FionaEaggerandDebCoxof EveryCloudaretheco-creators
andexecutiveproducersoftheoriginalseries,theupcoming
film and the spin-off.Not only does their presenceon these
variedprojectslendconsistency,buttheyalsodemonstrate
theirdeepunderstandingofandfondnessforMiss Fisherthe
concept. It’swhy,despiteitsmanydifferencesfromtheorigi-
nal,Ms Fisher’sModernMurderMysteriesfeelslikea natural
extensionoftheworldthatfansarealreadyfamiliarwith.
Makinga spin-offrequiresa delicatebalance.It needstobe
respectfultothesourcematerialwithouttryingtoreplaceit. It
needstobedifferentenoughtojustifyitsexistence,yetsimilar
enoughthatit is recognisableaspartofthesameworld.There
needtobejustenoughreminderstokeepthetwotethered– but
toomany,andthiswillinviteunwantedcomparisons.Thereason
Ms Fisher’sModernMurderMysteriesworksis thatit adheresto
theseunspokenrules– and,at itscore,it’sthesameshowbutin
a differentbody.Newcast,newhistoricalbackdrop,newformat,
newchannel.Butparebackalltheaestheticsanddressing,and
theMiss Fisherfranchise– whetheronscreenoronthepage;
whetheraboutPhryneorherniece,Sevenseriesprotagonist
Peregrine(GeraldineHakewill)– is allabouta strong,wittywoman
shakingoff the expectationsof her era and solvingcrimes.
The questionremains,however:with the featurefilm already
lockedin,whytaketheriskofmakinga spin-off?Theansweris
a meetingpointbetweenfanappetiteandnecessity.‘Weknew
the worldofMiss Fisher had more travel,’ Cox tells me,and we were keen to keep promotingthe valuesof the show –
the can-dooptimism,the light-heartedand stealthyfeminism,
the healthygenderpoliticsof romantic banter – and further
explore the murder-mystery genre.With Davis’schedulenot being conduciveto a full season,a film
(orfilms, dependingon how well the first one goes) emergedas
thebestwaytocontinuetheMiss Fisherstories.But a film, no
matterhowgoodorhowwelcome,isn’ta neatstand-infora
televisionshow.Onestory– evena movie-lengthone– isn’ta
replacementforfour.Oreight.Orthirteen.Partofthejoyofthe
originalMiss Fisherserieswasgettingtoknowthecharacters,
andthenseeinghowtheyevolvedovermonthsandyears,how
theytackleddifferentscenarios,andhowtheyspenttheirquiet
moments.Films,ofcourse,doallowforcharacterdevelopment,
butlengthconstraintsmeanthatwhatwelosearethesmall
things:SeeingPhryneandDetectiveJackRobinson(Nathan
Page)havea drinkattheendofeachepisode.Beingableto
buildupthebackstoryand,toa degree,thein-jokesthatmake
undercoverscenariosfunny. The film, no matterhow good it is,
willbelikea new,longerepisode.Butthatis justonenewstory.
Ms Fisher’sModernMurderMysteriesgivesviewersfour.
As a result,the team ‘put our headstogetherto find a way
thatourmuch-lovedMiss Fisher series could continue without
our lead,’ says Cox.We investigatedall mannerof ‘spin-off’[options]– includinga
First WorldWar originstory aboutthe forgingof our detective
heroine– but the 1960sseemedsuch a joyousand bold era for
womenbeginningto becomea force again after being put back
into their ‘place’ post the Second World War.On top of enablingopportunitiesfor bold and interestingcos-
tumesandsets,thischoiceoferaalsocomesbacktothe
feministprinciplesthatlieattheheartoftheMiss Fisherfran-
chise: telling stories about women who were progressive forAbove,fromtop:BirdieandPeregrinewithViolettaFellini(Louisa
Mignone); James with Chief Inspector Percy Sparrow (Greg Stone); Birdie42 • Metro Magazine 201 | © ATOM