Category Archives: TV Series

1994, British Mystery Series, Cooking and food, Detective, TV Series

Pie in the Sky (1994)

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From NetFlix:

In spite of an intense desire to leave police work forever, Detective Inspector Henry Crabbe (Richard Griffiths) finds himself continually pulled in to help solve crimes even after leaving the force to open his dream restaurant, Pie in the Sky. It seems that Assistant Chief Constable Freddie Fisher (Malcolm Sinclair) can’t manage without Crabbe’s brainpower — and refuses to grant him full retirement. Maggie Steed co-stars in this BBC comedy-drama.

Detective Crabbe spends probably more time talking about food than he does working as a detective. Many episodes do not even involve a murder. Which is a way of saying, these episodes from BBC TV are “gentle” detective stories which do not offer grim situations.

More “As Time Goes By” rather than “Waking the Dead”. Try a few. The series went on for years.

2011, Adventure, Based on a Book, British, Crude Talk, DO NOT MISS, Explicit sex, Explicit sexual discussion, Fantasy, Made For TV, Nudity, Orchestral Music, Revenge, TV Series, Violent, Vulgar

Game of Thrones (2011)

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From NetFlix:

When a power vacuum emerges in the mythical land of Westeros following mighty King Robert’s death, several noble families, including the Starks, Lannisters and Baratheons, wage war against each other for control of the vacant Iron Throne. Full of political and sexual intrigue, this fantasy series, based on George R.R. Martin’s “A Song of Ice and Fire” novels, also chronicles the rise of an ancient evil, which threatens the entire kingdom.

UPDATE: April 2016

Only 5 seasons are available at this time.  Season 6 has not yet appeared.   If you don’t mind violence, nudity, crude language, cruelty, etc. then this series continues to be spellbinding. By this time Peter Dinklage has made his fame with his portrayal of Tyrion Lannister. And those dragons are really cool.

If you want details just go to Wikipedia.

Season One consists of 5 disks. You might not like this series unless you enjoy such guilty pleasures as intrigue, nudity, fantasy, sex, revenge, and violence. In other words: What’s not to like?

Among the huge cast you will notice:

  • Sean Bean (as Eddard Stark) was Boromir in “Lord of the Rings”.
  • Peter Dinklage plays Tyrion Lannister who throughout the story calls himself a dwarf. You might remember him from Death at a Funeral (2007) or The Station Agent (2003)
  • Iain Glen (as Ser Jorah Mormont) appears in many British productions. He was the wonderful villain Vaughan Edwards in part of MI-5

Production values are excellent. Note especially the opening of each episode in which the camera pans an abstract model of the entire mythical kingdom.

If this kind of fantasy is your cup of tea, then I would call “Game of Thrones” as DO NOT MISS!

2011, Clever Plot, Crime, Detective, DO NOT MISS, Drama, Dysfunctional Lives, FBI, Grim, Murder Investigation, Mystery Film, Politicians, TV Series, Violent, Wonderful acting

The Killing (2011)

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From Net Flix:

The disappearance of a young Seattle girl sets in motion this moody crime series centering on a detective — Sarah Linden — who’s trying to start a new life in California but is unable to walk away from the mysteries posed by the complex case.

Three years after I first wrote this review (2014), Kathy and I have just finished streaming all 26 episodes of season one plus season two (no, not in one sitting). You must see both seasons to see the entire Rosie Larsen story. Amazon Prime offers four seasons for free. You can also use your Roku to search for all streaming sources for any given film, series, or whatever. There is more than one streaming source for “The Killing”.

This TV series from 2011 is well-written, well-acted, and immensely engaging. How, you might ask, can you spend two TV years investigating just one murder? As soon as you start the series you will understand how the plot intertwines many connected and well-constructed threads.

Rosie Larsen is found drowned in a sunken car. Finding her killer involves her family, her teachers, her friends, two starring detectives, and, possibly most interesting of all, an politician running for the office of Seattle’s mayor against a corrupt incumbent. Searching for that murder brings sorrow, family dysfunction, violence, false leads, FBI involvement, unjustified persecution, and the list goes on.

At times the series seemed to drag. An awful lot of time was spent watching the Larsen family suffer the effects of the murder. Just as much time was spent watching the detective Sarah get so involved with the case that she as a single mother does NOT do a good job raising her son. Thank goodness she has the support of her partner detective Holder.

Many surprises are in store, especially in the last episode. It is perhaps realistic and to the writer’s credit that some of the bad guys get away with their skullduggery.

Watching this series from week to week would have been sheer torture. Thank goodness the NetFlix discs let us watch episode after episode without foolish interruptions such as food, sleep, etc.

DO NOT MISS!

2000, British Mystery Series, Could Be Hard To Watch, Detective, Disturbing Image, DO NOT MISS, Drama, Grim, Gritty, Occasional gore, Police Story, Serial Killer, Suspense, TV Series, Violent, Wonderful acting

Without Motive (2000)

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From NetFlix:

Jack Mowbray is a dedicated police officer and a devoted family man. When a vicious serial killer terrorizes Bristol, England, Jack’s obsessive attitude toward the case may nab the culprit while also tearing apart his personal life.

This British TV series comes in 4 discs. Each disc contains 2 episodes. Discs 1 and 2 are one complete story. Discs 3 and 4 are another complete story.

Watching the first story is a bit harrowing. But in fact my experience in general is that British mystery, or suspense, or MI-5 adventures are all tough to watch. Characters get killed. Marriages run into difficulties because of the obsessive attention to crime solving by one of the marriage partners. Some scenes are especially gory. Some characters are really nasty.

Acting in general is almost always professional and wonderful, so much so that British TV of this nature often makes its American counterparts seem weak and tepid.

One example of cringe-worthy acting in story one is the scene in which a Welsh police official is “retired”. You see a tired, stressed, overweight, but not very capable man who has made a muddle of things and mislead the investigation. When he is in an office with two of his superiors and his boss tells him he is off the force, the stream of self-excusing babble that comes out of the poor man’s mouth would embarrass anyone.

Officers come off as crude bullies. In contrast Jack Mowbray is a decent fellow obsessed with finding the serial killer who has moved his killing operations to the very area where Jack lives. Jack’s wife is terrified. Jack’s stressed-out behavior is ugly to watch.

First rate watching if you can stand the tension.

1992, British Mystery Series, Clever Plot, DO NOT MISS, Gritty, Lawyers, Made For TV, Rape, Revenge, TV Series

The Guilty (1992)

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From NetFlix:

Wildly disparate lives converge in this two-part television thriller about a respected London barrister facing a career-ending rape charge and a punk ex-con caught up in a dangerous conspiracy while searching for his biological father.

Michael Kitchen is probably best know to you as Foyle of the British TV series “Foyle’s War” which is a must-see in its own right. Foyle is the good guy. However, in “The Guilty” Michael Kitchen plays the London barrister-rapist Steven Vey who is definitely the bad guy. He portrays perfectly a cynical cad caught up in his own evil past.

His victims come together by twists of fate in this clever plot. Stay tuned to see what happens to the lawyer-as-monster.

Two DVD disks from NetFlix offer English subtitles.

DO NOT MISS !

2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, British, Complicated, Computer geeks, Conspiracy, Cynical, DO NOT MISS, Flirting, Love Story, Made For TV, Political Suspense, Suspense, Terrorist Attack, Torture, TV Series, Wonderful acting

MI-5

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From NetFlix:

This award-winning series dramatizes the professional exploits and personal lives of the “spooks” of MI-5, the British equivalent of the FBI. No-nonsense head officer Harry Pearce (Peter Firth) guides a band of dedicated spies who risk their lives every day. The team includes expert and junior members who must balance real life with the job’s requirement for complete secrecy, no matter the cost. Matthew Macfadyen and Richard Armitage co-star.

Beginning in 2002 and continuing at least to 2010, this British TV-series is “utterly smashing”. Intense, sometimes hard to watch, but incredibly exciting in just about every episode. What makes some episodes difficult to watch is that the members of MI-5 are forced at times to make hard decisions that involve “collateral damage” (meaning some poor soul dies), so much so that those members are often damaged themselves and actually leave MI-5 (i.e. leave the show). In fact, be prepared for many, sometimes disappointing cast changes. For example Rupert William Penry-Jones (the character Adam Carter) started the show and then disappeared for awhile to be replaced by Matthew Macfadyen (the character Tom Quinn) who then leaves the show and is replaced by Rupert William Penry-Jones.

There are too many wonderful characters to even mention them. You can find them all listed in IMDB.

In addition to spook plots, there are also many romances. But any romance for a member of MI-5 is next to impossible because even their significant others cannot know what these spooks do for a living.

2010, Based on true facts, Drama, Made For TV, TV Series

Any Human Heart (2010)

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From NetFlix:

Riding the waves of the 20th century to two continents, Logan Mountstuart tries his hand at writing, the art trade and espionage, brushing shoulders along the way with a stunning assortment of iconic personalities. Jim Broadbent, Matthew Macfadyen and Sam Claflin pool their acting talents to portray one multifaceted man through three different seasons of his life in this sweeping British drama based on William Boyd’s best-selling novel.

Matthew Macfadyen seems noticeably older in this 2010 British two-DVD TV-series than he did eight years prior as Tom Quinn in the part of MI-5 made in 2002-2004. But that is as it should be because he plays the middle age part of the three ages of Logan Mountstuart.

Jim Broadbent as usual does a good job. This time he is the aged Montstuart.

For what it is worth, you might recognize the actor who plays Ernest Hemingway as the same actor who played the son of Inspector Foyle in the British TV series “Foyle’s War”.

British Masterpiece TV series should be your cup of tea in order to enjoy this pair of DVDs. Although there is a minimum of royalty involved, Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson play a significant role in the story. Every British drama that I have seen that involves Edward and Wallis has in one way or other condemned the couple. In this regard “Any Human Heart” is no exception. Logan is sent to spy on the couple because it is believed that Edward is war-profiteering by dealing in currencies. There is also the suggestion that Edward had a man burned to death in his bed. If this star-cursed couple interest you, then there are even more lurid facts in the Wikipedia article.

For a good discussion of the book by William Boyd see the Wikipedia article.

2009, Acceptable Trash, Comedy, Explicit sex, Explicit sexual discussion, Melodrama, Mostly About Sex, Nudity, Sex Scenes, TV Series

Hung (2009)

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From NetFlix:

Desperate for money after his house burns down, high school basketball coach Ray Drecker (Thomas Jane) makes a drastic decision: He becomes a male escort. With his old flame Tanya (Jane Adams) marketing his “winning tool,” Ray begins servicing the women of Detroit. Meanwhile, he deals with his difficult ex-wife, Jessica (Anne Heche), and her new husband, Ronnie (Eddie Jemison), while trying to help his offbeat teenage kids with their problems.

Ignore the tired joke. This TV series is NOT pornography. In fact there is very little actual sexual activity shown. This series is more a comic soap opera in which a very diverse cast of characters interact. In some ways “Hung” is the Breaking Bad (2008) of the sex world. We are supposed to rationalize Ray Drecker’s new career choice because he has money problems just as we were supposed to justify Walter White’s crystal meth lab because he also has money problems. Just ignore this form of moral retardation and enjoy the fun (in both TV series).

Thomas Jane (Ray Drecker) was 40 when he acted in season 1. Since he was born in Baltimore he MUST be a good actor although I have not yet seen him in anything else.

Jane Adams was Sheila in Little Children (2006). Here she plays Tanya Skagle who is Ray Drecker’s “pimp”. (This is NOT as sordid as it may sound.)

Anne Heche is perfect as Ray’s annoying and neurotic ex-wife Jessica. If I were one of her children, I wouldn’t like her either.

Only one objection comes to mind: Ray and Jessica are physically attractive. So how is it possible that their twin children Damon and Darby are so physically unappealing (to say the least) ? Damon is a Goth who paints his nails black.

2010, British Mystery Series, Could Be Hard To Watch, Crime, Dark, Detective, Grim, Gritty, Kidnapping, Nudity, Occasional gore, Sadism, Serial Killer, Suspense, Torture, TV Series, Violent

Luther (2010)

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From NetFlix:

Idris Elba (“The Wire”) stars in this powerful television drama as Det. John Luther, whose personal demons complicate the chase as he searches for the evidence to convict mass murderer Alice Morgan (Ruth Wilson), who is also his closest confidante. Luther’s marriage to the long-suffering Zoe (Indira Varma) is equally complicated, and after she leaves him, he pours even more frenetic energy into the pursuit of London’s most nefarious criminals.

So grim at times that wife Kathy left the room during certain scenes, this well-done detective series will hold your attention. Each episode is self-contained although throughout the entire series the super intelligent and equally psychotic Alice meddles with every plot. We almost did not get past the initial episode because Luther is seemingly so out of control it was messy to watch. However, we did continue and it did pay off.

It seems to me that TV series such as “Law and Order: Special Victims”, “Criminal Minds”, and the other wannabees are competing to be every more gory and explicit. In this respect “Luther” is no exception. In one episode the sadist kidnaps a mother, stores her alive in a freezer, drains her blood, and freezes her to death (which is where Kathy fled from the TV screen). Is this entertainment? At least NOT FOR CHILDREN !

And to think I enjoyed the series !

2010, Cowboy, Crime, Detective, Drugs, Made For TV, Police Story, Sex Scenes, TV Series, Violent, Vulgar

Justified (2010)

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From NetFlix:

Based on an Elmore Leonard short story, “Justified” stars Timothy Olyphant as Raylan Givens, a young U.S. Marshal who’s been assigned to help keep order in the same Kentucky region where he spent his childhood. Givens is a thoughtful but determined old-style lawman who seems strangely out of place in a modern, turbulent society. That places him at odds not only with the criminals he pursues, but also with his bosses at the U.S. Marshals Service.

“Justified” gets its name from the pattern adopted by this TV series: U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens at least once in each episode is placed in a duel-like situation in which his gun is holstered and the one or more bad guys are armed visibly or with hidden weapons. Now these guys are soooooo bad that they are worth killing. Moreover the bad guy(s) always shoot first. Needless to say our hero Marshal Givens always gets his man. So you usually see a neat little bullet hole and maybe some blood. At any rate, the killing is JUSTIFIED (get it?) .

Actually the atmosphere is just like the home town feeling of the vampire series “True Blood” because Raylan was assigned to his old home town in Kentucky and knows a lot of good guys and bad guys. The badest guy of all is Raylan’s nasty crook of a father – and now we know why our hero became a police officer.

And yes Raylan does get to sleep with an attractive woman (with the required air of legal reluctance, “We should not do this too often”).

All said, the series is a lot of fun, the plots are not bad, and Timothy Olyphant knows how to act tongue in cheek. Try it, you’ll like it!