Category Archives: MHz Choice

2021, Abduction, Acceptable for teenagers, Alzheimer's disease, Anxiety Attacks, Bloody scenes, Corruption, Dark family secrets, French, Gaslighting, Harmful Medicine, Human experimentation, Mad scientist, Mary Higgins Clark, MHz Choice, Missing Person, Murder, Narcissistic Personality, Occasionaly violent, Plastic surgery, Suspense, Wrongful Arrest

Mary Higgens Clark Mysteries (2021)

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From MHz Choice:

Mary Higgins Clark is the Queen of Suspense, with over 3.7 million books sold worldwide. She is the all-time bestselling fiction author in France, where she received the Grand Prix de Littérature Policiè re in 1980 and was named Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters in the Legion of Honor. Now, the acclaimed novelist is reinvented in a new series of TV movies based on her most popular mysteries, with thrilling plots, gorgeous scenery and nerve-shattering suspense.

From MHz CHoice you can stream 2 seasons. Season 1 contains 3 episodes and  season 2 contains 4 episodes. Each episode lasts 1.5 hours. French with subtitles.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with this author, the following comes from Wikipedia:

Mary Theresa Eleanor Higgins Clark[1] (December 24, 1927 – January 31, 2020)[2] was an American author of suspense novels. Each of her 51 books was a bestseller in the United States and various European countries, and all of her novels remained in print as of 2015, with her debut suspense novel, Where Are the Children?, in its seventy-fifth printing.

2021 is probably not the correct date, but MHz Choice gives no date for when the series were created.

As our first quote from MHz Choice shows, her suspense novels were greatly admired in France. No wonder then, that this series comes from France with English subtitles. Look sharp because in each episode for a short screen shot someone is reading one of her plainly visible novels.

Suspense indeed!  With such engaging plots that drive to a tense conclusion, I can heartily recommend these 7 episodes.

2016, Abduction, Action sequences, Amusing banter, Art appreciation, Art forgery, Art theft, Attempted Murder, Based on a Book, Character Driven, Comic Moments, Contract Killing, Crime, Eccentric cast of characters, Flirting, German, Love Story, Luxury Appreciation, MHz Choice, Murder, Suspense, Theft

Allmen (2016)

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From MHz Choice:

Humorous, fast-paced detective stories about the exploits of Johann Friedrich von Allmen, gentleman art thief turned amateur sleuth. Based on the novels by Martin Suter.

From MHz Choice you can stream 3 episodes of this German series. Each episode lasts about 1 hour and 27 minutes. English subtitles.

Allmen is a gentlemen with champagne tastes but unfortunately often in great debt to such an extreme that he is about to be evicted from his palatial family estate.  At every turn he is accompanied by his faithful but usually worried valet Carlos.  In fact Carlos has every right to fear of the safety of his boss who constantly puts the both of them in mortal danger. Allmen could be described both as an expert in the finer things of life and also as a clever deadbeat.  Watch him bluff his way into getting a suite in a luxurious hotel without paying a dime.  Along the way and throughout the series he is involved with the beautiful millionairess Joelle ‘Jojo’ Hirt.   Carlos also finds the love of his life, Maria Moreno.

Think of the series as a mannered theatrical tour through beautiful places accompanied by detailed discussions of luxury possessions and consistently droll conversations.

 

2020, Action sequences, Attempted Murder, Beautiful Seaside Town, Binge worthy, Bloody scenes, Brother-Sister relations, Car Chase, Dancing, Detective, DO NOT MISS, Drama, Fantasy, Father-son relations, Feel Good Not For Children, Flashbacks, French, French Detectives, Happy ending, Holocaust Survivor, Identity Theft, Jazz, Jealousy, Love Story, Love Triangle, Magic Realism, MHz Choice, Murder, Murder Investigation, Music Theme, Must suspend disbelief, Paris in the 1960s, Physical fighting, Police Investigation, Revenge, Romance, Sex Scenes, Suicide, Suspense, Violent

Wonderland (2020)

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From MHz Choice:

In this romantic fantasy-thriller, a man from the present travels back to 1960s Biarritz and meets a mysterious woman whose destiny is inexplicably linked with his own.

From MHz Choice  you can stream the 6 episodes of this French romance. Each episode runs between 48 and 56 minutes. French with English subtitles.

Do not be dissuaded by the “fantasy-thriller” label in the summary above.  Most importantly this story is a wonderful romance story imaginatively  filled with atmosphere, music, mystery, intrigue, revenge, and love.

Jeremy, an unambitious medical student and jazz afficionado, working in the nightclub called “Wonderland”,  somehow transports back to 1960s Biarritz and lands in the original Wonderland club.  Tony is the owner of the 1960s club and the father of the owner of the future club. Both owners are played by the same actor.  Jeremy wanders aimlessly to the beach where he saves the life of Chris’ sister.  Jeremy is superb at instantly manufacturing lies. Indeed he needs to. After all, who would believe his story? Jeremy invents a back story as he is “adopted” by the very wealthy and young Chis.  Staying at Chris’ estate is Alice whom Chris hopes to marry. One of Chris’s motives for marrying a beautiful woman  is to spite his father André whom he despises.

Needless to say Jeremy falls in love with Alice who is, in fact, the woman in the photo that captured Jeremy’s attention in the future Wonderland.  But Alice is hiding as many secrets as is Jeremy.  As Jeremy “stalks” Alice the plot thickens.  At this point I provide no more details.

If there is any romantic in your soul then DO NOT MISS!

2016, Author, Binge worthy, Clever Plot, Conspiracy, Corrupt lawyers, Corruption, Crime, Crime thriller, DO NOT MISS, Eccentric Detective, Financial malfeasance, German, German Detectives, Lawyers, MHz Choice, Suspense, Wrongful Arrest

Money Murder Zurich (2016)

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From MHz Choice:

Popular German crime drama about a disgraced lawyer who returns to his native Zurich to work as an unlicensed defender.

From MHz Choice you can stream 2 seasons of this German mystery thriller. Season 1 offers 4 episodes. Season 2 offers 5 episodes. Each of the 9 episodes lasts approximately 90 minutes.  In German with English subtitles.

Only  the first 2 episodes are concerned with the past mistakes made by the lawyer Thomas Borchert.  In all the episodes he uses his Zurich  connections to help fight corruption, solve crimes and protect the innocent. His persona is that of a scraggly looking old man who lives in a trailer sitting on his property.  On the property is his family mansion which he refuses to inhabit.  His nickname should be “Eccentric.”

Because the stories are so well plotted and written and because the suspense almost forces the viewer to binge watch, I can only say:

DO NOT MISS!

 

2016, Abduction, Coarse manners, Divorce, Eccentric Detective, Family Conflict, Father-daughter relations, German, German Detectives, Jewelry theft, Mental Illness, MHz Choice, Missing Person, Murder, Murder Investigation, Nudity, Police Culture, Religious fanatic, Religious Theme, Revenge, Serial Killer, Stalker, Suspense, Teenagers

Wolfsland (2016)

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From MHz Choice:

Criminalist Viola Delbrück and Detective Burkhard “Butch” Schulz are mismatched investigators in this atmospheric German crime drama set in the mountains of Upper Lusatia.

From MHz Choice you can stream one season consisting of 6 episodes. Each episode lasts about 1.5 hours and is a complete story. German with subtitles.

Running through the 6 episodes are several themes, the most important being the fact that Viola’s former husband is stalking her and determined to win her back.  Viola is an intelligent and sincere detective who tries to follow the rules.  Detective “Butch” on the other hand is a real pain-in-the neck who is most often rude but underneath  the coarse surface is, in his own way, a caring person.

Well done set of engrossing stories.

2018, Acceptable for teenagers, Action sequences, Alcoholism, Binge worthy, Blackmail, Bloody scenes, Conspiracy, Controlling personality, Dark, DO NOT MISS, Ethical struggles, Family Conflict, Father-daughter relations, Greed, Grim, High school students, MHz Choice, Mother-daughter relations, Murder, Murder Investigation, Norwegian, Norwegian Crime Story, Norwegian Detective, Police Culture, Police Investigation, Police Politics, Possibly upsetting ending, Psychopath, School Teacher, Small Town, Sociopath, Suicide, Suspense, Troubled Personality, Violent

Kieler Street (2018)

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From MHz Choice:

Kieler Street is a fresh and uniquely characterful drama-thriller that deconstructs what it really means to be a “normal” person. Criminal or not, most of us are capable of doing extreme things in our pursuit of a peaceful existence – but just how far are we willing to go? In this acclaimed Norwegian drama, former criminal Jonas has started a new life in Slusvik, Scandinavia’s most peaceful little town. He has it all: a happy family, a great job and the quiet life he always wanted. But when Geir, Jonas’ AA sponsor, cracks his cover, the facade starts falling apart and Jonas realizes he’s not the only one in Slusvik with a secret. And they’re all prepared to do whatever it takes to protect the illusion they have created…

From MHz Choice you can stream the 10 episodes of this Norwegian crime drama. Each episode lasts about 45 minutes.

Be prepared for a very disquieting story.  Should we root for Jonas who, although he supposedly is repentant and wants to reform and have a peaceful life,  is essentially a violent personality?  In addition he is easily led toward his worst impulses by a spectacularly evil psychopath William, who is also leading a second life in Slusvik. It seems that a mysterious company can be paid to give its criminal clients a second life in Slusvik. So you never know which inhabitants of the town are “second lifers.”

Driving the story towards its surprising climax is the question “Will any of these villains get caught?”  Moreover, “Will the wily and smart outside detective Marius learn the truth despite the jealous competition of the amateur and naive  local police officers?”

Would you send me your reaction to the final conclusion?

Enjoy the suspense. DO NOT MISS!

2016, Character Driven, DO NOT MISS, Lawyers, MHz Choice, Norwegian, Norwegian Drama

Aber Bergen (2016)

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From IMDB:

Aber Bergen is an entertaining courtroom drama about the recently separated , but for the time being professional partners, Erik Aber and Elea Bergen. They are two of the country’s sharpest defense attorneys, who together with an unorthodox team lawyers have built up a reputable law firm, where they attempt to balance professional and private as they are thrown between moral, political and legal dilemmas.

From MHz Choice you can stream 3 seasons of this Norwegian character-driven legal drama. Seasons 1 and 2 offer 11 episodes. Season 3 offers 10 episodes. Each of the 32 episodes are a bit less than 45 minutes. In Norwegian with English subtitles.

Trying to list categories for this series is too difficult a task because the long collection of law cases touch on so many aspects of human interaction.  What makes this series memorable is the variety of personalities and how they interact (read that: fight, fall in love, have sex, sue one another, threaten, etc.) No subject thread is boring.

Consider some of the characters. It is clear that Aber and Elea are a close couple that just cannot agree enough to live together. Aber’s best friend and fellow lawyer is blind with a sensitive sense of hearing and smell. Elea’s father is an unscrupulous lawyer in his own firm. There are more than enough “bad guys” to go around including corrupt public figures and law officers. Some characters develop serious illnesses.

Because I had to wait for a new episode of season 3 to arrive each Tuesday, I could not binge-watch. But the wait is over and you can now race through all 3 seasons. Have fun!

DO NOT MISS!

2018, Abduction, Binge worthy, Danish, Danish security authorities, Danish TV series, DO NOT MISS, Drone warfare, Ethical struggles, Government cover-up, MHz Choice, Mother-son relations, Murder, Occasionaly violent, Redemption, Revenge, Romance, Suspense, Swedish, Terrorists, Well developed plot

Grey Zone (2018)

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From IMDB:

Victoria works as an engineer specializing in drones. She is taken hostage in the home of terrorists, while the security police in Sweden, led by SÄPO agent Eva, and the Danish colleagues at PET are trying to prevent an imminent terrorist attack. The destiny of the two women is intertwined in a gray zone where morality and responsibility are put at risk.

From MHz Choice:

Dangerous events are set into motion when a brilliant drone engineer is taken hostage in this high octane Scandinavian thriller. 

From MHz Choice you can stream the 10 episodes of this one season Danish thriller. Each episode lasts 44 minutes. English subtitles are provided.

Victoria and her son Oscar are lured into being taken targeted hostages by Lyad, a decent man turned into a terrorist because an American drone killed Lyad’s wife and son.  Victoria is being forced into programming and launching a bomb carrying drone attack on a populated target. Victoria is clever and finds a way to notify the security police who convince her to carry on so that the details and location of the bomb, drone, and target can be discovered.

As a secondary theme,  the almost unscrupulous methods used by the “good guys” ( the state security apparatus) are examined.  Jesper Lassen is devastated when a  close friend and informer is murdered while helping the authorities.  As Henry Kissinger would probably say “What difference does collateral damage make, as long as I achieve my political goals?”

Whereas I had to anxiously wait week after week for the next installment, now (Nov 11, 2020) you can binge watch all 10 episodes.

 DO NOT MISS!

2020, Abduction, Abuse of Women, Action sequences, Athletes, Bloody scenes, Conspiracy, Corrupt lawyers, Corruption, Could Be Hard To Watch, Forensics, Gangs, German, German Detectives, Government cover-up, Greed, Journalist, Kidnapping, MHz Choice, Mother-son relations, Murder, Murder Investigation, Must suspend disbelief, Police Corruption, Police Politics, Rape, Revenge, Sex Scenes, Sex trafficking, Sex with underage girls, Short-lived suspenseful episodes, Suspense, Various Romances, Violent

Tatort: Lindholm (2020)

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From MHz Choice:

Lone wolf detective Charlotte Lindholm has an uncanny talent for solving crimes and fumbling all personal relationships.

From MHz Choice you can stream the 12 episodes of the only season available in this German series. Each episode is about an hour and a half.

“Tatort”  is German for “scene of the crime.”  MHz Choice offers 4 different series entitled “Tatort:” followed by either the name of a detective or of a German city.

Beware: Episode 8, “The Disposable Girl”,  is harrowing and ends with all the corruption revolving around sex trafficking winning the battle. Because I did not understand that the story continues into episode 9, I was really depressed.  Do not watch such stories at bedtime. However,  as in most fairy tales, the good guys win and the bad guys lose in episode 9.  As usual Charlotte in episode 9 loses yet another love interest.

As in many less-than-perfect such presentations, the solutions are often just too easy. Somehow the Lone Ranger always shows up at just the right time.  But that is just fine with me, I gladly trade some realism for some release in the story tension.

Charlotte is a beautiful young unmarried mother with a very young son. She keeps searching for that one true love. Sadly that is not in the cards for our Charlotte.  Just enjoy her in-your-face, determined fight for justice in the face of bureaucratic or corrupt opposition.

At least it is not boring and, in fact, not bad at all.

2018, Adopted child, Cold Cases, Corny at times, Detective, Drama, French, French Detective Series, Jealousy, MHz Choice, Mother-daughter relations, Mother-son relations, Murder, Murder Investigation, Nothing special, Police Investigation, Revenge, Suicide, Suspense, Violent

Les Secrets (2018)

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From IMDB:

Sarah and Alex are young, beautiful, they love each other, they own their lives. Until tragedy strikes. One morning, Alex’s body is found down a cliff. The investigation rules Alex’s death a suicide. Sarah’s life breaks down.

From MHz Choice you can stream the 3 episodes of this French mystery drama. Each episode lasts about 50 minutes. Subtitles in English.

Sarah and her young son Paul return to Alex’s hometown to try and understand why Alex Aguze seemingly committed suicide.  One by one Sarah interacts with Alex’s mother and his brothers, sisters, and in-laws. With each encounter she picks up pieces of the puzzle. At times she feels in conflict with a local detective whose role in the puzzle deepens as the plot develops.

Three episodes means  you don’t have to wait long for answers. Although the drama is at times corny and the plot is not perfect, still the story was compelling enough to keep us interested.