such as the Inspector's housekeeper Mrs. Lutz. In the early episodes he occasionally is assisted by Constable Dodge, who makes his final appearance when he takes a position in a country village. The Inspector's young adolescent niece, Prudence, figures in a few episodes also, until sent to boarding school. His assistant for many of the cases is Sergeant Striker, who plays a much larger role than any of these other minor characters, appearing in a number of episodes. While his acting is not the best, there is something very likeable about the Sergeant.
The series was moderately popular and ran for several years; people who like the more recent "Murdoch Mysteries," another offering from the CBC, generally will enjoy this series as well. The audio/visual quality isn't the best since these were taken from vhs tapes recorded in the mid 1980s. While I'm sorry for any annoyance this may cause, I don't believe the series is available elsewhere in a better form. I'll be posting around 15 of the 35 episodes; for more information and different episodes, see my playlist or the playlist on steffsstuff's channel.

[@girishsavant2302]

This has more twists and turns than a rollercoaster.

[@mfjdv2020]

@InternetPilgrim Thank you for sharing. This is a new one on me so I have to get into it, but very enjoyable. I love the courtroom scenes! By the way, though, you're wrong about there being no comic interludes between Holmes and Watson. There are loads of them in the Canon and occasionally in the TV series with Jeremy Brett as Holmes. The books are actually very light-hearted and humorous.

[@13699111]

Thank you for posting this series.

[@EuSeiT]

My favorite by far. What a well-thought plot!

[@ranjanivaradpande2821]

yes cracking the knuckles is very revolting and can identify a person in mystery stories !
we were told as children that it is inauspicious specially in the evenings ! may be to teach manners ?!!

[@glutinousmaximus]

+ranjani varadpande
...Or to fart in mixed company...

[@melanieohara6941]

So glad I found this Golden Oldie. Watching from Wyoming-Thank You!🙋🏼‍♀️

[@shirleyrandle3138]

thank you,enjoyable episode, looking for second episode

[@patriciallamas2050]

Thanks for the upload!!! 🤗

[@cindyhammond7320]

I've been looking for this series! A&E carried it when their channel first started and I really enjoyed it so it's fun to see it again.

[@writeract2]

what an incredible series.

[@AstralPixie]

Very good mystery.
Thanks.

[@TheAskesis1]

Thanks for posting

[@yvetteabild6132]

V Blondin I

[@hartgerald4117]

Diana riggs. shes very good in this show as well as mrs peel in the spy show the avengers. in the day she was an still is that girl.

[@user-hu7io5th8w]

Hart Gerald i

[@arneldobumatay3702]

They didn't waste anytime in those days. One week found guilty, the next week swinging from the gallows.

[@susanarossini9326]

Enjoyed the upload . The faulty subtitles made me cringe !!! Is the “subtitler “ deaf ?

[@gailhowes9398]

Enjoyed this very much but cringed every time that murderer cracked his knuckles !

[@mfjdv2020]

Me too! A disgusting habit. I wonder why people do it?

[@weigh2playa825]

@@mfjdv2020 because it relieves stiffness.

[@danielstanwyck2812]

The cracking of the knuckles are ridiculous. If I ever heard anyone cracking their knuckles that way, I'd be worried for their health. Otherwise, a good enough archaic piece of murder from the 1970's

[@mfjdv2020]

Some of the very best programmes were made in the 1970s, laddie. However, judging by the date at the end, this one seems to have been made in 1981. But you're right about the knuckle cracking. It's horrible.

[@jwoldner3926]

Boring lifeless actors bad script. They should allbe put in prison for fraud

[@brendamiller8140]

⭐️👍👍💜💙💚🤗🥰