DVD & BluRay

THE MADAME BLANC MYSTERIES: SERIES 2

Acorn, cert 12; DVD 2-disc set £27.99 & on Digital

It’s been a long road that’s taken Sally Lindsay (pictured) from the Corrie cobbles to the sunny south of France, but she must be delighted with the success of Madame Blanc, because it really is her show.

Not only is she the star, she devised it, co-wrote it and is executive producer. Not bad for a former Rovers’ barmaid eh? Okay, it’s no Morse with highbrow music and crosswords, but it’s frothy and undemanding entertainment, and such a hit for C5 that a third series is inevitable.

As a quick reminder, Sally plays antiques dealer

June White who arrived in the village of Sainte Victoire to discover the truth about her husband Rory’s death in a car crash while on an antiques buying trip. ..and the mystery of a valuable ring that he showed her on a video call but went missing.

Rory, it turned out, was a love rat and a dealer in fake antiques who came to a sticky end because he made enemies, and left June nearly bankrupt, save for their villa in the village. On arrival Jean made friends with taxi driver Dom (Steve Edge) who became her partner in solving crime…and there’s an awful lot of it in this rural paradise, a bit like Midsomer with baguettes and wine.

This new series opens with Jean having survived an attempt on her life by ‘the other woman’ Barbara (Olivia Caffrey) who has become her nemesis.

There’s a brilliant supporting cast of crazy characters, including Robin Askwith and Sue Holderness from Only Fools and Horses as the tipsy posh expats Judith and Jeremy.