Rosemary & Thyme

Rosemary & Thyme

2003 - United Kingdom

There’s something undeniably comforting about a good old-fashioned British cosy mystery, and Rosemary & Thyme, which aired on ITV from 2003 to 2007, managed to carve out its own distinctive niche in the genre. Set against the backdrop of some of the most beautiful gardens in Britain and Europe, the series offered a delightful blend of horticulture and homicide — proof, if ever it were needed, that gardening and murder can make a rather compelling pairing.

Created by Brian Eastman with the express purpose of entertaining his gardening enthusiast wife, Rosemary & Thyme follows the sleuthing adventures of two unlikely crime-solvers: Rosemary Boxer (Felicity Kendal), a sharp-minded, plant-loving academic, and Laura Thyme (Pam Ferris), a warm-hearted, no-nonsense former WPC embracing her new independence. Brought together by a sudden death in the first episode, the pair form a friendship – and a freelance gardening business – that sees them travel from stately homes to sun-drenched Mediterranean villas, all the while stumbling upon secrets buried deeper than flower bulbs.

Rosemary & Thyme

The charm of Rosemary & Thyme lies not just in its murder plots — which are often satisfyingly twisty, if gently paced — but in the chemistry between its two leads. Kendal’s Rosemary is the picture of practical intellect: composed, self-sufficient, and not afraid to get her hands dirty, whether it's in the garden bed or under the bonnet of her battered Land Rover. Ferris’s Laura, meanwhile, brings grounded warmth and intuition, shaped by years of domestic life and her background in policing. Together, they form a refreshingly mature and quietly empowering female duo.

Rosemary & Thyme

Each episode finds the pair at a new gardening commission, often at an historic estate or idyllic country setting, only for a mysterious death to ruffle the roses. Their knowledge of plants frequently provides the key to solving the mystery — be it a rare poison, an out-of-place flower, or simply being in the right place at the right time to overhear a crucial conversation. This ingenious intertwining of horticulture and sleuthing gives the show its unique flavour and a certain gentle wit.

Visually, Rosemary & Thyme is a treat. The camera lingers lovingly on manicured lawns, blooming borders and ivy-clad walls, making each episode feel like a guided tour through Britain's most enviable gardens. It’s the kind of show where the setting is as much a character as the detectives themselves.

While it doesn’t attempt the gritty realism of more modern crime dramas, Rosemary & Thyme never pretended to. It stays firmly in the realm of the comfortable and the civilised, its crimes more Agatha Christie than Scandinavian noir. And that’s precisely its appeal. For viewers weary of darker fare, it offers an elegant escape — where murders are tidy, justice is served, and there’s always time for tea among the topiary.

Published on May 16th, 2025. Written by Marc Saul for Television Heaven.

Read Next...

Cracker

Possibly the starkest, darkest, popular drama series to have emerge from a British Television company since the classic Edge of Darkness, Granada Television's Cracker was an instant success.

Also tagged Murder Mystery

This Week BBC series

With a light-hearted tone compared to most political shows, the BBC's award winning current affairs programme which ran from 2003 to 2019 was often described as "punchy, irreverent, and satirical"

Also released in 2003

Poker Face

Stylish character driven murder mystery series, adapting the inverted detective story format popularised by Columbo, centred round a casino worker with a 'special talent', who goes on the run from her boss when he threatens to kill her

Also tagged Murder Mystery

Classic adaptation of Mary Wesley's much-acclaimed second novel. As storm clouds gather over Europe in 1939, five cousins meet to pay tribute to a world that will never be the same again...

Also starring Felicity Kendal

Call the Midwife

The BBC's enduring drama following the lives of a group of midwives working in the poverty-stricken East End of London during the 1950s, based on the best-selling memoirs of Jennifer Worth.

Also starring Pam Ferris

downbeat endings to TV shows

Downbeat Endings - are they preparation for life? Why the British psyche isn't our fault

Also starring Felicity Kendal

The Second Coming

A man realises that he is the Son of God and has just a few days to avert the Apocalypse.

Also released in 2003

Burkes Law

Millionaire police officer heads LAPD's murder squad to solve high profile cases.

Also tagged Murder Mystery

Broadchurch

A seemingly calm and friendly seaside town becomes a town wrapped in secrets when the death of an eleven-year-old boy sparks an unwanted media frenzy

Also tagged Murder Mystery