Name: The Murder Game
Genre: Mystery, Reality, Crime
Released: 2003-03-29
Rating: 2.5

Overview

The Murder Game was a British reality television series that aired on BBC One from March through May 2003. The show was based on the American FOX television show Murder in Small Town X. Though classified as a reality television series, it was more accurately a hybrid of reality TV, game show, and mystery drama. The series was narrated by Rupert Smith. Although there was no host in the traditional sense the Chief, Bob Taylor, acted as a sort of host for the show.

Seasons

Season 1

9 Episodes

2003

E01

Episode 1

3/29/2003·60m

In this episode, the investigators were under training. No lines of inquiry were given.

E02

Episode 2

4/5/2003·60m

Mel, Richard, Mervin, Sarita, Meryl, Sam, Christine, Ruairi, Nick and Andrew - will play the Murder Game to the bitter end, with a shared objective - catching the killer. But they have a single ambition too - bagging the £25,000 cash prize which can only be given to the last survivor! Guided by the worldly-wise Detective Chief Inspector Bob Taylor, aka The Chief, the game begins. Catherine Prior has been murdered and it is up to the special investigators to solve the crime. Richard becomes Lead Investigator, therefore deciding who is in what team. Later while the investigator's enjoy dinner, a wreath attached with 9 mugshot photos is smashed through the downstairs window. The message says â€˜I am one of the nine' and it is clearly from the killer - they are challenging the investigators to discover which of the nine people in the photos is the blood spiller. The suspects are: Dean - Jay's best friend; Frank - Catherine's father; Goldie - Catherine's sister; Jay - Goldie's fiancee; Jennif

E03

Episode 3

4/12/2003·60m

The first task this week is the appointment of a new Lead Investigator chosen by Christine, who was killed by the murderer in last week's Killer's Game. She chooses Nick, telling the group he is ""methodical and puts thought into all he does"". Detective Chief Superintendent Bob Taylor reminds the Investigators of the clue left for Sarita by the killer - a key to a caravan in Mill Fields park where Catherine Prior lived before she was murdered. Dean Garretty is now missing, but they are told that a car has been abandoned that fits the description of the car that dumped the video camera. At the caravan site, Team 1 discover that the key does not fit the lock, but then Catherine's father, Frank Prior, Catherine's daughter Anya and her babysitter Vanessa March turn up. Frank tells them that he has changed the locks and lets Anya in to pick up some toys. When they leave, Team 1 search the area for an hour, and eventually come up with what may be a vital piece of evidence - an envelope that r

E04

Episode 4

4/19/2003·60m

Sarita, who was killed by the murderer in last week's Killer's Game, chooses Mervin as the lead investigator because ""he thinks logically and he will do well"". With only three women left - Sam, Meryl and Mel - the girls think there is a male conspiracy against them. The killer left a clue for Andrew in the Killer's Game - a pillbox. The investigators are also given the information that builder Trevor Dobie is the father of Catherine's daughter Anya. Mervin forms the teams. Team 1 will be Richard and Meryl. They will interview Trevor and find out if he knows he is the father. He will be at Jennifer Wilmington's antique shop so the investigators will also quiz her about the antique pill box. Team 2 - Nick, Ruiri and Andrew - will interview Jay Wilmington again about the break in to his boat. Team 3 - Sam and Mel - will visit the reclusive George Hawick, find out what he knows about Catherine and why he was trying to call her. First out are Team 2. They head to Jay's houseboat but find th

E05

Episode 5

4/26/2003·60m

Tensions have become strained between the girls and the boys. Last week Mervin chose Sam to play the killer's game, and Sam did not come back. In Sam's last address to the group she states that she thinks Mervin picking her was personal and she's not amused. She says she wants Mel to be the Lead Investigator as ""she really has her teeth in this case and deserves to be in the house longer"". An argument is about to break out when Mel tells the group that Mervin ""made the wrong decision"" picking Samantha and Ruairi reacts saying Mervin can pick who he likes. Chief Bob diverts the petty bickering to the job at hand. The killer clue from last week was a blank certificate. Who does this belong to? How does this link to Catherine? It's been confirmed by forensics that Catherine was killed by navigational dividers which points to Jay. The blood stained coat that was discovered last week is discussed. Richard says their theory is it could belong to Tina as inside the pocket was her wedding invi

E06

Episode 6

5/3/2003·60m

Mervin selects Ruairi to be the next Lead Investigator in his will, as he thinks he will ""blossom in the role"". Richard sees this as a personal attack to get rid of him. The killer clue that Andrew returned is the necklace that Goldie was looking for that Catherine was wearing when she was murdered. Richard says that he has seen something similar, in the portrait of Alice, Felicity's mother in the Wilmington household. The other vital information is the dead baby that Mervin and Andrew found. An autopsy says the infant was full term but newborn. Andrew thinks the baby is Felicity's. Meryl reckons the dark secret must be figured out, and thinks Catherine is a decendant of the Wilmingtons. Team 1 are to interview the Wilmingtons and find out what they know about the baby. Team 2 are to confront Trevor Dobie, as information that ""Anya's father"" was threatening Catherine. Ruairi puts Meryl, Richard and Mel in Team 1, and Andrew and Nick are in Team 2. Team 1 set off to interview the Wilmin

E07

Episode 7

5/10/2003·60m

Meryl chooses Nick in her last will and testament, making it Nick's second time as the Lead Investigator. At Chief Bob's briefing, he announces that there has been a leak to the local paper and they have run an article saying the Investigators have the peacock necklace. Bob wants to know who leaked this story as the only people who could know are the Investigators and the killer? Nick is told to follow this leak up. This week's Killer's clue is four passport photos of Anya. Ruairi says perhaps the clue points to Catherine having a plan to take Anya abroad, and Anya's dad might not have liked this? They already know that Catherine feared Anya's father, but which one? Catherine always said the father was Jay, but Trevor's the real biological dad. The first line of enquiry must be to interview Jay Wilmington and ask why people think he's Anya's dad and if he has been threatening Catherine, and this will be investigated by Team 1, Mel and Ruairi. Nick chooses Andrew and Richard for Team 2

E08

Episode 8

5/10/2003·60m

Richard comes back from last week's killer game so group tensions are high. Ruairi chooses Andrew to be the next Lead Investigator saying Andrew ""hasn't got a lot of confidence, but he's a good man."" Only four suspects remain; Goldie, Jay, Jennifer and Trevor. The original necklace design drawing is brought back by Richard as this week's clue. The drawing shows that there is an extra part of the pendant that hangs down. Mel concludes that it's the top part of the necklace that's worth £6000 and put it together with the pendant and it's worth 2 million. Bob asks was Catherine wearing the complete necklace? Richard says it would be hard to tell as the bottom part of the necklace was hidden under her tee shirt. They look at the enhanced version of Goldie's kidnap video and see that there's a cardboard box saying 'pill boxes' in the background. The enhanced audio footage also detects a clock chime in the background. The Investigators conclude that there's a clock in Jennifer's antique shop

E09

Episode 9 - Case Solves (aka Finale)

5/17/2003·60m

At the morning briefing there are only three Investigators left. This is the final episode and there will be no Lead Investigator as the Investigators directly compete with each other. The Killer Clue that Andrew brought back is that of a joint bank account shared by Goldie Prior and Jay Wilmington. It's shown that the pin number is used to withdraw £50 in cash from a building society at 11.52am on the day Catherine was murdered. The Investigators say that there might be CCTV footage to see who used it - Jay or Goldie, as one of them could then be eliminated. Goldie's motives could be anger if she discovered that Jay was having an affair. The line of enquiry is to go to the solicitor's office where the family are there for the reading of Tony Wilmington's will. They must quiz Goldie and Jay to see which one of them made the withdrawal and why they didn't tell them. This is the last chance for the three remaining Investigators to speak to the three remaining suspects. The solicitor read