The Ruth Rendell Mysteries
Crime drama based on Ruth Rendell's stories.
The Ruth Rendell Mysteries is a British television crime drama series that aired on ITV from 1987 to 2000. Produced by TVS and later Meridian Broadcasting in association with Blue Heaven Productions, the series initially focused on Chief Inspector Reg Wexford before expanding to other stories by author Ruth Rendell.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Crime drama
- Mystery
- Anthology
- Creator
- Ruth Rendell
- Starring
- George Baker
- Louie Ramsay
- Christopher Ravenscroft
- Ken Kitson
- Diane Keen
- John Burgess
- Composer
- Brian Bennett
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Language
- English
- Series
- 12
- Episodes
- 84
Facts from the source article.
Plot
Each episode follows Chief Inspector Reg Wexford and his team investigating complex cases in the fictional town of Kingsmarkham. The stories explore the psychology of crime, with themes of murder, revenge, jealousy, and betrayal. Wexford faces personal challenges, including his relationship with his wife Dora, while remaining dedicated to solving each case.
Media releases
The first six series were released on VHS on 21 January 2000 via IMC Vision. Shortly after, The Walt Disney Company purchased Television South's back-catalogue during their acquisition of Fox Family Worldwide in 2001, preventing further commercial releases of TVS-produced episodes. The remaining six series, produced by Meridian Broadcasting, were released on DVD on 9 April 2007 as The Best Of Ruth Rendell Mysteries via Network, omitting four episodes: "Heartstones", "The Strawberry Tree", "Thornapple", and "Talking to Strange Men". These four episodes have never been commercially released. A US DVD release followed on 24 June 2008. Series seven through twelve have been repeated on ITV3 and ITV Encore, but the same four omitted episodes were not broadcast. German company PIDAX has released some TVS-era episodes on DVD under the title Inspektor Wexford Ermittelt, including episodes from series one through six; as of March 2026, five such DVDs have been released, with only "The Speaker of Mandarin" from series six not included.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who stars in The Ruth Rendell Mysteries?
The Ruth Rendell Mysteries stars George Baker, Louie Ramsay, Christopher Ravenscroft, Ken Kitson, Diane Keen and John Burgess.
How many episodes of The Ruth Rendell Mysteries are there?
The Ruth Rendell Mysteries has 84 episodes across 12 seasons.
When did The Ruth Rendell Mysteries first air?
The Ruth Rendell Mysteries first aired on 2 August 1987.
When did The Ruth Rendell Mysteries end?
The Ruth Rendell Mysteries last aired on 11 October 2000.
More in Television Shows Produced by Meridian Broadcasting
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