A Touch of Frost (UK TV series)

Detective Inspector ***Jack Frost*** is described in the novels as a dishevelled, unorthodox and caustic police officer, sloppy, untidy, hopeless with paperwork—but unmatched at solving mysteries. The character has appeared in two radio plays, ten published novels, and a TV series spanning 42 episodes between 1992 and 2010.

### R D Wingfield

***Rodney David Wingfield*** June 6, 1928 – July 31, 2007) was an English author and radio dramatist, best remembered for creating the character of Detective Inspector Jack Frost, who was later played by Sir David Jason in A Touch of Frost. His first radio play, Compensating Error was accepted by the BBC in 1968 and two more were then commissioned. Wingfield's radio plays are always clever, with crisp often acerbic dialogue, having well-defined characters and action that intrigues. After hooking the listener he often leads them astray with his trademark tricks, twists and surprises.

Wingfield did not enjoy writing books, and much preferred writing radio scripts. In 20 years he wrote over 40 radio mystery plays, but stopped in 1988, with Hate Mail, due to the decline of radio and the success of his Frost books. As well as the many mystery plays, Wingfield also penned a comedy radio series, The Secret Life of Kenneth Williams, starring Kenneth Williams as a secret agent. Wingfield was a very private man, always avoiding book launches and publishing parties, and being rarely photographed.

In 2002, Wingfield was diagnosed with prostate cancer. At about the same time he started writing the sixth, and final, Frost book, A Killing Frost. The cancer killed Wingfield in 2007, and A Killing Frost was published in 2008.

### Inspector Frost

In 1972, Macmillan Publishers invited Wingfield to write a book, and he wrote Frost at Christmas. This was rejected and not published until the early 1980s in Canada. Wingfield had originally planned to kill Frost in the first book, but he was persuaded instead to leave it as an open ending. Following this, two more Frost books were written: A Touch of Frost and Night Frost. In 1977 Frost appeared in a radio play called Three Days of Frost, in which Frost was played by Leslie Sands, a friend of Wingfield's. The books were first published in the United Kingdom in early 1989 and, in 1992, Frost first appeared on television in A Touch of Frost, played by David Jason. Wingfield was never enthusiastic about the TV adaptation of his detective, once saying he had nothing against David Jason but "he just isn't my Frost".

Hard Frost was published in 1995, followed by Winter Frost in 1999. After Wingfield's death, four new Frost books were published with the approval of hisfamily. First Frost, Fatal Frost, Morning Frost, and Frost at Midnight are published under the name James Henry. In the case of First Frost, this pseudonym refers to James Gurbutt and Henry Sutton, but for the others it refers to Gurbutt only.

### Novels

#### Frost at Christmas (1984)

***Frost at Christmas*** is the first of the series of novels written by R. D. Wingfield, the creator of the character Detective Inspector Jack Frost, who is more famously known in the television series A Touch of Frost, where the character is played by Sir David Jason. This novel was adapted into the first episode of the 'A Touch of Frost' TV series starring David Jason, 'Care and Protection'.

As Christmas approaches Detective Inspector Jack Frost is on the trail of the sensitive case of eight-year-old Tracy Uphill who goes missing after attending Sunday school. Her mother, a prostitute, couldn’t meet her because she was with a client.

The mother’s client has a false alibi, the vicar has a penchant for pornography and a local psychic claims she knows where to find the body of the young girl. Frost's colleague DI Allen is suddenly rushed to hospital, leaving him alone to investigate some attempted break-ins at a local bank and a 30-year-old skeleton with a severed arm.

#### A Touch of Frost (1987)

***A Touch of Frost*** is the second Inspector Frost novel by, R.D. Wingfield.

The murder of a local drug addict, the hunt for a serial rapist, a hit-and-run involving the spoiled son of an MP, and a robbery at a strip joint all have something in common. Detective Inspector Jack Frost has been assigned with the thankless task of investigating them. Fighting the stress and ignoring his mounting pile of paperwork, Frost soon finds himself up against the various manifestations of criminality...

#### Night Frost (1992)

***Night Frost*** is a novel by R. D. Wingfield in the popular series featuring Detective Inspector Jack Frost, coarse, crude, slapdash – and holder of the George Cross.

A serial killer is terrorising the senior citizens of Denton, and the local police are succumbing to a flu epidemic. Tired and demoralised, the force has to contend with a seemingly perfect young couple suffering arson attacks and death threats, a suspicious suicide, burglaries, pornographic videos, poison-pen letters...

In uncertain charge of the investigations is Detective Inspector Jack Frost, crumpled, slapdash and foul-mouthed as ever. He tries to cope despite inadequate back-up, but there is never enough time; the unsolved crimes pile up and the vicious killings go on. So Frost has to cut corners and take risks, knowing that his Divisional Commander will throw him to the wolves if anything goes wrong. And for Frost, things always go wrong...

### Radio Plays

#### Three Days of Frost: February 12, 1977

The character first appeared in the BBC Radio 4 play, portrayed by Leslie Sands.

#### A Touch of Frost: February 6, 1982

The character's second appearance was also on BBC Radio 4, this time portrayed by Derek Martin.

### Television Series

***A Touch of Frost*** is a television detective series produced by Yorkshire Television (later ITV Studios) for ITV from December 6, 1992 until April 5, 2010, initially based on the Frost novels by R. D. Wingfield. Writing credit for the three episodes in the first 1992 series went to Richard Harris.

The series stars David Jason as Detective Inspector William Edward Frost, with "Jack" being a nickname, an experienced and dedicated detective who frequently clashes with his superiors. In his cases, Frost is usually assisted by a variety of different detective sergeants or constables, with each bringing a different slant to the particular case. Comic relief is provided by Frost's interactions with the bureaucratically-minded Superintendent Norman "Horn-rimmed Harry" Mullett, played by Bruce Alexander.

The role of Frost was notable in changing the public perception of David Jason from a predominantly comic actor to a dramatic actor.

#### Location

The series is set in the fictional South Midlands town of Denton. It is believed that Denton is in either Berkshire or Oxfordshire, though there are many references to Reading, Oxford, and in particular, Swindon. In the earlier episodes, the M4 and A417 were often seen, and the map of Swindon was seen in the control room, although a map of Reading was used occasionally. Paperwork given to Frost and other characters refers to Denton station as being part of the Thames Valley Police. The programme was produced by ITV in Leeds, and most of the outdoor locations were shot in West Yorkshire. Several scenes were filmed in and around the city and district of Wakefield and neighbouring small towns of Pontefract and Castleford, West Yorkshire. A Wiki exists detailing the locations episode by episode - Weblink

#### Cast

The main cast, appearing in most, if not all, episodes, are:

* David Jason as DI Jack Frost
* Bruce Alexander as Superintendent Norman Mullett
* John Lyons as DS George Toolan
* Arthur White as PC Ernie Trigg

#### Final Episode

Three endings were filmed for the final episode. The first ending saw Frost the victim of a hit-and-run on his wedding day, and later suffering a fatal heart attack in hospital. The second ending saw his colleague George Toolan die instead, as a result of the car crash. The third was similar to the second with Superintendent Mullet being the victim. The second ending was the one officially used.