BBC Mystery got off to a great start in 1978 with this first Mystery!, She Fell Among Thieves.
The story takes place in 1920s France. A gentleman named Richard Chandos (Malcolm McDowell, looking very young and cute),finds a body while he's on vacation. He's told by the police that this man was connected somehow to a notorious crime boss that goes by the name of Vanity Fair. And she must be a pretty persuasive person from all they've learned.
Eileen Atkins is the evil, cruel Vanity Fair and she is an absolute scream. She plays it for comedy -- so bad she's funny -- with more makeup than you've ever seen on a person. Her stepdaughter has to marry before she becomes of age so that VF gets her husband's fortune and gets to stay in the incredible Château Jezreel. Her stepdaughter gives her a lot of trouble, and VF is forced to replace her with a tart, another one with more makeup than you've ever seen, to pose as her stepdaughter and get married. Chandos arrives at the château to investigate.
The scenery is spectacular, as are the costumes, and the script moves like lightning. There are some very funny scenes. It was really impossible to take any of it seriously, but it made for delightful watching.