A Guilty Thing Surprised
1988: Adapted by Clive Exton from the Ruth Rendell novel.
Quentin Nightingale - the owner of Myfleet Manor - and his beautiful wife Elizabeth, appeared to be a golden couple with many friends and few enemies. But when Elizabeth is murdered, Wexford and Burden uncover dark family secrets and discover that the key to solving the crime is held within the life of a great poet… Continue reading →
Background: The title is taken from a line in Wordsworth's Ode to Immorality: "High instincts, before which our mortal nature, Did tremble like a guilty thing surprised…"
Audio Clip: “Oh, Inspector Burden…”
Audio Clip: “Oh, Inspector Burden…”
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Cast and Crew
- DCI Wexford
- GEORGE BAKER
- DI Burden
- CHRISTOPHER RAVENSCROFT
- Quentin Nightingale
- MICHAEL JAYSTON
- Elizabeth Nightingale
- CATHERINE NEILSON
- Denys Villiers
- NIGEL TERRY
- Georgina Villiers
- KAREN MEAGHER
- Katje Doorn
- ELLIS VAN MAARSEVEEN
- Sean Lovell
- PADRIAG O’LOINGSIGH
- Lionel Marriot
- DAVID SWIFT
- Mrs Cantrip
- SANDRA VOE
- Mrs Lovell
- KATE DAVID
- Dr Len Crocker
- JOHN BURGESS
- Dora Wexford
- LOUIE RAMSAY
- Jean Burden
- ANN PENFOLD
- John Burden
- NOAH HUNTLEY
- Pat Burden
- EMMA SMITH
- DS Martin
- KEN KITSON
- Alf Tawney
- JOHN TAMS
- DC Bryant
- JONATHAN MAGNANTI
- Hypatia Hancock
- CHRISTINA GREATREX
- Production Manager
- CLIVE HEDGES
- Ist Assistant Director
- JON OLDER
- 2nd Assistant Director
- STEPHANIE SULLIVAN
- Location Manager
- JUDY HUNT
- Production Assistant
- NICKY COONEY
- Stage Manager
- TIGGI TRETHOWAN
- Production Secretary
- JILL PARTINGTON
- Music composed by
- BRIAN BENNETT
- Script Executive
- CORRINE CARTIER
- Casting Director
- DOREEN JONES
- Costume Designer
- RITA ANGELL
- Make Up
- MARIAN DURNFORD
- Graphic Designer
- FREDDIE TRICCAS
- Designer
- BRIAN ASHBROOKE-MOTTE
- Production Buyer
- RAY WARWICK
- Vision Engineer
- PETER MILLS
- Sound Recordist
- PETER PARDO
- Dubbing Mixer
- TONY CUNNINGHAM
- Videotape Editor
- CHRISTOPHER WENTZELL
- Electrician
- REG TANNER
- Camera Grip
- ALAN IMESON
- Cameraman
- MIKE HUTTON
- Lighting Director
- BRIAN TURNER
- Executive Producer
- GRAHAM BENSON
- Producer
- NEIL ZEIGER
- Directed by
- MARY McMURRAY
- A Television South Production
Principle Characters
A Guilty Thing Surprised
Elizabeth Nightingale (Catherine Neilson) - mistress of Myfleet Manor - is a beautiful woman, married to a wealthy man. When she is murdered one night in nearby woods, Wexford finds it curious that she appears to have been liked by everyone except her brother, Denys Villiers (Nigel Terry): a sullen writer and teacher whose only interest seems to be a passion for Wordsworth.
Denys is married to the charmless Georgina (Karen Meagher) who tells the police that Elizabeth had no real friends and that her husband couldn’t stand his sister.
Wexford suspects that Mrs Nightingale went out into the woods that night to meet a lover. Her husband, Quentin Nightingale (Michael Jayston) - who cannot supply a credible alibi - appears to be the main suspect.
At Myfleet Manor, Wexford and Burden also question Sean Lovell (Padraig O’Loingsigh), a dreamy young gardener who had a crush on Elizabeth and Katje Doorn (Ellis Van Maarseveen), a young Dutch au pair who is very taken with Inspector Burden.
Background notes | Cast & crew »
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