'Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries' to Come to PBS Passport
American fans of The Honourable Phryne Fisher first met her via PBS in the mid-2010s when PBS picked up the quirky Australian 1920s-era mystery Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries, based on author Kerry Greenwood's historical mystery novels. However, the series didn't really hit the mainstream until the show hit Netflix via PBS, which at the time did not have its own platform. After three seasons, Australia canceled the popular series, and Acorn TV grabbed exclusive rights, paywalling the show away for most. But in 2024, the show will return to PBS and, along with it, stream on PBS Passport for the first time.
Starring Essie Davis as the titular Miss Fisher, private detective, and Ashleigh Cummings as Dot Williams, her companion, and assistant in crime-solving, Phryne Fisher is a woman ahead of her time in the 1920s Melbourne, pushing the boundaries of what's acceptable for a single woman to do and not caring what anyone else thinks. Following in Phryne and Dot's wake are the local policemen, DI Jack Robinson (Nathan Page) and his assistant Constable Hugh Collins (Hugo Johnstone-Burt), both falling for their respective counterparts as they try to keep up.
The original series ran 34 installments, two 13-episode seasons, and a final eight-episode coda. (There was also a big-screen movie, Miss Fisher & The Crypt of Tears, but that's not coming to PBS, at least not yet.) PBS will debut there three seasons in a row, starting with Season 1 in April, with Season 2 following in May, and then Season 3 in June 2024.
