Jonathan Creek: Christmas Specials (2008)

There are more specials than what’s included on this release but they weren't made until after 2008, so you'll need to buy them separately if you want them or wait until Auntie groups them all together for a re-release, but who knows if that's on the cards any time soon?

What you do get are two feature-length specials. The first is Black Canary (1998), which takes place sometime between Series 2 and Series 3. The second is Satan's Chimney (2001), which takes place sometime between Series 3 and Series 4.

There are two new characters introduced; one in each of the two episodes.

Firstly, there's Gideon Pryke (Rik Mayall) in Black Canary. Gideon is Jonathan's equal in some ways. He didn't become a regular, but he does make a subsequent appearance in the show, and if things had worked out differently he could've been a great addition. He's woven into a story that involves someone from Jonathan’s past reappearing, and, of course, needing a murder mystery solved.

The second new face is Carla Borrego (Julia Sawalha). Carla gets her introduction in the Satan's Chimney episode. Unlike Gideon, she would become a regular, replacing Caroline Quentin’s Maddie Magellan in Series 4. There's always been an element of the macabre lingering in the background of the show, but this episode turns it up a notch higher.

Both episodes are unequivocally suited to the JC format but have two different approaches: one has the usual 'inside a locked room' scenario, while the other is outside in the open, which doesn't make the deductions any easier.

2 episodes, approx 90 + 120 minutes, respectively.

4 murky waters out of 5