Detective and Mystery Shows

[roseha]

8 hours ago, Writing Wrongs said:

I don't care for Mike's ex-wife on Brokenwood.

Actually he has or has had several (I kind of agree on the latest one though).  One identified herself as such to Simms in the first episode (I think she does publicity or something in the big city?).  Also, it seemed to me to be implied, though never stated, that the woman he knew to be in witness protection in Season One - "Tanya" I think? - was also one of his exes?  Did everyone else come to that conclusion?  I wondered at the time if her kids were also his.   Or maybe it was all speculation on my part but he seemed very close to her.

[krankydoodle]

I enjoyed Safe and The Five (though found the endings of both a bit disappointing), so I'm really looking forward to the newest Harlan Coben adaptation coming up on Netflix. I haven't read The Stranger, but the premise seems interesting. Plus it stars Richard Armitage, which means I'll stick with it even if I don't like anything else about the series.

[dubbel zout]

I started watching the Jack Taylor movies (they're on Netflix), and I'm liking them. They're just dark enough without the lead having some dumb tragic backstory. Just a normal Irish childhood, heh. The Galway location adds a lot.

[dleighg]

3 hours ago, dubbel zout said:

The Galway location adds a lot.

I love those island locations 🙂 Will have to check it out

[LisaM]

I watched the first few early episodes of Silent Witness but decided it was too violent. I've heard that the show is pretty good. Perhaps I will skip forward a few seasons to when the new lead actress takes over? 

[dgpolo]

On 7/22/2019 at 6:20 PM, LisaM said:

have just started Waking the Dead

My sister just started watching Waking the Dead and had a question I couldn't answer since it's been a while for me. In the episodes Thin Air, that's the one with the girl in the red dress that disappeared, she says the murderer of the girl is never confronted about the murder of the nanny and the son had admitted to it. Did the son do it? My sister thought he didn't have a reason to do so or even was capable of it. Anyone remember?

[Writing Wrongs]

Finished Brokenwood Mysteries. I wish Mike would tell Gina plainly that he is not interested in her. I feel bad for her.

[LisaM]

I just watched one of the new Brokenwood Mysteries - the one involving the murder which occurred during the duck shooting. One of my favorite things about this show is how they keep bringing back recurring characters from earlier episodes; this time, it was Dennis, the slimy attorney, and the owner of the local pub, whose name I cannot remember. 

I love how this show can go from witty and irreverent to dangerous and deadly in a flash. 

[statsgirl]

On 1/10/2020 at 7:00 PM, roseha said:

I'm wondering if I should start on Murdoch Mysteries next?  I just saw that it has 13 seasons available!

The early seasons have only 13 episodes so they are like half seasons in North America. I think when it moved to the CBC in season 7 it moved to 18.

I've been watching from the start and I really enjoy the show. It's fun and pokes fun at itself and pretty much historically accurate.  The latest Hallowe'en episodes are especially poking fun at themselves.

[LisaM]

Finished Brokenwood Mysteries last night. The episode set inside the prison was one of my all-series favorites. Great to see the returning prisoners and to recall their crimes. A very strong episode with several good twists. Fingers crossed for Season 7. 

I agree with Writing Wrongs that Mike should tell Gina that he is not interested. I love Gina and feel badly for her because the others are laughing at her. 

[Irlandesa]

I'm of two minds with Gina on Brokenwood.  Having Mike tell her no would hopefully end that story.  The fact that they haven't had him say that makes me wonder if they're keeping the door open to that possibility.

On the other hand, and I usually hate the "reverse gender" argument but I'm going to use it here, if Gina were a man, she'd probably be called creepy.  I actually don't feel bad for her and do find her a bit creepy when it comes to Mike.  No Mike hasn't come out and explicitly said that he wasn't interested but he has given her a soft "no" in so many ways in order to preserve their professional and sometimes friendly relationship.  Every time she has given him hints, he has rather elegantly pivoted their dynamic back to where he feels comfortable.  She's just ignoring it.

[dgpolo]

13 hours ago, Irlandesa said:

On the other hand, and I usually hate the "reverse gender" argument but I'm going to use it here, if Gina were a man, she'd probably be called creepy. 

I've thought this for a while. I know they are playing it for laughs but it makes me uncomfortable.

[roseha]

I feel kind of torn, I guess, I understand why people are sorry for her and think that Mike should be more forthcoming, but I also kind of feel that Gina is too smart to not realize deep down that Mike is not really interested in her, it's almost that she's deliberately deluding herself for whatever reason, or trying to force him to care about her.  Maybe they are carrying it too far in this latest episode though, what with the dinner ending.  However,  Sims did lie that Mike wanted to invite Gina over in order to get her to speed up her work.

In other matters, who else has the feeling that sooner or later we will see

Spoiler

Trudy back in the slammer

for some reason or another?  That's if the show is being renewed, which I hope it is.  I do agree with @LisaM that it is great at veering from comedy to near tragedy as in Episode 3.  And we certainly had a classic scene with in that episode with Frodo convinced of his non-existent guilt.  After all, as Mrs. Marlowe notes, Frodo does have bad luck!

[krankydoodle]

On 1/24/2020 at 9:12 PM, dgpolo said:

My sister just started watching Waking the Dead and had a question I couldn't answer since it's been a while for me. In the episodes Thin Air, that's the one with the girl in the red dress that disappeared, she says the murderer of the girl is never confronted about the murder of the nanny and the son had admitted to it. Did the son do it? My sister thought he didn't have a reason to do so or even was capable of it. Anyone remember?

I started watching the episode again to try to answer your question, but I could only stand Boyd for about 20 minutes before I had to give up. Sorry.

[LisaM]

I've finished watching the new episodes of Vera, Agatha Raisin and Brokenwood Mysteries and am in need of a new show. Has anyone seen the Rachel Griffiths show Dead Lucky on Acorn? 

[krankydoodle]

I haven't seen that one yet. It's an older show, but have you watched A Touch of Frost? David Jason is an appealing lead and the show ran for years, so there's a good number of episodes.

[LisaM]

On 2/28/2020 at 5:34 PM, krankydoodle said:

I haven't seen that one yet. It's an older show, but have you watched A Touch of Frost? David Jason is an appealing lead and the show ran for years, so there's a good number of episodes.

I have not so thanks very much for the suggestion! 

[krankydoodle]

18 hours ago, LisaM said:

I have not so thanks very much for the suggestion! 

Let us know what you think of it!

[dgpolo]

21 minutes ago, krankydoodle said:

Let us know what you think of it!

I know I enjoyed it way more than I thought I would. Not what I expected and one of the few series ends that I actually liked.

[TaraS1]

On 4/22/2019 at 7:50 AM, LisaM said:

I loved Vera and cannot wait for the next series. 

I just signed up for Acorn and Britbox a few weeks ago and I'm on S5 of Vera right now.  I love it!  For me, it's the perfect balance of gritty/cozy, if that makes any sense.  Brenda Blethyn just has such a comforting presence, and she can say so much with just an expression or a raised eyebrow.  But I will say I was heartbroken when S5 started and there was a casting change that I didn't know was coming.

On 5/12/2019 at 10:07 AM, LisaM said:

I started watching Line of Duty last night in anticipation of the new 5th season premiering on May 13 on Acorn. I'm only on Season 1, Episode 3 but I am hooked. 

I binged all five seasons in about a week or so, and I loved every second of it.  It's easily one of my favorite new shows that I've watched the last few years.  Bent coppers!!

[Koalagirl]

I stumbled across the Frankie Drake series a few months ago and was able to watch the first two seasons. Season 3 just started. It’s a Canadian series with a female lead as the detective with a female supporting cast.  Takes place in the 1920’s and the fashions are wonderful.

[blackwing]

I saw a reference to it upthread, but is anyone else watching High Seas (Alta Mar)  Spanish murder mystery show on Netflix set aboard a cruise ship in the 1940s traveling from Spain to Brazil.  I just finished the first season and I loved everything about it, it's very Agatha Christie-like.  There's a bit too many characters (I would have gladly lost the owner's sister, the lounge singer, and her boyfriend) and it was hard to keep track of in the end.  But the central mystery is revealed like an onion over the course of the season.  Very well done.

Now on to Season 2!

[EyewatchTV211]

My parents introduced me to a few episodes of Brokenwood Mysteries. And with this whole Covid quarantine thing, I was able to get a free trial of Acorn myself. I went ahead and finished what has been made so far. I am enjoying the series. Like others, glad that Jared returned but sad that Kahu is no longer on. 

[LisaM]

In my search for shows to binge, I found one on ACORN which is pretty good. It's called Murder in Suburbia (terrible title) about 2 female police detectives in 2005. I think there are 12 -14 episodes in total. The detectives have a nice rapport. The overall tone is light with some snark.

[BlackberryJam]

I watched Murder in Suburbia back in the day. I enjoyed it until it became all about their personal lives.

[LisaM]

On 4/13/2020 at 12:54 PM, BlackberryJam said:

I watched Murder in Suburbia back in the day. I enjoyed it until it became all about their personal lives.

I just finished the second (and last) season and I have to agree with you. I still enjoyed it - and particularly liked the banter between the two leads - but the constant emphasis on their dating lives became very tiresome. 

Any suggestions for a similar series to binge? One with humor in the vein of Midsomer Murders and Brokenwood Mysteries. 

[LisaM]

On 1/18/2020 at 9:45 AM, krankydoodle said:

I enjoyed Safe and The Five (though found the endings of both a bit disappointing), so I'm really looking forward to the newest Harlan Coben adaptation coming up on Netflix. I haven't read The Stranger, but the premise seems interesting. Plus it stars Richard Armitage, which means I'll stick with it even if I don't like anything else about the series.

I watched The Five last weekend. I actually liked the ending. The lead actress had previously played a role on No Offence (which I loved) so it was nice to see her again. Did you watch The Stranger? If so, how was it? 

[auntjess]

I watch true crime more, but a DC group on Facebook posted this on free DC film noir.
http://www.filmfestdc.org/?fbclid=IwAR2hcsl-fc7xQnOEbxey6LSFUF_sB4aDwoyjgSr39nq7PfI1gKDPQM38I4I

[Irlandesa]

2 hours ago, LisaM said:

Did you watch The Stranger? If so, how was it? 

Not as good as The Five (which I liked a lot) but I found it pretty bingeable.  It was somewhat predictable in some ways but it was pretty fast paced.

2 hours ago, LisaM said:

Any suggestions for a similar series to binge? One with humor in the vein of Midsomer Murders and Brokenwood Mysteries. 

I'm assuming you've got Acorn stuff, in English, covered.  How do you feel about foreign language shows?

[LisaM]

9 hours ago, Irlandesa said:

Not as good as The Five (which I liked a lot) but I found it pretty bingeable.  It was somewhat predictable in some ways but it was pretty fast paced.

I'm assuming you've got Acorn stuff, in English, covered.  How do you feel about foreign language shows?

I'm on Episode 4 of The Stranger. So far, I agree with you. It is good but not as compelling as The Five. 

I've never watched foreign language shows but I'm willing to give it a shot if I can find one which leans closer to humor/mild than to dark and gritty. 

Edited April 19, 2020 by LisaM

[BlackberryJam]

I binged was The Mallorca Files which was on Britbox or Acorn...I forget. I thoroughly enjoyed it. A British police officer and a German police officer working together. It’s light without being ridiculous. The mysteries are solid. There is enough about the leads personally without it being over wrought. 

I recommend.

Edited April 19, 2020 by BlackberryJam

[Irlandesa]

7 hours ago, LisaM said:

I've never watched foreign language shows but I'm willing to give it a shot if I can find one which leans closer to humor/mild than to dark and gritty. 

On Acorn, some I have enjoyed are

Balthazar:  A French show about a pathologist who works with a detective to solve cases.  He talks to the dead (but it's not supernatural, just his head having the conversation.)  So far Acorn has the first season with the second season (which already aired in France) on its way.

Description from Acorn

Lord and Master: This is a Dutch show about a mega rich guy who works with a detective to solve crimes.  It's super light hearted and a little over the top (before he engages in another romantic interlude, he says "Every day is Valentine's Day" because his name is Valentijn.  There are two seasons and a wrap up movie. 

Description from Acorn

Available from other services

Origines: It's another French show about a genealogist working to solve crimes with a detective.  There are two seasons and I'm only midway through the first but I enjoy it.  Both seasons are available on Prime and the first season is available (or at least was) available on one of the free sites like Tubi.

Description from Tubi

Casting warning about the last two series: 

Spoiler

Both shows change their lead female detectives in between the first and second seasons. 

I've also heard Professor T is good.  It's from Belgium.  I've only seen one episode, though and it's airing on PBS and an obscure streaming site.

English shows include things like Death in Paradise which used to be on Netflix but is now on Britbox; although I don't think they have the full series.  That one changes its lead detective often.

I know there are people who really like Harrow on Hulu. It's from Australia and stars Ioan Gruffudd. I had a tough time getting into it but I might try again while I have Hulu.

Hulu description

I think that's a start.  I'll try to think of more. Of these, I'd start with Balthazar.  It's the newest and has the fewest episodes available.

[LisaM]

BlackberryJam and Irlandesa: thanks very much! Now that I've finished The Stranger, I will look into each of these suggestions. I've seen the ads for The Mallorca Files and for Balthazar, so I think I will start with those two. My friend watches Death in Paradise and enjoys it. I've heard that there are some very good Scandanavian shows but I fear that they may be too dark. 

[Irlandesa]

2 hours ago, LisaM said:

I've heard that there are some very good Scandanavian shows but I fear that they may be too dark. 

I guess it depends on how you'd define dark.  The shows I mentioned above tend to be more light hearted and procedural. 

The Scandanavian shows I've seen, or those that became popular, tend to be more serious like shows like Shetland (or the The Five or The Stranger).  They tend to have season long mystery arcs.  But I guess I see dark as sort of depressing and that isn't always the case with these shows.

For instance, one of my favorites is Trapped.  It takes place in Iceland.  A murder happens and everyone is kind of stuck in one town because the bay is frozen over (the ferry can't leave) and the mountain passes are snow covered.  So there's a lot of snow and it takes place at night but I don't think I'd call it dark.

[dubbel zout]

The Valhalla Murders on Netflix is pretty good without being too Scandi-bleak. It's also set in Iceland.

[LisaM]

In the middle of The Mallorca Files. Exactly what I was looking for! 

Thanks @BlackberryJam! 

[LisaM]

I started Balthazar tonight. Off to a great start. Thanks Irlandesa!

[Irlandesa]

On 4/23/2020 at 10:03 PM, LisaM said:

I started Balthazar tonight. Off to a great start. Thanks Irlandesa!

And season 2 came out Monday.  I haven't started that yet but I'm looking forward to it.

On 4/20/2020 at 10:25 AM, dubbel zout said:

The Valhalla Murders on Netflix is pretty good without being too Scandi-bleak. It's also set in Iceland.

I'm in the middle of that one.  The subject matter is pretty heavy but it moves quickly.

[One4Sorrow2TooBad]

Watched the final of season 5 of Endeavour on PBS, great series!

[LisaM]

I am on the last episode of Balthazar season 2. I think that this is now my second favorite show on AcornTV - right after No Offence.

The chemistry between the leads is off the charts and the mysteries have good twists/turns. This is the first foreign language show I've seen. I thought I would be bothered by the subtitles but, other than having to pay more attention, they have not detracted at all from my enjoyment.

Highly recommended.

[TaraS1]

I tried a show on Britbox this weekend called 35 Days (or 35 Diwrnod, it's all in Welsh) and it was pretty terrible IMO.  It starts out showing you the crime/murder and then all the episodes are about what happens in the 35 days leading up to it.  Apparently it's three seasons, all featuring a different crime, but S1 was so bad I can't see myself giving the other two a shot.

But I also finished all five seasons of Shetland and enjoyed it tremendously.  Tosh is the best!

[LisaM]

I watched "Safe" - one of the Harlan Coben British mysteries on Netflix this weekend. I had previously seen The Five and The Stranger - both of which were pretty good. Safe was not nearly as good IMO. Michael C. Hall did a horrible British accent and the story was not compelling. 

Now looking for another binge. 

[Irlandesa]

2 hours ago, LisaM said:

Now looking for another binge. 

Speaking of Scandanavian shows, I forgot to mention Bordertown. The third and final season premieres next Monday.   The good thing about it is that it's somewhat episodic.  The first mystery goes over three episodes but the rest are usually done over two episodes.  So you won't need to stick with full seasons for closure if you realize it's not for you.

[LisaM]

I started Shakespeare & Hathaway last evening and am alternating it with Doc Martin (a non-mystery British show). 

I read that Harlan Coben's latest British mystery is due to drop on Netflix in June. 

I tried to find Coroner (the Canadian show - not the British one entitled The Coroner) but have been unable to locate a streaming service which carries it. 

[dargosmydaddy]

On 5/9/2020 at 7:38 AM, LisaM said:

I tried to find Coroner (the Canadian show - not the British one entitled The Coroner) but have been unable to locate a streaming service which carries it. 

Apparently it's going to air on the CW later this year.

[krankydoodle]

My Acorn subscription lapsed, but their new show looks like fun:

It's premiering next week, so if anyone watches it, please share your opinion!

[roseha]

On 5/13/2020 at 7:15 PM, krankydoodle said:

My Acorn subscription lapsed, but their new show looks like fun:

It's premiering next week, so if anyone watches it, please share your opinion!

I just saw this!  I love photography and I'm ready to watch it for the subject matter alone.  I'll be sure to try it.

[Irlandesa]

Another show I had somewhat forgotten about but people in this thread might enjoy (I apologize if I've mentioned it here before) was a one season show called Battle Creek that is currently living on Netflix.

It was originally created by Vince Gilligan but he didn't have much to do with its actual development on CBS.  It only got a second look as a script because of the success of Breaking Bad.  David Shore (the man behind House) was in charge of it. But CBS buried it as a midseason replacement and I didn't think they promoted it well enough. It was probably too comic/quirky for the network with more "serious" procedurals on it at the time.  Had it been on USA, it probably would have been a hit.

It's about a cop in Battle Creek, Michigan, in a cash strapped department (played by Dean WInters) who works with an FBI agent (played by Josh Duhamel).  It has been a hot minute since I watched the show but I remember really enjoying it and I think I'm going to go back for a rewatch.  Kal Penn is also in it.

[dubbel zout]

I vaguely remember this show. It had a good cast. There was some sort of Big Sekrit that never got resolved because the show was canceled.

[LisaM]

I'm watching Loch Ness on AcornTV - one season with 6-8 episodes. It centers around 2 female cops trying to solve multiple murders by a serial killer. The scenery is beautiful - but not quite as gorgeous as Cornwall from Doc Martin, which I just finished binge watching. So far, this is not bad.