Category Archives: Detective

2014, Abduction, Acorn TV, Asperger's Syndrome, Autism, Bloody scenes, British Mystery Series, Child abuse, Detective, Eccentric Detective, Mildly Violent, Mother-daughter relations, Nudity, Police Politics, Serial Killer, Suspense, TV Series

Chasing Shadows (2014)

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From Acorn TV:

Reece Shearsmith stars as DS Sean Stone, who has an uncanny ability to identify and predict patterns of human behavior. He knows how people work, but he doesn’t understand them.

Welcome to another “Eccentric Detective” TV Series. Most certainly DS Sean Stone must lie somewhere on the Asbergers-Autism spectrum.  In fact autism in a person often exhibits as extreme ability with patterns coupled with a corresponding inability to understand human emotions.  Needles to say his lone wolf behavior and air of infallibility drive his colleagues to puzzlement,  anger, and exasperation whereas his pattern recognition abilities earn respect.  His superiors want to get rid of him while some colleagues defend him.

Good plots, good acting, and an unusual detective make for compelling entertainment (as long as you don’t mind a nasty serial killer or two).

 

1997, Acorn TV, Bloody scenes, British, Bullying, Coming-of-age, Crime, Detective, Fascists, Father-daughter relations, Father-son relations, Insurance Fraud, Marital Infidelity, Mother-daughter relations, Murder Investigation, Sexual Harassment, TV Series, Violent

The Broker’s Man (1997)

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From Acorn TV:

There’s never a dull moment in the world of insurance investigation at least not when Jimmy Griffin is involved. An affable ex-cop, his cunning and insight are well-suited to the business of exposing the criminals of insurance fraud.

Kevin Whately is Jimmy Griffen in this series from 1997-1998. You will recognize him when he was 36 years old as Detective Lewis the sidekick to Inspector Morse during 1987-2000.  Ten years later he is Jimmy Griffen in “The Broker’s Man”.  Later when he was 58 years old he had his own series as Inspector Lewis in 2011,2012, and 2015.

Whereas “Grantchester” is civilized, “The Broker’s Man” has a bit more graphic violence. People are beaten, sent to the hospital, and look pretty awful as a result.

Series 1 has 3 episodes. Series 2 has 6 episodes. Each episode runs under one hour. Continuing through all the episodes is a thread in which Jimmy Griffen is trying to get back with his kids and with his wife from whom, at the beginning of the series, he is separated.  In fact his family life is a big part of the series. For example, his daughter entering adulthood has social and school problems.

Nothing special, but watchable.

 

2002, Assisted Suicide, Contract Killing, Detective, Forensics, Murder Investigation, Plot Twist, Serial Killer, Suspense, Terminal Disease

Killing Emmett Young (2002)

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From Amazon Prime:

Detective Emmett Young (Scott Wolf) is determined to rid Philadelphia of a psychotic serial killer.

One hour and 44 minutes of twists, turns, and near misses that will keep you pinned to your seat. Streams from Amazon Prime.

Scott Wolf plays the young detective. Although I can find no mention of Scott Wolf in association with “The Good Wife”,  I am convinced he played the young lawyer that kept jumping law firms.  Nonetheless he has an impressive resume.

Originally this film was called “Emmett’s Mark” whose IMDB writeup states:

In order to avoid the debilitating effects of a terminal illness, a young detective orders a hit on himself.

At any rate the entire film is a series of chagrining twists of fate that are maddening to watch but compelling.

One of the villains in this story is none other than Gabriel Byrne a con man who takes out Emmett’s own contract to kill himself, i.e. Emmett, so that he does not have to linger in a fatal disease.

Highly recommended suspenseful detective story.

 

2013, Acorn TV, Based on a Book, Canadian Mystery Series, Canadian Police, Detective, Forensics, Gay theme, Made For TV, Murder Investigation, Small Town Atmosphere

Still Life: A Three Pines Mystery (2013)

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From IMDB:

Chief Inspector Armand Gamache and his team arrive in Three Pines to solve the unusual murder of a much-loved woman and find dark secrets shadowing this usually peaceful village.

Canadian author Louise Penny has written a series of eleven mystery novels set around the life of Chief Inspector Armand Gamache (a Wikipedia article) a member of the provincial police force for Quebec. The first of these novels “Still Life” was presented as a 1 hour 25 minutesTV movie in 2013.  Most of the stories occur in the fictional town of Three Pines. To quote from the above linked Wikipedia article:

The Chief Inspector Armand Gamache book series contains little or no sex or violence and has been referred to as a kinder and gentler alternative to modern crime fiction.

Chief Inspector Gamache is played by Nathaniel Parker whose resume is quite long. Perhaps you remember him as Inspector Lynley in the 2001-2007 “The Inspector Lynley Mysteries” TV series.

Recall that Acorn TV presents British entertainment: Britain, Australia, New Zealand, and (in this case) Canada. Stream this film from Acorn and enjoy the hour and a half.

2014, Acorn TV, Action Film, Australian, Bullying, Crime, Detective, Ethical struggles, Gay theme, Plot Twist, Prison, Psychological Drama, Sex Scenes, Sexual Tension, Suspense, Violent

Cut Snake (2014)

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From Wikipedia:

Merv (Alex Russell) is an ex-convict who is trying to make a new life for himself in 1970s Melbourne. He has found honest work and even becomes engaged to Paula (Jessica De Gouw), but the prospect of his new life is challenged when his foreboding and charismatic former cellmate James (Sullivan Stapleton) arrives in town and pressures Merv into going back to his old ways.

According to the Wikipedia article, the title comes from the Australian idiom “mad as a cut snake” which describes either insanity or anger so extreme you don’t want to get near it.

Before seeing this film, I had more or less dismissed Sullivan Stapelton as a limited one-tune film actor who usually plays the role of a sexy tough guy.  In this regard, “Cut Snake” was an unexpected discovery. Because I refuse to give away the suprise part of the plot, I will only say that the film starts out with Stapleton seeming to be once again nothing but a mean tough guy determined to drag his former cellmate back into a life of crime. And that part of the plot was indeed tense enough to hold my attention. For some reason good versus evil just keeps me interested. But then all of a sudden there is another complication in the plot that I never expected. After seeing the film, think back to some of Stapleton’s behavior that initially did not make sense, for example his reactions in the night club.  From this point on Stapleton comes through with some very successful emotional acting. He is indeed a “cut snake”.

Lately so many Australian films really hit home. And don’t forget to subscribe to Acorn TV to see lots of British, Australian, and New Zealand films, although I streamed “Cut Snake” from Amazon Prime.

2014, Acorn TV, Assisted Suicide, Australian, British Mystery Series, Career Competition, Conspiracy, Detective, Drug Dealers, Gangs, Lawyers, Lesbian Theme, Motorcycles, Murder, Murder Investigation, Murder Trial, Private Versus Professional Life

Janet King (2014)

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From IMDB:

Senior Prosecutor Janet King returns from maternity leave to confront a high-profile murder, and a conspiracy which will have shocking ramifications throughout the judicial system.

In an earlier review I raved about “A Place To Call Home” which can be streamed from Acorn TV ($5.00 per month). In that Australian TV series the star Marta Dusseldorp was the enchanting Sarah Adams. In addition Deborah Kennedy presented a perfect town gossip.

And now I rave about another Australian TV series streamed from Acorn TV. Here Marta Dusseldorp plays the protagonist Janet King who is a very busy lawyer and mother. Her character is a lesbian with a partner who stays home with their children. Homophobia plays only a small part in the plot. Once again we meet Deborah Kennedy, this time in a slightly more sinister role as murder suspect Dianne Vaslich.

As far as I can tell so far Acorn offers only Series 1.  Beginning late March 2016, a second series of 8 episodes will be shown for the first time on (British ?) TV.

Various themes run through the episodes: slight homophobia, police versus prosecutors, threatening motorcycle gangs, assisted suicide, witness intimidation,  home life versus professional life, and ambitious competition to name a few.

Think of this type of series as the British version of “Law [versus] and Order”. Excellent!

2014, 2015, Acorn TV, Airline pilot, Alcoholism, Amusing banter, Antique Cars, Australian, Bloody scenes, Cancer theme, Country Music, Detective, Family Conflict, Father-son relations, Fishing, Golf, Hunting, Made For TV, Marital Infidelity, Murder Investigation, Revenge, Rugby, Small Town, Spousal Abuse, Theater Society, TV Series, Wine culture

Brokenwood Mysteries (2014)

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From Acorn TV:

Detective Inspector Mike Shepherd arrives on assignment in Brokenwood, a small town where memories-and animosities–run deep. He’s an experienced cop with a 1971 classic car, a collection of country music cassettes, and an indeterminate number of ex-wives. The new woman in his life is his assistant, Detective Constable Kristin Sims (Fern Sutherland, The Almighty Johnsons), a by-the-book investigator 15 years younger than her boss’s car.

From Acorn TV you can stream two seasons: Season 1 has 4 episodes. Season 2 has 4 episodes.

In keeping with its mandate, Acorn brings us this detective series from Australia. Each episode is self-contained and lasts about an hour and a half. This series is one of so many detective TV series available that there is nothing that distinguishes “Brokenwood Mysteries”. But the plots are interesting, the characters are well done, and the butler did not always commit the crime.

Acceptable Australian detective series.

2003, Acorn TV, Adultery, Amusing banter, Arson, British Mystery Series, Child abuse, Detective, Made For TV, Marital Infidelity, Mother-daughter relations, Mother-son relations, Murder Investigation, Spousal Abuse, Torture, Violent

Blue Murder (2003)

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From Acorn TV :

Janine Lewis (Caroline Quentin) is a single mother of four who also heads up a police team that probes Manchester’s most gruesome murders.

Yet another police procedural. This time the message is: “Never be a police detective if you have children.” After watching Janine Lewis juggle 24 hour on-call status and raising four children without a husband, you might just feel a bit weary. In the first episode while she is pregnant and has just been promoted to detective, she catches her husband in their bed with another woman: end of marriage.

Four seasons are streamable from Acorn TV. Season 1 has 6 episodes, season 2 has 4 episodes, season 3 has 3 episodes, and season 4 has 6 episodes. There was also an unavailable season 5.

Be aware that some of the crimes can be harrowing. Plots are well written and often involve an unforeseen twist. Some parts of the dialog offer a good laugh.

Will this poor woman detective ever get some time to herself?

2011, Acorn TV, Adultery, Ambiguous Conclusion, British Mystery Series, Clever Plot, Detective, Forensics, Lawyers, Made For TV, Mildly Violent, Murder Investigation, Murder Trial, Police Corruption, Prison, Spousal Abuse, Suicide, Wonderful acting

Injustice (2011)

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From Acorn TV:

James Purefoy (Rome) leads a distinguished cast featuring Dervla Kirwan (Ballykissangel), Charlie Creed-Miles (The Fifth Element), and Nathaniel Parker (The Inspector Lynley Mysteries) in a taut five-part thriller of murder, conspiracy, secrets, and guilt created and written by Anthony Horowitz (Foyle’s War). CC Available.

From IMDB:

A defense barrister is faced with the proposition: what can you do when you have defended the indefensible?

When you have the combination of James Purefoy and Nathaniel Parker, then you know you have a winner.

In this 5-episode mini-series that I streamed from Acorn TV, almost from the very beginning you know at least one of the killers. Probably the underlying question is: Will that killer get away with the crime?

Plot, writing, and acting are all wonderful. Expect some small amount of violence. Expect a clever surprise ending.

If you like British murder-trial entertainment, DO NOT MISS!

2015, Acorn TV, Adultery, British Mystery Series, Conspiracy, Corruption, Detective, Gangs, Mother-daughter relations, Mother-son relations, Murder Investigation, Police Corruption, Suspense

Black Work (2015)

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From Acorn:

Hailed as tight and intriguing (Guardian, UK) this powerful crime thriller created and written by Matt Charman (Bridge of Spies) dives into the murky depths of undercover police work and tells the story of a woman willing to risk everything to protect her family. Sheridan Smith (Jonathan Creek, Accused) delivers a powerhouse performance as Jo Gillespie, a police constable who embarks on a dangerous investigation of her husband’s death.

Recently my audiologist introduced me to Acorn TV. At the present time Acorn TV costs a mere $5.00 per month while offering a large selection of attractive programs. Most of the shows come from Britain, Australia, or New Zealand.

From Acorn I streamed the three episodes of “Black Work”. Every detective procedural involves the usual routine investigations, personal problems of detectives, possible corrupt policemen, plot twists, and occasional violence.

Some of these detective shows are worth watching, but sometimes explaining what is special about a particular show can amount to a “spoiler” in the review. In this case let us just say that in investigating her husband’s death, Joe Gillespie runs up against some very surprising twists and turns.

Because we watch so much British TV we were pleased to recognize old faces such as Geraldine James as CC Carolyn Jarecki, the Scotsman Douglas Henshall as DCS Hepburn (don’t miss him in the wonderful series “Shetland”), and the ever-present Philip Davis as Tom Piper (don’t miss him in “Poldark” and “Silk”).

Enjoy “Black Work” and stay tuned for more reviews for Acorn TV offerings.