They may have been a biased audience, but Marlow locals had only good things to say following an early look at a murder-mystery TV series filmed and based in their hometown.
Ahead of the release of The Marlow Murder Club TV series, airing on the Drama channel on March 6 and March 7 at 8pm, author and screenwriter Robert Thorogood hosted a private screening for locals in the town, in thanks for their hospitality when film crews descended upon Marlow last summer.
The series is based on The Marlow Murder Club novel published by Thorogood in 2021 and follows retiree Judith Potts as she recruits two new friends, Becks the vicar’s wife and dogwalker Suzie to help solve the mysterious death of her neighbour across the Thames.
Mayor David Brown, who moved to Marlow when he was 17-years-old, said he thought the adaptation – also written for the screen by Death in Paradise creator Thorogood – was “fantastic” and would help to boost the town’s profile in the UK and beyond.
“When you watch it, it feels like you’re there. It’s amazing if you live here, because you recognise so many different parts of the town, but it’s also great that the rest of the country is going to see this, who don’t know Marlow at all.
“Robert said the series was a love letter to the town, and I think he has definitely succeeded in making it so.”
Local rowers were featured in a sequence filmed at last year’s Marlow Regatta, and Ruth Naylor, captain of the Marlow Rowing Club, said she had been excited to see her blazer feature in a scene from the local event.
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Meanwhile, Alina Komar, who moved to Marlow from Ukraine two years ago and lived with Thorogood and his family for around six months, said she had enjoyed spotting familiar parts of the town on the big screen.
Helen Bull, the wife of real-life vicar of Marlow, Reverend Dave Bull, added that she thought the series was “brilliant” and was a fan of her fictional counterpart Becks, who – though apparently not inspired by her – was a suitably “strong and independent lady”.
Crews also captured external shots of the vicarage while filming last summer, and Helen said it had been nice, and surreal, to see her home reproduced on the TV screen.
For his part, Thorogood himself said the local screening had been a “wonderful” community gathering, with rewarding “ripples of recognition” spreading through the crowd at each familiar landmark and wink to the camera.
“I’ve seen (the series) quite a few times now but watching it with this crowd was delightful. I know that it’ll never get such a fun reaction again.”
The Marlow Murder Club will air in two parts on the Drama channel and UKTV on March 6 and March 7 at 8pm.
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