Jack Frost (detective)
Encyclopedia
Detective Chief Inspector William Edward "Jack" Frost, GC
is a fictional detective created by R. D. Wingfield
- characterised as sloppy, untidy, hopeless with paperwork - but unmatched at solving mysteries. The character has appeared in two radio plays, six published novels, and a TV series from 1992 to 2010.
on 12 February 1977. He was portrayed by Leslie Sands
. The character's second appearance was also on BBC Radio 4, in a play entitled A Touch of Frost, transmitted on 6 February 1982. In the second radio play the character was portrayed by Derek Martin
.
as William Edward Frost, with "Jack
" being a nickname. This series has been broadcast under the umbrella title A Touch of Frost
. To date, there have been thirty-seven stories broadcast (forty if two-part stories are counted individually). These have been released on VHS and DVD internationally.
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 (with David Jason
's support). The ending in which Frost dies was screened during a tribute to the show on ITV1 on April 6, 2010.
George Cross
The George Cross is the highest civil decoration of the United Kingdom, and also holds, or has held, that status in many of the other countries of the Commonwealth of Nations...
is a fictional detective created by R. D. Wingfield
R. D. Wingfield
Rodney David Wingfield was an English author and radio dramatist. He is best remembered for creating the character of Detective Inspector Jack Frost, who was later played by Sir David Jason in A Touch of Frost....
- characterised as sloppy, untidy, hopeless with paperwork - but unmatched at solving mysteries. The character has appeared in two radio plays, six published novels, and a TV series from 1992 to 2010.
Radio plays
The character first appeared in a radio play entitled Three Days of Frost first transmitted on BBC Radio 4BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
on 12 February 1977. He was portrayed by Leslie Sands
Leslie Sands
Leslie Sands was a British actor and writer of TV and film. Born in Bradford, Yorkshire, Sands usually specialized in dour types in authority, often policemen....
. The character's second appearance was also on BBC Radio 4, in a play entitled A Touch of Frost, transmitted on 6 February 1982. In the second radio play the character was portrayed by Derek Martin
Derek Martin
Derek Martin is a British actor who is best known for his role as Charlie Slater in the British soap opera EastEnders which he played from 2000 to 2011.-Personal life:...
.
Novels
Wingfield has published six novels about D. I. Frost:- Frost at ChristmasFrost at ChristmasFrost 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.-Plot:As Christmas approaches...
(1984 / 1995, Bantam Crimeline, New York), ISBN 0-553-57168-0 (U.S. mass market paperback edition) - A Touch of FrostA Touch of Frost (novel)A Touch of Frost is a crime novel by, R.D. Wingfield. The series inspired a popular television series of the same name, starring David Jason as the titular character, Detective Inspector Jack Frost; a disheveled, unorthodox and caustic police officer.-Plot summary:The murder of a local drug...
(1987 / 1995 Bantam Crimeline, New York), ISBN 0-553-57169-9 (U.S. mass market paperback edition) - Night FrostNight FrostNight 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. The novel was filmed for the ITV detective series A Touch of Frost....
(1992, Constable, London / 1995, Bantam Crimeline, New York), ISBN 0-553-57167-2 (U.S. mass market paperback edition) - Hard FrostHard frostA hard frost, also called a radiational freeze or frost, occurs when the winds are calm and the sky is clear, allowing an inversion to form because of rapid radiational cooling at the Earth's surface. When this happens the ground gets below freezing, often killing plants.-See also:* Frost * Frost...
(1995 UK & U.S.) ISBN 0-553-57170-2 (U.S. mass market paperback edition) - Winter Frost (1999, Constable, London / 2000 Corgi Books, London) ISBN 0-552-14778-8 (Corgi Books paperback)
- A Killing FrostA Killing Frost (novel)A Killing Frost is the sixth and final novel in the series created by R.D. Wingfield. It sees the slovenly, disorganised Detective Inspector Frost once again put under pressure to solve multiple complex cases in a short period of time, whilst attempting to avoid being sacked by his superior officers...
(2008, Bantam Press / Corgi Books, London) ISBN 0-552-15689-2 (Corgi Books paperback)
Television series
Beginning in 1992, television adaptations of the novels, and further stories based on the characters have been transmitted on ITV in the UK. The series stars David JasonDavid Jason
Sir David John White, OBE , better known by his stage name David Jason, is an English BAFTA award-winning actor. He is best known as the main character Derek "Del Boy" Trotter on the BBC sit-com Only Fools and Horses from 1981, the voice of Mr Toad in The Wind In The Willows and as detective Jack...
as William Edward Frost, with "Jack
Jack Frost
Jack Frost is a sprite-like character with roots in Viking lore. There, he is known as Jokul Frosti . In Britain and United States, Jack is a variant of Old Man Winter and is held responsible for frosty weather, for nipping the nose and toes in such weather, coloring the foliage in autumn, and...
" being a nickname. This series has been broadcast under the umbrella title A Touch of Frost
A Touch of Frost (TV series)
A Touch of Frost is a television detective series produced by Yorkshire Television for ITV from 1992 until 2010, initially based on the Frost novels by R. D. Wingfield....
. To date, there have been thirty-seven stories broadcast (forty if two-part stories are counted individually). These have been released on VHS and DVD internationally.
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 (with David Jason
David Jason
Sir David John White, OBE , better known by his stage name David Jason, is an English BAFTA award-winning actor. He is best known as the main character Derek "Del Boy" Trotter on the BBC sit-com Only Fools and Horses from 1981, the voice of Mr Toad in The Wind In The Willows and as detective Jack...
's support). The ending in which Frost dies was screened during a tribute to the show on ITV1 on April 6, 2010.