.:: CRIBB ::.

Order from Choices Direct:
Volume 1 VIDEO, DVD
Volume 2 VIDEO, DVD
Volume 3 VIDEO, DVD
Boxed Set VIDEO, DVD
Cribb was written by the award-winning writer Peter Lovesey, whose mysteries and short stories have won him worldwide acclaim. Alan Dobie plays Cribb, the Victorian Detective Sergeant, and William Simons his sidekick, Constable Thackerey. The detective is renowned for his wry sense of humour and is the backbone of Scotland Yard's newly formed Criminal Investigation Department. The TV series followed on from the success of Waxwork, a play produced by Granada and broadcast in 1979, in which the offbeat sergeant was introduced to the viewing public.
Cribb pursued his villains by boat, Hansom cab and on foot, and was the epitome of a policeman of the past, relying on old fashioned detective work rather than the array of techniques and apparatus available to a modern police force. Acorn Media will be releasing the first volume, containing the first five episodes of the series, on the 14th June, and the others will follow. The DVD contains extras in the form of biographies, production notes, and a picture gallery. The two seasons will be available as a boxed set, both on DVD and video.

--oO CAST Oo--
Alan Dobie ……… Sergeant Cribb
William Simons ……… Constable Thackery
Thorley Walters ……… Inspector Jowett
--oO PRODUCTION DETAILS Oo--
Created by Peter Lovesey from his own novels
Music by Derek Hilton
Costume by Anne Barfield
Produced by June Wyndham-Davies
It took me a while to get into the series itself, with the characters almost appearing a bit over the top to begin with, but once used to the detecting style of Sergeant Cribb, it is very difficult to put the disc down and do something else, and I found myself running through entire volume in one sitting! Whilst the stories seem to be, on the surface, standard detective fare, I was pleasantly surprised when they often turned out differently to what I expected. There have been a few rumblings in the forums that it is disastrous that the original play, Waxwork, hasn't been included in this set, but the DVDs were my first introduction to Cribb and I did not find the play to be necessary to watch the series. That said though, it would be nice if the play could be released at a later date (hopefully on the success of the sales of series) so that I can finally watch it and see what all the fuss is about!
The DVDs are produced to the standards we have come to expect of Acorn, and I had no problems with any of them playing in the various DVD players I have, and the extras are interesting and as much as can be expected for an archive TV programme.

Title TX Date Notes

Waxwork 19.08.79 Cribb has to deduce whether a woman's confession of murder is true. 90 minute play.

Swing, Swing, Together 13.04.80 Three female students witness a body being dumped into the river while out for a midnight swim. Cribb and Thackeray investigate and then find themselves re-enacting scenes from Three Men In A Boat

Abracadaver 20.04.80 The music hall circuit is suffering because performers are meeting with nasty accidents at an alarming rate. Cribb and his Constable visit the music hall and witness Albert the Strongman becoming the latest victim, then investigate sinister theatrical digs.

The Detective Wore Silk Drawers 27.04.80 Bare-knuckle fighting is illegal - but the hands on a headless body recovered from the Thames bear the mark of such a fighter. Cribb's efforts to identify the body take him into the seedy world of bare-knuckle fighters.

The Horizontal Witness 04.05.80 The body of the 'King' of London's underground is found in one of his brothels. Cribb discovers a link with a London Hospital and as Thackeray has problems 'of a personal nature' admits him to Charing Cross Hospital for an operation while observing a key criminal.

Wobble To Death 11.05.80 A 'wobble' is another name for a long distance walking race and the two able detectives are called upon to solve the murder of one of the contestants in the World Pedestrian Championship.

Something Old, Something New 18.05.80 Thackeray is best man at the wedding of a family friend. The bride, Daphne, is 37 years younger than her intended. Cribb is suspicious because the bride is wearing a second hand wedding dress and her previous elderly husbands seem to have died rather suddenly.

A Case Of Spirits 25.05.80 A routine investigation of the theft of a valuable painting and a Royal Worcester vase turns into a murder investigation as Cribb and Thackeray enter the world of spiritualism and séances.

Mad Hatter's Holiday 29.03.81 Cribb and Thackeray go to Brighton to solve a gruesome seaside murder. While piecing together the evidence they meet Albert Moscrop, whose passion for telescopes and magnifying lenses helps them to solve the case.

The Last Trumpet 05.04.81 Jumbo, the largest and most celebrated elephant at London's Regent's Park Zoo is to be sold to Barnum and Bailey's American circus. There are, however, those who don't wish Jumbo to go - and will stop at nothing to keep him in London.

The Hand That Rocks The Cradle 19.04.81 Nurse Grant, nursemaid to Princess Beatrice's son Alexander, is dismissed. A pram she was in charge of narrowly missed careering into Queen Victoria so Detective Sergeant Cribb is called in to investigate. He discovers the pram has been tampered with - the work of anarchists?

The Choir That Wouldn't Sing 26.04.81 Sergeant Cribb and Constable Thackeray pay a visit to the Gloucestershire countryside to investigate a carolling Colonel's alleged suicide. Further investigations reveal that the Colonel made a second will - which was never signed…

Murder Old Boy 03.05.81 Peterhsm School hosts a special old-boys reunion for selected and distinguished former pupils. The reunion is organised but the schools ex-captain. But suddenly the old school tie finds another use and murder is on the syllabus for Cribb and Thackeray.

Invitation To A Dynamite Party 10.05.81 A desperate gang conspire to blow up a British battleship and London is best by 'Dynamiters' (terrorists). The only way Cribb can thwart their efforts is to become one of their numbers.

Title	TX Date	Notes
Waxwork	19.08.79	Cribb has to deduce whether a woman's confession of murder is true. 90 minute play.
Swing, Swing, Together	13.04.80	Three female students witness a body being dumped into the river while out for a midnight swim. Cribb and Thackeray investigate and then find themselves re-enacting scenes from Three Men In A Boat
Abracadaver	20.04.80	The music hall circuit is suffering because performers are meeting with nasty accidents at an alarming rate. Cribb and his Constable visit the music hall and witness Albert the Strongman becoming the latest victim, then investigate sinister theatrical digs.
The Detective Wore Silk Drawers	27.04.80	Bare-knuckle fighting is illegal - but the hands on a headless body recovered from the Thames bear the mark of such a fighter. Cribb's efforts to identify the body take him into the seedy world of bare-knuckle fighters.
The Horizontal Witness	04.05.80	The body of the 'King' of London's underground is found in one of his brothels. Cribb discovers a link with a London Hospital and as Thackeray has problems 'of a personal nature' admits him to Charing Cross Hospital for an operation while observing a key criminal.
Wobble To Death	11.05.80	A 'wobble' is another name for a long distance walking race and the two able detectives are called upon to solve the murder of one of the contestants in the World Pedestrian Championship.
Something Old, Something New	18.05.80	Thackeray is best man at the wedding of a family friend. The bride, Daphne, is 37 years younger than her intended. Cribb is suspicious because the bride is wearing a second hand wedding dress and her previous elderly husbands seem to have died rather suddenly.
A Case Of Spirits	25.05.80	A routine investigation of the theft of a valuable painting and a Royal Worcester vase turns into a murder investigation as Cribb and Thackeray enter the world of spiritualism and séances.
Mad Hatter's Holiday	29.03.81	Cribb and Thackeray go to Brighton to solve a gruesome seaside murder. While piecing together the evidence they meet Albert Moscrop, whose passion for telescopes and magnifying lenses helps them to solve the case.
The Last Trumpet	05.04.81	Jumbo, the largest and most celebrated elephant at London's Regent's Park Zoo is to be sold to Barnum and Bailey's American circus. There are, however, those who don't wish Jumbo to go - and will stop at nothing to keep him in London.
The Hand That Rocks The Cradle	19.04.81	Nurse Grant, nursemaid to Princess Beatrice's son Alexander, is dismissed. A pram she was in charge of narrowly missed careering into Queen Victoria so Detective Sergeant Cribb is called in to investigate. He discovers the pram has been tampered with - the work of anarchists?
The Choir That Wouldn't Sing	26.04.81	Sergeant Cribb and Constable Thackeray pay a visit to the Gloucestershire countryside to investigate a carolling Colonel's alleged suicide. Further investigations reveal that the Colonel made a second will - which was never signed…
Murder Old Boy	03.05.81	Peterhsm School hosts a special old-boys reunion for selected and distinguished former pupils. The reunion is organised but the schools ex-captain. But suddenly the old school tie finds another use and murder is on the syllabus for Cribb and Thackeray.
Invitation To A Dynamite Party	10.05.81	A desperate gang conspire to blow up a British battleship and London is best by 'Dynamiters' (terrorists). The only way Cribb can thwart their efforts is to become one of their numbers.