It's Murder. But Is It Art? (1972): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1972, It's Murder. But Is It Art? is an action & adventure, mystery and comedy series.

What it’s about. It's Murder. But Is It Art? is a 1976 six-part comedy thriller serial written by David Pursall and Jack Seddon, and produced for BBC One. It stars Arthur Lowe, John Gower, Dudley Foster, Arthur Howard, and Anthony Sagar. Eccentric artist-turned-detective called Phineas Drake investigates when beautiful blonde Tina Kent is discovered murdered in the drawing-room of Brigadier Austin Binghop. Insp. Hook is convinced that Binghop is the culprit and takes him into custody. However, Mr Drake thinks otherwise and places himself in considerable personal jeopardy – with the trail leading him to the house of Chelsea socialite Mrs MacPherson. Barring some low-quality, off-air recorded monochrome trailers from the time, the entire series is believed to be lost.

Who’s in it. It's Murder. But Is It Art? stars Arthur Lowe as Phineas Drake, John Nolan as Brian Gower, Dudley Foster as Inspector Hook and Arthur Howard as Sillitoe, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 9.0/10, It's Murder. But Is It Art? sits among the best-reviewed titles in the catalogue.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch It's Murder. But Is It Art? page.

If you liked it. Fans of It's Murder. But Is It Art? tend to enjoy Rick and Morty, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Attack on Titan and Attack on Titan: No Regrets.