Category Archives: Acorn TV

2014, 2015, 2016, Acorn TV, Bloody scenes, British Mystery Series, Child abuse, Clever Plot, Conspiracy, Corruption, Crime thriller, Detective, DNA, Family Conflict, Father-son relations, Forensics, Made For TV, Mildly Violent, Murder Investigation, Personal Betrayal, Physical child abuse, Revenge, Suspense

Suspects (2014)

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From Acorn TV:

Suspects is a “fresh, very different, and absolutely cracking drama” -Daily Mail (UK). With improvised dialogue and using filming techniques and a directorial approach usually associated with factual programming, this unique procedural crime drama follows D.I. Martha Bellamy (Fay Ripley, Cold Feet) and her team as they investigate hard-hitting crimes in contemporary London.

From Acorn TV you can stream 5 seasons, each with more or less 5 episodes. Each episode lasts approximately 45 minutes.

Granted that 27 episodes is a lot to watch. However, the story line is compelling and kept Kathy and me eager to see the “next” episode. Scenes change so rapidly that you have to pay attention. But that speed is what keeps the plot zipping along.  Episodes continue from one to another, but each season is a self-contained story. For my money the last season was a knock-out.

Characters are important:

  • Damien Molony plays DS Jack Weston who is somewhat of a lone wolf trouble maker. Because he is not a team player, he often does damage to an investigation.
  • Clare-Hope Ashity plays DC Charlie Steele (yes, she is a woman) who spends a lot of energy trying to keep Jack Weston in line, usually to no avail.
  • Fay Ripley plays DI Martha Bellamy the hard hitting boss lady. She is with us for four seasons but is found murdered at the start of season five.

You won’t go wrong sitting on the edge of your seat for these exciting episodes.

 

2016, Acorn TV, Addiction, Arson, British Mystery Series, Complicated, Contract Killing, Corruption, Crime, Detective, Divorce, Drugs, Extramarital Affair, Father-daughter relations, Forensics, Illegitimate Child, Mother-daughter relations, Murder Investigation, Police Corruption, Police Culture, Suspense

The Level (2016)

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From IMDB:

A police detective finds herself at the centre of the most dangerous case of her life when she is seconded on to the investigation into the murder of a drugs trafficker. What nobody around her knows is that she is the missing witness that the police and the killer are searching for.

From Acorn TV you can stream the six episodes of this one-season British detective series.

Acting is good. Plot gets a bit more complicated with each episode, enough so that you might have to work somewhat to remember each of the many characters. As the plot progressed Kathy and I had to keep changing our choice for the guilty party.  And just who is the bent cop?

We recognize some of the faces:

  • Rob James-Collier, who plays Kevin, was James the butler in “Downton Abbey”.
  • Joe Absolom, who plays Shay Nash,  was Al Large (the son) in “Doc Martin”.

COMPLAINT: Probably because the writers were hoping for another season of “The Level”, the sixth episode has an ending that for me was disappointing. Still there was some satisfaction in that at least something good happened.

Consider watching this not-too-violent, intelligent, well-written one-season detective series.

 

2016, Acorn TV, B-movie, Bad Acting, Barely Acceptable Trash, British, Car Chase, Corny at times, Detective, Family Conflict, Father-daughter relations, Incest, Mediocre, Murder, Not Recommended, Police Corruption, Terrible acting

Winter (2016)

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From Acorn TV:

Rebecca Gibney (Packed to the Rafters) stars as Detective Eve Winter in this gripping Australian murder mystery series.

“Gripping” it was NOT!  From Acorn TV you could suffer while you stream 6 episodes of this cliché-ridden, poorly written, embarrassingly acted detective series.

DO NOT BOTHER!

2016, Abduction, Acorn TV, Australian, Based on true facts, Bloody scenes, Corruption, Detective, DNA, Drama, Drug Dealers, Drugs, Emotional child abuse, Forensics, Gay Bashing, Gay theme, Homophobia, Made For TV, Mother-son relations, Murder Investigation, Police Culture, Serial Killer, Surfing, Torture, Violent

Deep Water (2016)

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From Acorn TV:

This “addictive” (Daily Review, Australia) Aussie drama inspired by real events follows Detectives Tori Lustigman (Yael Stone, Orange is the New Black) and Nick Manning (Noah Taylor, And Then There Were None) as they investigate the murder of a young man in a beachfront apartment in Bondi. Is this brutal murder a domestic, a robbery gone wrong, or a hate crime?

Acorn TV offered one episode each week until finally you can stream all 4 episodes of Series 1 (the only series, so far) whenever you wish.

Although most detective series have become so formulaic and clichéd,  “Deep Water” is an exception.  Soon you realize that the central theme is gay bashing in homophobic Australia, or at least in Bondi Beach, which is a popular beach and the name of the surrounding suburb in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. What helps make the plot interesting is that as the episodes proceed, most of the important characters are revealed to be more and more involved in the killings.  Expect bloodshed and violence.

Definitely worth the time spent watching.

2015, Acceptable for teenagers, Acorn TV, Basically Sad, Complicated, Detective, Drama, Drugs, Extramarital Affair, Family Conflict, Father-daughter relations, Forensics, French, French Culture, French Detective Series, Missing Person, Mother-daughter relations, Nudity, Plot Twist, Police Culture, Prison, Sex Scenes, Teenagers, Tragedy, Various Romances, Violent, Well developed plot

The Disappearance (2015)

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From Acorn TV:

When a teenage girl does not return home from a festival, her parents contact the police.

Acorn TV (still $4.99 per month) offers this one-season 8-episode French TV series with English subtitles.

More than just a “who-done-it”, the plot is interested not only in finding the killer or killers, but in how the deaths affect the families and people involved.

Because the cast of characters is large and possibly confusing, you may wish to use the cheat sheet offered in Wikepedia. Unfortunately the Wikipedia article does not explain the plot, so you will have to pay attention (and maybe take notes). Do not let this challenge deter you from watching this excellent and involving series.

Just a brief glimpse at the very beginning of plot is as follows:

Seventeen year old Lea Morel disappears.  She has a father Julien,  mother Florence, brother Thomas, little sister Zoe. Julien and his brother Jean are close to one another. Together they run a restaurant where their children also work. Jean’s wife is dead and he has a somewhat secret mistress. Jean has a teenage daughter Chris (hence Lea’s first cousin), Florence has a company and works with Lea’s god-mother Sophie. Commandant Betrand Molina runs the police investigation. There are other important characters.

As the plot develops you will see Julien obsessing over solving the murder and constantly interfering with Molina’s investigation. Both Julien and Florence are frozen in grief but must protect and continue to parent little Zoe. Little by little the grief and anguish begins to divide Julien and Florence.

You will need to watch all eight episodes carefully because the surprises keep coming. Yes, it is a soap opera, but a really good soap opera.

DO NOT MISS!

2015, Acceptable for teenagers, Acorn TV, Coming-of-age, Family Conflict, Father-daughter relations, Father-son relations, Feel Good Not For Children, Flirting, Love Story, New Zealand, Nudity, Small Town, Small Town Atmosphere, Surfing, Teenagers, Uncategorized

800 Words (2015)

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From Acorn TV:

Still reeling from his wife’s recent death, widower George Turner impulsively decides to start afresh. Turner packs up his two teenage children and moves from the hustle and bustle of Sydney to the New Zealand coastal town of Weld, where he spent his summer vacations as a child. The Aussie invaders quickly become the center of attention in this small town populated by weird and wonderful locals.

Acorn TV (still $499 a month) offers this feel-good 1 season 6 episode TV series from New Zealand. Subtitles available.

Doc Martin’s small Cornwall town of Portwenn is not a far cry from the small New Zealand town of Weld. One difference is that George Turner is a normal man (although a grieving widower) with two normal children: daughter Shay and son Arlo.

As far as soap operas go, this one is NOT steamy, although sex has a pervasive influence on the entire plot. Shay has her first sexual romance. All the many beautiful women in the series have their eyes on the eligible George.

Every good soap opera needs a villain or villains and the Weld clan will do nicely in that respect.

But this is a feel-good series and the tension is held to a comfortable minimum. Nothing stays wrong for very long. Frankly it is a relief to have easy solutions to problems pop up regularly.

Watching this series is more relaxing than watching either “A Place To Call Home” or even, heaven help us,  presidential debates.

1995, 1997, 1998, Acceptable Science, Acorn TV, AIDS, Alcoholism, British Mystery Series, Brother-Brother relations, Detective, DNA, DO NOT MISS, Drama, Extramarital Affair, Family Conflict, Forensics, Medical Theme, Murder Investigation, Prostitutes, Revenge, Sex Scenes, Suicide, Suspense, TV Series, Uncategorized, Various Romances, Well developed plot

McCallum (1995)

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From IMDB:

From deep within the morgue at St. Patrick’s Hospital in London’s East End, Dr. Iain McCallum and Dr. Angela Moloney along with a team of brilliant pathologists and detectives help the dead tell their stories.

Previously I reviewed the Scottish TV series “Rebus” which in its first season starred John Hannah. Subsequently I discovered the TV series “McCallum” also starring John Hannah. Both can be streamed from Acorn TV (currently $4.99 per month).

“McCallum” is at least as good if not better than similar series. Much like “Vera“,  each episode is approximately one and a half hours. Series 1 offers four episodes whereas Series 2 offers five episodes.

Rather than a simple who-done-it, this series similar to the other high quality series has a running theme which features other story threads. Almost without exception, each such series deals with the home life (or home non-life) of the main sleuth.  Of course, you can expect a few romances along the way.

One possibly unique characteristic, is that John Hannah as Dr. Iain McCallum the forensic pathologist must constantly prevent the detective DI Bracken from rushing to false conclusions.

“McCallum” does not seem to be as bloody as other series, nor as violent Still, however, not for children.

If this is your genre, you cannot go wrong. In fact, if this is your genre, DO NOT MISS!

2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, Abduction, Acorn TV, Ambiguous Conclusion, Bloody scenes, British Mystery Series, Child custody, Confusing Plot, Could Be Sad, Detective, Divorce, Eccentric Detective, Emotional abuse, Ethical struggles, Extramarital Affair, Family Conflict, Forensics, Gritty, Lawyers, Made For TV, Murder Investigation, Orphans in Foster Care, Revenge, Spousal Abuse, Suicide, Suspense, TV Series, Violent

Vera (2011)

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From AcornTV:

Two-time Oscar nominee Brenda Blethyn stars as DCI Vera Stanhope a solitary, obsessed, caustic, brilliant investigator, and a bit disheveled; think female Columbo.

From AcornTV you can stream 6 years of this British TV series which first started in 2011 and went on for 7 years through 2017. AcornTV does not offer 2017. Each year, or “set”, consists of 4 episodes. Surely 24 episodes will keep you busy for awhile (binge – anyone ?). Each episode is approximately 1.5 hours.

DCI Vera is as personally distant as her sidekick DS Joe Ashworth (played by David Leon) is personable. An important thread in the series is their relationship. For example, Vera’s refusal in one episode to even consider being the Godmother to Joe’s latest newborn child is really hurtful. But Joe seems to understand her aloofness and accepts it begrudgingly. In one episode Joe insists on taking Vera for a doctor’s visit because of her sudden stress-related faintness.

Just remember that British police procedurals are not for the faint of heart. Could that be why I enjoy them so much?

2000, 2005, Abduction, Acorn TV, Alcoholism, Ambiguous Conclusion, Based on a Book, Bloody scenes, Child abuse, Child Molestation, Conspiracy, Crime thriller, Dark, Detective, Drug Dealers, Dysfunctional Lives, Father-daughter relations, Gangs, Grim, Grisly, Gritty, Ian Rankin, Murder, Murder Investigation, Police Corruption, Police Culture, Prison, Prostitutes, Revenge, Scottish, Suicide, Suspense, Thriller, Violent

Rebus (2000)

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From IMDB:

Set in Edinburgh, the mercurial Detective Inspector John Rebus’s investigations lead him through the city’s ancient beauty and into its more sinister quarters.

From Wikipedia:

Rebus is the title of the detective drama TV series based on the Inspector Rebus novels by the Scottish author Ian Rankin set in and around Edinburgh. The series was produced by STV Productions (previously known as “SMG Productions”) for the ITV network.

Four series have been aired; series 1 starred John Hannah and was made for STV by his own production company, Clerkenwell Films. A new cast featuring Ken Stott as DI John Rebus was introduced for the second and subsequent series (which went into production in 2005, made in-house by STV).

From AcornTV:

Adapted from the novels by acclaimed writer Ian Rankin, the Rebus stories have been applauded for their intricate plots, keen characterization, and flawless sense of place. CC Available.

Acorn TV offers all 4 series.

Just be aware that these excellent productions are grim. It seems that a divorced, unhappy, obsessive detective is a standard cliché. But that does not stop the suspenseful, well-acted stories from being a real treat for lovers of the genre.

Never, never expect a happy ending!

Abduction, Acceptable Science, Acorn TV, Asperger's Syndrome, Australian, Australian Aborigine, Brother-Brother relations, Clever Plot, Computer geeks, Conspiracy, Corruption, Drama, International thriler, Iran, Journalist, Kidnapping, Love Story, Medical Theme, Mental Illness, North Korea, Nuclear weapons, Politicians, Spy Theme, Suspense, Terminal Disease, Thriller, Torture, TV news industry, Violent, Wonderful acting

The Code (2014)

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From IMDB:

Two Canberra based brothers become entangled in a cover up that involves a remote outback community and key members of the Australian Government.

Acorn TV offers this Season One 6-episode conspiracy thriller.

How am I ever going to find another governmental intrigue series as exciting, well-crafted, dramatic, and spellbinding as “The Code”?

Give a rousing cheer to the Australian actor Dan Spielman who plays Ned Banks  and to the California-born actor Ashley Zukerman who plays Ned’s brother Jesse. They are the center of attention around whom the plot revolves. Ned’s constant caring for his severely Asberger’s disabled but computer gifted bother Jesse supplies most of the drama.  In addition Adele Perovic’s role as Hani Parande, who brings love into Jesse’s life, is stunning. For me the only recognizable actor was the New Zealand icon Lucy Lawless who plays Alex Wisham.

Another twenty well-cast characters provide complexity and quite of bit of drama on their own.

Needless to say, there is an enormous amount of digital displays, computer shenanigans, and other hocus-pocus.  Just believe that the geeks know what they are doing.

Once again it was the evil in the “bad guys” that kept me on edge waiting to see if they received their just deserts.  Not all “good versus evil” plots end with justice prevailing. But then a little ambiguity spices any plot.

Recently I read a comparison of American versus British thriller series. One point made was that the Americans drag their stories on for too long. This Australian series backs up that idea. There was not a wasted piece of writing in all six episodes.

DO NOT MISS!!!!!!!