Mon 2 Jan 2023
A TV Episode Review: ZODIAC “The Cool Aquarian†(1974).
Posted by Steve under Reviews , TV mysteries[4] Comments
ZODIAC. “The Cool Aquarian.†Thames Television, UK, 04 March 1974. Anouska Hempel (Esther Jones), Anton Rodgers (David Gradley). Guest Cast: Michael Gambon, Trevor Baxter. Directed by Don Leaver. Currently available on YouTube here.
The gimmick in this 1970s British mystery TV series, if one be needed, and there always is, is the teaming up of a stolid police inspector with a young lady astrologer, who is also quite pretty. The idea is that she is to use the horoscopes of the possible suspects to gauge their involvement, while he goes by traditional police work.
The fellow who’s posted this one on YouTube has included five of the six episodes that comprise the entire series, but for some unknown reason the first one, which introduced the characters and the whole setup, is not one of them.
In this, the second of the series, they’re already well settled in their roles, which a little surprisingly does not include a lot of conflict between them. The case consists of locating an elderly couple’s niece, a young woman who lives with them but who has gone missing. She is a secretary to a high-powered businessman, the kind of fellow who thinks (for example) of burning one of two extremely rare postage stamps he owns so that the remaining one is all that much more valuable. (See the second photo down.)
It’s mostly a routine affair, one which plays out in a light almost-but-not-quite comedic fashion. In the latter vein, however, is the byplay between Grad (the inspector) and Esther’s new temporary butler Neville (Trevor Baxter) whose nose for what makes people tick comes in very useful. It’s too bad this was his only appearance in the show. (See the photo to the right.)
The chemistry between the two stars is fine. More than fine. Based on this very small sample of size one, it’s a shame there were only the six episodes.
January 2nd, 2023 at 8:08 pm
Tony Baer has just sent me a YouTube link to Episode #1. Huzzah. Thanks, Tony!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfQkgrIQmM8
I know what I’ll be watching tonight.
January 2nd, 2023 at 9:16 pm
I’ve seen and enjoyed this one. Rodgers was a familiar face in British films and television and headlined a few series including a May/December romance that ran a few seasons.
January 2nd, 2023 at 9:29 pm
The one long review I’ve since read of the series emphasized the witty banter between the two leads, but in this particular episode, yes it was there, but subdued. (Some of the production people also worked on THE AVENGERS.) Anouska Hempel was good, but she just didn’t have the saucy edge to her that Diana Rigg had.
But having found this show and enjoyed it, it will be no hardship at all to each all six.
January 4th, 2023 at 12:00 am
Some thoughts on Episode One, “Death of a Crab.” A dead man in found dead in the bathtub of the apartment of one of Esther’s clients. Since the dead man is Esther’s ex-husband, she quickly become Grad’s chief suspects. Jokingly, but perhaps more seriously than he lets on?
There is a lot more talk about things astrological in this one than there was in Episode Two. Esther makes up charts, for example, for both the victim and possible killer.
The primary guest star was John Rhys-Davis. I didn’t recognize until I saw the closing credits.
Quite enjoyable!