There’s something about Phryne

– Fiona Berkholz
THE debut of the Miss Fisher Murder Mysteries (ABC 1, Friday 8.30pm) is something I have long awaited. I have been reading about Phryne (pronounced Frynee) Fisher since the first book was published, and am a devoted fan of author Kerry Greenwood’s works.
Phryne (played by Essie Davis) combines all the elegance, style and glamour that has come to be associated with the Roaring Twenties. Her costumes are immaculate, her grooming above reproach and her perfectly bobbed black hair is a triumph.
Set in St Kilda, Melbourne, Phryne’s world is populated with interesting and eminently likeable characters – from her companion, Dot, played with demure charm by Ashleigh Cummings to her staff of the redoubtable Mr Butler, arbiter of exotic cocktails and former SAS trooper and his culinary artiste wife.
Phryne roars through a life of glamour and adventure that hints at the seamier side of life without delving in so far as to destroy the romance of her adventures.
Shockingly driving herself in a Hispano-Suiza, she rescues damsels in distress and dashing young men (many of whom are beautiful enough to temporarily pique her interest), while dealing swiftly and charmingly with thorough villains.
Phryne is an entirely modern woman who has no interest in domestic life, abhors the idea of marriage and children, and adores the unpredictable.
A seductress in the true sense of the word, her elan, style and panache are unmistakable and despite her lowly beginnings in life, she shows class and sophistication in all she does – whether shooting at a gangster or rescuing young girls from a brothel.
I cannot recommend this series highly enough to anyone who appreciates a good period drama – the costumes are wonderful, the setting realistic and the sense of an era where returned soldiers and factory girls want to forget about the war years is captured perfectly.
This is good television at its best. The stories are light, entertaining and downright fun, and I can’t wait for the next episodes.