Is this you? As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.
Claim your profile
Articles by Marni Cerise
‘Professor T’ Bids Adieu to a Beloved Character in “The Ring”
This week we all share a collective moment of grief which wasn’t wholly unexpected. Frances de la Tour’s exit has been written on the wall since Season 4, when she appeared only via FaceTime segments or prerecorded messages – nothing that required her to be on set. In “The Ring,” the second episode of Season 5, we get the carrot of her in-person return, only to get the stick once it’s clear that her character is dying. Perhaps de la Tour herself dictated this departure.
‘Professor T’s Season 5 Pursues Romance in “Natural Causes”
Murder doesn’t take a holiday, at least not when Professor Jasper Tempest (Ben Miller) is around. In the Season 5 premiere of Professor T, Jasper’s penchant for puzzle-solving successfully cracks the case, but nearly derails his burgeoning relationship with Dr. Helena Goldberg (Juliet Stevenson), with whom he’s taking an exploratory weekend away. In my Season 4 finale recap, I wondered what romance would look like for Jasper.
Everything to Remember Ahead of ‘Professor T’ Season 5
The original Flemish-language Professor T was a smash hit when it debuted on VRT 1 in 2015. A Sherlock Holmes-type figure who works as a criminology lecturer, Professor T suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and is neuro-atypical. However, when a former student, recently promoted to Inspector, comes to see him after hitting a wall in solving a rape case, he’s unable to refuse her and soon becomes a regular consultant to her detective team.
‘Marble Hall Murders’ Finale Suffers From Too Much Plot
We’ve reached the end of Marble Hall Murders, and the conclusions in both Pünd’s and Susan’s worlds feel unfortunately overwrought. I’d previously complained about the plot feeling thin, but the pendulum swung back hard with overstuffed, convenient plots and strains on the central character’s likeability. Both Elaine and Charles Clover accuse Susan of being “high-minded,” and although they’re arguing she shouldn’t have turned Charles in for murder, they’re not exactly wrong about her, either.
‘Marble Hall’s Penultimate Episode Needs More Pünd
PBS — 6 min read Tim McMullan and and Danny Sapani in 'Marble Hall Murders' (Masterpiece) The penultimate episode of Marble Hall Murders is slightly disappointing because it has only one meta moment. The sole scene featuring Pünd comes at the very end. While it hints that the detective is no longer a figment living singularly in Susan’s mind, the audience is denied more of the esoteric fare promised by the ending of last week’s episode. That is not to say this installment wasn’t entertaining.
‘Marble Hall Murders’ Gets Surreal
The fourth episode of Marble Hall Murders may have finally found its groove. It picks up the pace and injects the additional plot we needed. We learn that Eliot survived being run over, just barely, but is in a coma and clinging to life. The police question Susan as a person of interest, treating her as a key suspect and impounding her car after finding damage to the front grille and fibers that look like Eliot’s jacket. We’re still lacking development of the central relationship.
‘Marble Hall Murders’ Third Episode Is All Talk
PBS — 6 min read Laura Rogers and Lesley Manville in 'Marble Hall Murders' (Masterpiece) It’s starting to seem like balance will be the main sticking point of Marble Hall Murders. The third episode of the season feels like a play, far too heavy on dialogue and light on action. There’s no denying this episode feels long, and it’s the excessive talking that’s bringing it down.
‘Marble Hall Murders’ Is Punctuated by Poisoned Ladies
Episode two of Marble Hall Murders is less balanced than the premiere, giving us more of Pünd’s world than Susan’s. That can sometimes be a problem, as the Chalfont family is insufferable. First there’s Lady Chalfont’s second husband, the grumbling, grumpy Elmer, with Mark Bonnar trying his hardest to wrangle an American accent.
Susan Ryeland Reads On in the ‘Marble Hall Murders’ Premiere
The stylish editor-turned-amateur-detective Susan Ryeland (Lesley Manville) returns to us in Marble Hall Murders (aka part 3 of The Susan Ryeland Mysteries). If you’re here to keep faithfully watching after the first two installments, Marble Hall Murders is going to scratch your itch. Our heroine in the brown leather jacket is back doing what she does best: tenaciously solving murders with the help of her imaginary friend, fictional detective Atticus Pünd (Tim McMullan).
Everything To Remember Ahead of ‘Marble Hall Murders’
Now known as The Susan Ryeland Mysteries, the hit series that began with Magpie Murders is the brainchild of Anthony Horowitz, famous for hit series like Foyle’s War, adapting from his own novel. As much a meditation on why we love mystery stories as it is a mystery novel, the book employs a story within a story to make space for Horowitz’s meta musings on the genre he’s spent his life writing.
“Hostage” Rounds Out a Bumpy Season of ‘Patience’
PBS — 6 min read Ella Maisy Purvis in 'Patience' Season 2 (Amy Brammall) After a bit of a rocky start, we’ve made it to the end of Patience Season 2. Despite my love for Jessica Hynes, DI “Call me Frankie” Monroe ruffled my feathers quite a bit in the beginning. It’s a credit to the writing and acting that I’ve come around to enjoying the character.
It’s Less Chaucer & More Eco in ‘Patience’: “A Monk’s Tale”
The penultimate episode of Patience Season 2 has our team vibing, more at ease with each other, and continuing to function like an interconnected crime-fighting unit. In the realm of the almost too silly, this episode sees the team volun-told into participation at the local Viking Festival. For Patience and Hunter, this includes wearing branded t-shirts and baseball caps while handing out fliers featuring an elephant mascot in a bobby helmet.
“Paco’s Revenge” Plants Seeds of 'Patience's Team's Growth
PBS — 6 min read Ella Maisy Purvis in 'Patience' Season 2 (Amy Brammall) We’re over the hump of manufactured drama in Patience Season 2, starting with the sixth episode, “Paco’s Revenge.” Patience’s distraction from her breakup with Elliot is affecting her work, bringing to a head her underlying conflict with Monroe, which centers on professionalism and respect.
“The Runes” Leaves ‘Patience’ in Ruins
PBS — 5 min read Tom Lewis and Ella Maisy Purvis in 'Patience' Season 2 (Amy Brammall) We’re now at the midpoint of Patience Season 2, and that can only mean one thing: conflict. Patience lets others’ opinions negatively influence her, leading her to break up with Elliot. In a series of escalating miscommunications, it’s frustrating to watch Patience mishandle the situation and hurt him. I’m salty at her for tossing Elliot aside.
‘Patience’ Gets Her Faith Restored in “The Timetable”
PBS — 6 min read Ella Maisy Purvis and Tom Lewis in 'Patience' Season 2 (Amy Brammall) After last week’s incredibly entertaining episode full of meticulously plotted crime, this week’s “The Timetable” moves to a messy murder that was clearly not premeditated.
“The Magpie” Brings Pure Magic in ‘Patience’s Third Episode
PBS — 6 min read Ella Maisy Purvis in 'Patience' Season 2 (Amy Brammall) If you are still wary of Patience’s second season after the opening two episodes, as I was, I beg you to watch “The Magpie.” This episode is essentially a mini movie with film-quality sequences and outstanding cinematic direction. Top it off with eccentric suspects, magicians, and an exciting mystery, and this is absolutely the best and certainly the most fun episode of the entire season.
'Professor T' Season 4, Episode 6 Finale Recap: “The Warrior Gene”
After the emotional gut punch of losing Lisa in Season 3’s finale, Professor T’s Season 4 conclusion, “The Warrior Gene,” does us all a solid in this turbulent year: it delivers a sweet, gentle story that feels like a hug from the show. Winters gets the emotional catharsis he so desperately needs; after some fretting, Zelda and Wilfred get married; and, following rom-com-style misunderstandings, Jasper and Dr. Goldberg take hesitant but definitive steps towards romance.
'Professor T' Season 4, Episode 5 Recap: “The Perfect Murder”
We've reached the penultimate episode of Professor TSeason 4, and everyone's personal lives are in flux. Zelda’s story is taking prominence, and the Dean becomes a less shallow and more fully-fledged character. Though Peter Snares seems like a lovely man, the Dean’s heartache at seeing his one true love slipping away is quite compelling. You feel crushed along with him when he selflessly advises Peter to propose to Zelda.
'Professor T' Season 4, Episode 4 Recap: “You Can’t Kill Me”
The title of this week’s Professor T episode, “You Can’t Kill Me,” along with Aunt Zelda opening things with a tarot card reading, suggests a more playful story. The unraveling of this week’s murder is far sadder than what the expectations set. Yet it also manages to be fresh and entertaining, and we’re slowly getting character growth from Jasper again. Regrettably, the show is leaning harder into its preferred trope of Jasper always being smarter than the police.
'Professor T' Season 4, Episode 3 Recap: “The Inspection”
This week on Professor T, Jasper lectures about crime statistics, informing his students 89% of killers use a single method, and most are men with histories of violence. Multiple methods of murder suggest premeditation. He warns his students that real-life crime will always have exceptions; of course, that will come back to feature in this week’s murder. At the precinct, Goswami briefs everyone about a spate of residential burglaries that are escalating in violence.
'Professor T' Season 4, Episode 2 Recap: “September Gardens”
The second episode of Professor T’s fourth season, “September Gardens,” opens with Adelaide (Frances de la Tour), making the briefest of appearances as Jasper’s mother via FaceTime, to pressure him into complying with a request that will propel him into this week’s case. He is begrudgingly convinced to vet his Aunt Zelda’s new romantic interest, Peter (Nicholas Jones). However, what was a chore turns interesting when he discovers proximity to a new murder and an excuse to play detective.
'Professor T' Season 4, Episode 1 Premiere Recap: "Overboard"
Sometimes, after a tragedy, people regress into old habits and comfortable personas. After years of a personality shaped by PTSD, Professor T’s Jasper Tempest (Ben Miller) reverts to the solace of his OCD routines in Season 4’s premiere, “Overboard,” following the death of the series' other main lead, DI Lisa Donckers (Emma Naomi) in the Season 3 finale. Contrasting with that somber end, this new season opens with a light and jaunty tone.
'Patience' Season 1, Episode 6 Finale Recap: "Pandora's Box"
The sixth installment of Patience, which is the show's Season 1 finale, “Pandora’s Box,” is a story of eco-terrorism and double agents where Metcalf nearly dies. This has been a fun season of television, and I’ll admit my perspective softened after interviewing writer Matt Baker and seeing the series through his eyes.
'Patience' Season 1, Episode 5 Recap: "My Brother's Keeper"
The dead walk in the penultimate episode of Season 1 of Patience, “My Brother’s Keeper.” The episode uses a flash forward framing device where we start with the most outrageous scene: a body disappearing from the morgue. The corpse seems to have walked off the table rather than being stolen. The alcoholic mortician, Frank (Andy Gathergood), later lies to the police about hearing a car peel away because he was drunk and thinks no one will believe him.
'Patience's Lead Writer on Adaptation, Collaboration & Creativity
Like all the talent I’ve had the fortune of interacting with at Telly Visions, writer Matt Baker is a warm and generous interviewee. Lead writer on Season 1 of Patience, you no doubt also know him from his work on Hotel Portofino, Professor T, and Suspect, to name a few. Patience marks the fourth adapted series Baker has worked on and the first to feature a neurodiverse central character.
'Patience' Season 1, Episode 4 Recap: "The Locked Room"
It’s the fourth installment of a six-episode first season, and Patience accelerates a couple of arcs while managing not to rush anything. We get the continuation of the adorable flirting between Patience and Elliot (Tom Lewis), the CSI manager. The enormous amount of plot in the previous episodes didn’t allow space to mention their cute crime scene interactions; however, if you’ve been watching, you surely noticed them making googly eyes at each other over the evidence. The chemistry is palpable.
'Patience' Season 1, Episode 3 Recap: "The Missing Link"
Now that we’ve introduced the two main characters and laid the basic groundwork for their burgeoning partnership, “The Missing Link,” the third episode of Patience, opens in a classic murder mystery manner: with a dead body. There’s a woman on the floor of York’s Castle Museum, and once again, a cleaning lady finds the dead person.
'Patience's Ella Maisy Purvis on Authenticity, Representation & Season 2
Patience, an adaptation of the popular French series Astrid, is the newest drama in PBS’ primetime Sunday night lineup. Patience Evans (Ella Maisy Purvis) is a brilliant young woman on the spectrum whose keen eye and unique perspective make her a valuable asset to DI Beatrice Metcalf (Laura Fraser).
'Patience' Season 1, Episode 2 Recap: "Paper Mountain Girl Part 2"
The second episode of Patience, “Paper Mountain Girl, Part 2,” begins where we left off: in an interrogation room as detectives question why Patience was at Chopra’s crime scene. She is too distressed and overstimulated to speak. Baxter gets angry watching what he believes is an uncooperative suspect, and Metcalf follows him to his office, trying to tell him about Patience’s autism.
'Patience' Season 1, Episode 1 Recap: "Paper Mountain Girl Part 1"
New drama series Patience is the latest in a line of English-language remakes of Walter Presents titles. Based on the popular French showAstrid, the new series centers on Patience Evans (Ella Maisy Purvis), a twenty-something autistic woman working in the criminal records department, and her incredible investigative insight that leads her to assist the well-meaning but sometimes clueless DI Beatrice Metcalf (Laura Fraser) in solving active crimes.
'Marie Antoinette' Season 2 Finale Recap: "The End of the Beginning"
Violence has always been a breath away, and Marie Antoinette’s Season 2 finale brings the danger home to Versailles. “The End of the Beginning” (alternately “The Winds of Change,” due to the recurring theme of windows blowing open) hails the end of an era, namely the monarchy. The revolution is about to break, and there will be casualties. The show secures sympathy for the one-percenters by giving Antoinette and Louis pathos and depth, while the commoners’ plight is largely unexplored.
'Marie Antoinette' Season 2, Episode 7 Recap: “Madame Deficit”
In the penultimate Marie Antoinette episode of Season 2, “Madame Deficit,” it’s misery all around for the crown and its subjects. Antoinette will face the devastating loss of her new baby and be thrust into the seat of power when Louis descends into despondency over political losses. The people of France are starving and migrating to Paris seeking food. Their plight is only made worse by a hailstorm that wipes out crucial harvests.
As the soap opera-like drama of Marie Antoinette’s second season plays out, you might not consciously take in all the details of the queen’s surroundings: the glittering chandeliers of Versailles’ grand halls; its imposing marble walls; the rich brocade upholstering of the royal thrones; the ornate furnishings.
The Truth Wills Out & Marie Antoinette's Reputation is Ruined
The proverbial merde hits the fan in Marie Antoinette’s sixth episode of Season 2, “Hated, Humbled, Mortified,” as the trial against Cardinal Rohan begins. This will be the trial of the century (until eight years later, when the king and queen themselves will each be tried – months apart – and subsequently executed by guillotine). For now, the stakes of the trial could not be higher for Antoinette, whose reputation is on the line. She will endure a formal character assassination in court.
“Enemies Assemble,” But 'Marie Antoinette's World is Still Ending
In a title that nods (knowingly?) to Marvel’s Avengers, Marie Antoinette’s fifth episode, “Enemies Assemble,” brings the scandal of the stolen diamond necklace to the forefront. In a shocking move, Cardinal Rohan is arrested on suspicion of theft and dragged away for questioning in the middle of leading mass.
All About Jeanne: ‘Marie Antoinette’s Freya Mavor Revels in Her Villain Role
The second season of Marie Antoinette brings new faces and new rivals, the most prominent being Jeanne de Valois (Freya Mavor). Jeanne is almost as much a main character as Marie Antoinette (Emilia Schüle) this season, and her outsized role in the queen’s life and death are key set pieces. In real life (and in the series), Jeanne is the architect of “The Affair of the Diamond Necklace,” a scandal that rocked Versailles and destroyed the queen’s reputation.
'Marie Antoinette' Season 2 Unveils the Portrait Heard Round the World
A shocking portrait, an open marriage, and a heist, oh my! Marie Antoinette’s fourth episode, “The Pursuit of Happiness,” tackles quite a bit of drama and intrigue. Hold onto your bustles; there’s a lot to address! The public unveiling of the queen’s new portrait challenges her modernity when everyone, including Louis, finds Antoinette’srobe en chemise dress scandalous.
Paternity Doubts Plague 'Marie Antoinette' in “Treacherous Legacy”
After the queen’s indiscretions, Marie Antoinette’s third episode, “Treacherous Legacy,” finds Antoinette pregnant and questioning the paternity of her unborn child. She’s also trying to purchase the Saint-Cloud property to secure a safe place and legacy for herself and her children should something happen to the king.
The Play’s the Thing in 'Marie Antoinette’s Second Episode “A Poison Pen”
Marie Antoinette’s “A Poison Pen” is packed with illicit affairs and intricate scheming. The episode’s title refers to Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais and his new play, The Marriage of Figaro, the premiere performance of which put another nail in the coffin for the king and queen of France. You may recall Chartres’ lover, Félicité, and Beaumarchais were plotting to stage his play at Versailles, but Louis banned it after reading it and clocking the anti-monarchy sentiment.
'Marie Antoinette' Season 2's "The Worst Winter" Sets the Tone for the Monarchy’s Fate
When we last left Versailles in Season 1 of Marie Antoinette, the king and queen were on top of the world, with Antoinette (Emilia Schüle) finally giving birth to the dauphin. Sadly, that pinnacle will pretty much be their last. This season will be all about the different forces and factions closing in on Antoinette and Louis (Louis Cunningham) and eventually turning public opinion fully against them to deadly consequences.
Everything to Remember Before Season 2 of 'Marie Antoinette'
Marie Antoinette sought to paint the much-maligned monarch in a new light – as a likeable, sympathetic figure that history has marred through a misogynistic lens. Far from the poster child for excess and out-of-touch aristocracy, we meet Antoinette (Emilia Schüle) when she is just a teenager. At fourteen years old, the historical queen is sent from Austria to France to marry Louis XVI (Louis Cunningham); she is naïve, sweet, headstrong, and a bit rebellious.
Mayhem, Murder & Hilarity Define Season 2 of 'Am I Being Unreasonable?'
The deranged dramedy Am I Being Unreasonable? has returned in all its dysfunctional glory, dropping all episodes of a second season that manages to outpace the first. The second season action starts minutes after Season 1's conclusion at Alex’s memorial, except now Nic is bolting out of the church and into a taxi, with husband Dan (Dustin Demri-Burns) and Alex’s wife Suzie (Amanda Wilkin) in hot pursuit.
'A Thousand Blows' Review: A 10/10 Knockout
From writer/creator Steven Knight (Peaky Blinders) comes Hulu’s A Thousand Blows, a stylish series about the rough and tumble streets of London’s East End in the 1880s. Mixing boxing, a gang of female thieves, and stories of immigration, the result is a remarkably entertaining six-episode first season. The theme music of the show’s fantastic score perfectly establishes the tone: a fast-paced, rollicking good time with a savage edge.
What Else Has Ian McKellen Been In? Here Are Some of His Best Roles
If you don’t know Sir Ian McKellen, hang your head and turn in your Anglophile card. McKellen is as synonymous with British stage and screen as fish and chips are with its cuisine. He has led numerous stage productions and has been a leading man on television since playing the titular David Copperfield in the 1966 BBC series. (His third TV role ever.) Yet, McKellen is probably best known for playing a wizard on the silver screen.
'Big Mood's Creator Reveals Details About Possible Season 2
Big Mood’s heartbreaking first season finale left us desperate for what’s next for best friends Maggie (Nicola Coughlan) and Eddie (Lydia West). Will they reconcile, and will Maggie get the help she needs? The Channel 4 show dropped its six episodes on Tubi in April 2024, but since then, there’s been no word about a second series commission.
'The Essex Serpent' Embodies Apple TV+'s Star Power Focus
This one’s for my fellow Hiddlestans! Care of an Apple TV+ free weekend, I spent six episodes of The Essex Serpent (2022) making googly eyes over Tom Hiddleston as Will Ransome, a married pastor trying to resist Cora Seaborne (Claire Danes). Based on Sarah Perry’s 2016 novel of the same name, this is a moody tale exploring the literal and figurative things simmering under the surface in an English country village in the 1890s.
"Holborn" Probes the Shadow Self in 'Get Millie Black's Third Episode
The narration baton is handed to Holborn for Get Millie Black’s third installment* in what is now clearly a pattern. Holborn tells us he grew up with nothing and remarks how that upbringing makes you hungry for everything you don’t have. Now, he is accomplished professionally and personally: respected at work, with a loving wife and young daughter. He has everything – but wants more.
"Hibiscus" Brings A Welcome Perspective Shift in 'Get Millie Black’s Second Episode
The second episode of Get Millie Black opens with Curtis in the hospital for emergency surgery following his shooting. Millie finds Curtis’ boyfriend, Daniel, fighting with a nurse about being allowed to see him. The nurse snidely says the hospital doesn’t recognize “that kind of family,” Millie steps in, calling the nurse ignorant and dismissing her. But Daniel is upset with Millie, too, feeling she should have protected Curtis from harm.
'Get Millie Black' Season 1, Episode 1 Recap: "Millie"
Atmospheric and instantly engaging, HBO’s Get Millie Black is set in Kingston, Jamaica and follows detective Millie-Jean Black (Tamara Lawrance), who narrates the series. The series premiere, titled "Millie," introduces her as a child (Emeka Onuora), happily painting her brother Orville’s (Zolé Onuora) toenails. But when their Mama (Shanique Brown) finds out, she whips Orville brutally and calls him a fa**ot. Millie snaps and shoves her mother into a mirror.
'Say Nothing' Review: So Much to Say, So Much to Say
Say Nothing, the FX/Hulu limited series adaptation of Patrick Radden Keefe’s bestselling, award-winning 2017 book of the same title, covers forty years of events during The Troubles in Northern Ireland and England. Over the scripted series’ nine hour-long episodes, viewers get to know historical figures of the era and a feel for the wretchedness and devastation wrought by a multi-decade civil war.
Show More
loading
Actions
Is this you?
As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.Get in touch with Marni
Contact Marni, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack