"Jonathan Creek" The Problem at Gallows Gate: Part 1 (TV Episode 1998) Poster

(TV Series)

(1998)

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9/10
Even for Jonathan Creek this one's a mind bender.
Sleepin_Dragon25 April 2020
Whilst out badger watching with Jonathan and Maddy, Adam Klaus's sister Kitty witnesses a man strangle a woman, the trouble is the man she saw doing it had recently committed suicide.

It's a great first half, the story is very clever, it's also outrageously funny. Being a two parter there really is plenty of time for the characters to develop, and that they do. It has so many layers, there's a lot going on, but it's a cohesive, well crafted mystery.

Hewie Harper is a great character, so outrageous, but even he is outdone by Adam's sister Kitty, who is an absolute joy to watch. Amanda Holden is pretty good.

Huge credit to Alan Davies, a talented actor, one who always understands the art of subtlety.

Excellent 9/10.
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9/10
One of the better stories in the series
grantss18 April 2023
(Review is of both parts).

Jonathan and some fellow nature-lovers are on a badger watch late at night. With them is Adam's sister Kitty. Later that night she is convinced she saw a man strangling a woman, a claim borne out by the woman being found dead. One problem though: the man she saw strangling her committed suicide three weeks previously.

One of the better Jonathan Creek episodes. The average episode is okay and reasonably intriguing but isn't overly engaging, feels a bit gimmicky and has a few plot holes and contrivances. This one is quite Agatha Christie-esque in its build-up and crime. Add in the wonderfully funny character of Hewie Harper and it's very entertaining.

There are a few contrivances towards the end but overall it's wonderfully entertaining.
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8/10
Blind leading the blind
ygwerin122 December 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Ex army officer Duncan Proctor and girlfriend Felicity Vale attend a function at a country house Gallows Gate, later Proctor finds his girlfriend in bed with an old army buddy Neville Bruce. When Proctor attempts to remonstrate with them Felicity Vale expects him, to simply get over it and move on. Proctor goes out onto the balcony and jumps, an army friend views it from the balcony and another from the ground floor.

Felicity Vale visited her new love Neville Bruce only to find him in a new relationship with Kiko, who blithely told her that she should be pleased for him to know that he was happy.

Adam Klaus sister Kitty Burgess contacted him to say she, was coming to visit and would need to stay with him for a while.

Adam Klaus is working with Hewi Harper a blind jazz great that he introduces, to Johnathan Maddy and Kitty.

Adam wants to keep Kitty out of his way, so she joins Johnathan and Maddy on a night time badger watch.

But when Kitty has to stretch her legs she strolled around the area to a local cottage, where she spies what appears to be a murder through a window.

When the police ask Kitty for a description of the murderer she is shown a photograph, and asked if any of the people looked familiar, and Kitty promptly picked out Duncan Proctor.
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10/10
Probably my favourite episode of the series
boxyfella4 January 2022
This one's an absolute delight, and mind-bendingly puzzling. There's so much humour, and Adam's sister Kitty is the source of much of it. The fact that the story was spread over two episodes helps enormously, as the characters are given plenty of scope to develop.
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4/10
An early low point in the series.
Aroura6413 March 2022
When Johnathan Creek first came onto our screens, it was a breath of fresh air. It gave a humerous and unique twist to the usual detective show format. Alan Davies was excellent as the eponymous hero.

The earlier episodes of the show were very well written, and extremely funny, until this two part mystery. The episode begins badly, with a group of very unlikable characters, who in all honesty you end up not caring what happens to them. This seems to be a theme running through the entire episode, I didn't bother with the second part.

I can only conclude that the writer must have been having a bad day, when he wrote these episodes. The series does improve, with the episode The Black canary, which is a must see.
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