Looking for more fun, flirty, zany entertainment

January 28, 2016 6:20 PM

I've run out of Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries episodes to watch, and now there's an awesome female protag with amazing costumes and flirting and female friendships hole in my life! Help me fill it up with tv, shows, or books with the same mouth-feel

This article is basically me, having binge-watched all 3 seasons of Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries while recovering from a really bad sinus infection. Now I'm left bereft with no new episodes (would love a season 4, but I was also happy with where they left off).

Here are the things I loved about the series:
- Glamourous and sassy female lead that is neither an ingenue or a matron
- Great set pieces, detail, and amazing costumes
- Sizzling chemistry between the slow-burn romantic leads with super fun, witty flirtation
- An adult, grown-up romantic relationship between two people who know who they are and know what they want
- Amazing female friendships!!
- A sense of fun, zaniness, lightheartedness

Watching the series definitely made me a feel a lot better (I'm still sick) and I'm looking for things with the same mouth-feel- can be movies, books, or tv. The only other thing I could think of that gave me a similar "mouth-feel" was Parks and Rec (strong female lead, super fun and sweet show) but I've already seen all of that! Hope me mefi!

posted by raw sugar to Media & Arts (23 answers total)

Agent Carter! Just missing the romance, cause Steve Rogers is frozen stiff.
posted by saffry at 6:32 PM on January 28, 2016 [7 favorites]

The Peter Wimsey/Harriet Vane mysteries! (Not the Wimsey solo mystery show.)
posted by Malla at 6:41 PM on January 28, 2016 [3 favorites]

The 1987 BBC Wimsey/Vane collection.
posted by Malla at 6:45 PM on January 28, 2016 [1 favorite]

Murdoch Mysteries
Anzac Girls (a bit more tear jerky, but great costume drama, great women, some nice romance)
posted by chapps at 6:46 PM on January 28, 2016

Miss Fisher is my favourite! I named my cat Phryne.

Next best is Call the Midwife. Definitely passes the amazing female friendships test. I feel like it's similarly fun.

I just binge watched Jessica Jones. It had a lot of the same aspects as Miss Fisher, just no fun costumes and it's a bit darker.

Other suggestions are Orphan Black, Lost Girl, Bletchley Circle, maybe Foyle's War.
posted by carolr at 6:46 PM on January 28, 2016 [2 favorites]

The new version 2015 of Agatha Christie's Partners in Crime
posted by chapps at 6:48 PM on January 28, 2016

Being Mary Jane, although the romantic relationships she has are less than fulfilling -- hits all of the other targets! First two seasons are on Netflix. Okay maybe not zany... but it's frequently funny and delves deeply into women's friendships and family relationships.
posted by rogerrogerwhatsyourrvectorvicto at 6:48 PM on January 28, 2016

You know there were books long before the series, right? She is the same person - Essie Davis definitely brought her to onscreen life but you'll know her on the page as soon as you meet her.
posted by gingerest at 7:17 PM on January 28, 2016 [2 favorites]

Was going to suggest Agent Carter. Also 2nding Call the Midwife.Though some of the episodes are really emotional. There's romance and drama and amazing friendship and an example of those times. (On Netflix and PBS). It's so freakin' good.
posted by Crystalinne at 7:39 PM on January 28, 2016 [1 favorite]

Agent Carter is great! No knowledge of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is necessary, really. There's not a lot of romance, but I actually find that refreshing (there is some sexual tension in the first season and a bit more -- at least so far -- in the second). She also has a great platonic relationship with Edwin Jarvis that's both sweet and genuine. She has a lot of good relationships with other women, too.

She does have some antagonistic relationships with some women, but they're based on things other than "fighting over men." It's a really fun show.
posted by darksong at 7:52 PM on January 28, 2016 [1 favorite]

You might try Rhys Bowen's Royal Spyness mystery series: link to the first one.
posted by gudrun at 8:24 PM on January 28, 2016 [1 favorite]

Auntie Mame hits most of these...see the Rosalind Russell adaptation rather than Lucille Ball's
posted by brujita at 8:40 PM on January 28, 2016 [3 favorites]

The Mrs Bradley Mysteries are the same time period (well, 1930s) and star the incomparable Diana Rigg as the sharp, wealthy sleuth. Five episodes and I've only seen one in which it was strongly hinted that her character was sleeping with her attractive chauffeur.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 9:36 PM on January 28, 2016 [3 favorites]

I haven't watched this show, (though now I think I need to!) but based on you description and your enjoyment of Parks and Rec: Gilmore Girls. No period sets or costumes though.
posted by lunasol at 10:18 PM on January 28, 2016

Another vote for Call the Midwife, also Bomb Girls and Land Girls.
posted by BoscosMom at 10:31 PM on January 28, 2016 [1 favorite]

if you want to go old school (and you really, really do) The Thin Man series of movies is a good start. Gorgeous costumes and sets, and you will fall in love with Myrna Loy.

Another movie I love is Shag

I too recommend the Lord Peter Wimsey series from the BBC. I actually own it, that's how much I love it.

I hesitate to recommend it, because it doesn't tick your your boxes (female protagonist, female friendships, romance) but MAN will you love Jeeves and Wooster, with Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie. The sets and costumes are breathtaking, and it's certainly zany.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 4:19 AM on January 29, 2016 [1 favorite]

My wife is a huge Miss Fisher fan and was very sad when she ran out of episodes. She's been watching The Middleman recently with me, and she says it scratches some of the same itches, particularly the female friendships, the sassiness of the lead, and the general light-hearted wackiness. (The romantic element is not as pervasive as in Miss Fisher, though.)
posted by Johnny Assay at 5:05 AM on January 29, 2016 [2 favorites]

The Time Inbetween.
posted by Sassyfras at 7:45 AM on January 29, 2016 [1 favorite]

Jane the Virgin is like Parks and Rec in that the central characters are fundamentally good people, trying to make good decisions. The main characters are strong women from different generations. That, and it's hilarious.
posted by tofu_crouton at 11:15 AM on January 29, 2016

Response by poster: I'm so excited to check out all these recs!!!!

The only ones I've seen are Jane the Virgin and Gilmore Girls and they do indeed hit the kind of mark I'm looking for of joyful comfort food television :) I did also like Jessica Jones though I wasn't able to binge it- it's too dark and gory/horror, I had to watch it a little bit at a time and recover in between each viewing...
posted by raw sugar at 11:26 AM on January 29, 2016

+1 for Murdoch Mysteries
posted by mister e at 1:25 PM on January 29, 2016

Nthing Agent Carter, it's sooooo good! I think you'd like the Odelia Gray series by Sue Ann Jaffarian. I love so much that the protagonist is a middle aged plus sized woman who (spoiler alert) ends up in a romantic relationship with a paraplegic man. And also solves murders. Her friendship with her best friend (and best friend's husband) factors heavily into the books as well.
posted by kassila at 5:12 PM on January 29, 2016 [1 favorite]

Oh, I have just the movie for you (and the book is great, too): Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day. It's got it all. Sassy females, lovely costumes, charming romance, female friendship, and zaniness up the wazoo.
posted by WordCannon at 5:31 PM on January 29, 2016 [3 favorites]