Category Archives: Made For TV

2014, Arson, Bloody scenes, Boating, Brother-Brother relations, Brother-Sister Relations, Bullying, Child abuse, Detective, Dysfunctional Lives, Extramarital Affair, Family Conflict, Father-daughter relations, Insurance Fraud, Jealousy, Lawyers, Made For TV, Marital Infidelity, Melodrama, MHz Choice, Mildly Violent, Murder, Nudity, Physical child abuse, Soap Opera, Suicide, Swedish, Swedish Soap Opera, Various Romances

Thicker Than Water (2014)

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This Swedish series was reviewed after season 1 was released. Since then season 2 was released.

SEASON ONE

From IMDB:

A mother sends postcards to her estranged son and daughter inviting them back to the guest house they grew up in. She gives each of her children one piece of advice and leaves them to ponder the meaning.

From MHz Choice:

DRAMA | SWEDISH | SWEDISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES |
A mother’s attempt to reunite her three adult children forces them to confront dark family secrets in this atmospheric drama set on an idyllic Swedish island.

MHz Choice offers only Season 1 with its 10 episodes, each lasting about one hour. For the best listing of the episodes see IMDB.

Here is an involving soap opera about sibling rivalry between two brothers and a sister who agree to run the island hotel for one year.  Brother Oskar and wife Liv have been running the hotel all along. Brother Lasse is a bit of a crook and once or maybe still loves Liv. Sister Jonna is an aspiring actress.

Swedes drink a LOT of alcohol. Such a potboiler!

SEASON TWO

Shakespeare would heartily approve this “Shakespearean Tragedy”.  Season Two begins when Lasse returns to the hotel for Christmas only to discover that Liv has been absent for months and Oskar lives in a depressed drunken state. As a result the hotel is a mess and completely unprepared for the Christmas hotel guests.

Things continue for 10 episodes (lasting about 45 minutes each ) to go steadily downhill with lots of complications which can be summarized by a quote that is mistakenly attributed to Shakespeare:

“Oh what a tangled web we weave
When first we practice to deceive. ” – Sir Walter Scott (Marmion, 1808)

Beginning with the cover-up of the murder of the father of the siblings, one deceit leads to another.  Along the way we experience more murder, counterfeit money, betrayed young love, determined police work, love affairs gone wrong, and a final tragic ending in which only Jonna gets a chance for happiness.

In good conscience I could not let you sit through season 2 without first warning you. Despite the warning, as soap operas go, this series of episodes is well done.

 

2013, Comic Moments, Detective, DNA, Forensics, German, Made For TV, MHz Choice, Murder Investigation, Sex Scenes, Swiss detective, Swiss German

The Undertaker (2013)

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From IMDB:

A detective leaves the force to take over the family business as an undertaker at the same time as he is being investigated for murder. His close encounters with corpses and his earlier police training lead him to see things some of his ex-colleagues miss and he investigates the crimes he encounters in an unofficial capacity often to the dismay of he official police.

From MHz Choice:

MYSTERY | SWITZERLAND | GERMAN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES |
Luc Conrad used to be a police detective. Now he’s an undertaker, whose job is usually to comfort and console the bereaved. But as soon as Luc starts to suspect foul play, his inner sleuth takes over – and so do the headaches for his ex, Inspector Anna-Maria Giovanoli.

“Der Bestatter” is the German title which means “The Undertaker”.

Four seasons can be streamed from MHz Choice. Each episode is about one hour. Season 1 offers 4 episodes, whereas the following 3 seasons each offer 6 episodes.

Although these episodes are not grim, not violent, and are fairly easy viewing, nonetheless from time to time a body or face can be hard to look at (for example, a burning victim).  Luc has a young male assistant Fabio who can only be described as weird.

For another review visit previously.tv in which we learn “the Alemannic Swiss German dialect spoken in Aarau is not understandable to most Germans.”

Easy to watch.

1997, Abduction, Abuse of Women, Addiction, Bloody scenes, Child abuse, Child Molestation, Complicated, Computer geeks, Contract Killing, Corruption, Could Be Hard To Watch, Crime thriller, Detective, Disturbing Image, Drugs, Father-daughter relations, Financial malfeasance, Forensics, Grim, Made For TV, MHz Choice, Murder Investigation, Pedophilia, Police Culture, Psychological Drama, Revenge, Serial Killer, Sex Scenes, Spousal Abuse, Suicide, Suspense, Swedish, Swedish crime series, Thriller, Violent

Beck (1997)

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From MHz Choice:

He’s got no style, he’s got no flash and he’s squarely in middle age. But Swedish detective Martin Beck is good at one thing: methodically catching criminals so that they can be put away… for a long time. His tightly-wound partner, Gunvald, is his opposite: an impulsive man who cuts a dashing figure, is in no way politically correct and who never met a boundary he didn’t leap across.

MHz Choice lets you stream 5 seasons of the Swedish detective series “Beck”.  All seasons offer 8 episodes except Season 4 which only offers 2 episodes. Each Episode is approximate 1.5 hours.

Harsh and sometimes hard-to-watch, the episodes are well done. If you want something less tense, try the MHz Choice series “Magellan”.

Through the 5 seasons Beck’s physical appearance does not change much. But the difference between the Season 1 Gunvald and the Season 5 Gunvald is striking in the way that the actor has aged.

Part of the appeal of the series is that the personal lives of the characters continue from episode to episode. Therefore it is best to view the episodes in order. However the mystery story for each episode is self-contained.

When you browse to MHz Choice, just enter “Beck” in the search box. Then you can see all the seasons and episodes listed. If you pause over one of the episode boxes, you get a short description of that episode.

Choosing categories for this series is difficult because after 34 episodes, there is hardly an untouched category.

Never boring, never relaxed viewing.

2008, Abuse of Women, Acceptable for teenagers, Amusing banter, Catholic Church Corruption, Comic Moments, Extramarital Affair, Failing Marriage, Financial malfeasance, Flirting, German, German Detectives, Insurance Fraud, Interest in automobiles, Jealousy, Kidnapping, Made For TV, MHz Choice, Mixed Martial Arts, Murder Investigation, Police Politics, Religious Theme, Revenge, Suspense, Unbelievably smart detective, Uncategorized

Marie’s Mind for Murder (2008)

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From MHz Choice:

After the death of her policeman father, Inspector Marie Brand (Mariele Millowitsch) said goodbye to homicide – or so she thought. But after being called in to consult on a difficult case she finds herself back on the job, working with the very handsome Inspector Jürgen Simmel, a ladies’ man with a soft spot for Marie. With her brilliant, analytical mind for murder and Simmel’s more hands-on approach, these two form a perfect team!

From MHz Choice ($7.99 per month) you can stream 10 episodes of Season 1.  Each episode lasts about an hour and a half. Speech is in German with English subtitles.

To the above summary I can only add that these detective stories are easy to watch (no gore, no serial killers). Brand and Simmel engage in amusing quasi-combative banter. Simmel gets involved with many beautiful women, who unfortunately are often part of the crime du jour. Brand has some personal troubles. Simmel is often clumsy while physically active most of the time ( since he really wants to show off his martial art skills).

All in all, this series is a pleasant way to pass the time.

2017, Acceptable for teenagers, Acceptable Science, Acorn TV, Adopted child, Alzheimer's disease, Ambiguous Conclusion, Amusing banter, Animal story, Assisted Suicide, Australian, Bloody scenes, Brother-Brother relations, Cancer theme, Comic Moments, Could Be Sad, DO NOT MISS, Drama, Drugs, Ends in Cliff Hanger, Family Conflict, Father-son relations, Feel Good Not For Children, Flirting, Jealousy, Love Story, Made For TV, Melodrama, Mother-son relations, Nudity, School Teacher, Sensitive treatement of emotions, Sex Scenes, Small Town, Small Town Atmosphere, Somewhat trashy, Terminal Disease, Uncategorized, Witty dialog

The Heart Guy (2017)

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From Acorn TV:

Hugh Knight is a rising star in the Sydney heart surgery ranks. He is gifted, charmed, and infallible: a hedonist who – due to his sheer talent – believes he can live outside the rules. But after an incident involving drugs and alcohol, his world comes crashing down. Placed on the Impaired Registrants List for his part in the debacle by the Medical Board, he is banned from surgery and can only work as a local doctor. 

Acorn TV offers Series 1 with 10 episodes, each of approximately 45 minutes length.

Love, loss, sex, comic banter, medical practice, family, jealousy, close friendships, cancer, fatherhood: you name it, it’s all there in this fun-to-watch, very popular Australian TV series. Best of all there is nothing more violent than a fist fight or two.

This Aussie series is much less serious than another Acorn TV offering (which I highly recommend) called “A Place To Call Home” even though there are some sad parts.

WARNING: Episode 10 ends ambiguously, probably in preparation for another season.

Need something “feel good” to watch?  Then don’t miss this show!

 

2017, Acceptable for teenagers, Acorn TV, Addiction, Child custody, Drugs, Ends in Cliff Hanger, Ethical struggles, Extramarital Affair, Family Conflict, Father-daughter relations, Father-son relations, Gay theme, Irish, Lawyers, Made For TV, Marital Infidelity, Mother-daughter relations, Mother-son relations, Orphans in Foster Care, Personal Betrayal, Sex Scenes

Striking Out (2017)

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From Acorn TV:

Tara Rafferty (Amy Huberman, The Clinic) is living the good life: she’s a successful Dublin lawyer engaged to a fellow solicitor. But Tara’s life is turned upside down after she discovers her betrothed in bed with a colleague. Abandoning her wedding plans (and her job), Tara strikes out on her own, starting an unconventional private practice. Hailed as “a roaring success” (Irish Independent), this legal drama charmed audiences across the pond, quickly becoming Ireland’s #1 new drama. Neil Morrissey (Line of Duty, Grantchester, The Night Manager) and Rory Keenan (War & Peace, Peaky Blinders) co-star.

From Acorn TV you can stream the 4 episodes of Season One. Season Two is now in production over the summer of 2017.

Kathy and I could not wait to see each new episode. Along side of the continuing saga of her fiancée  Erik’s betrayal (and the accompanying pressures of both their socially ambitious families), each episode presents a different law Client for Tara. There is absolutely no violence.  Tara gathers around her a really quirky and nice set of characters.

Expect a cliff-hanger ending of episode 4, which clearly means to suggest an oncoming new season.

If you are a “Doc Martin” kind of person, you will enjoy “Striking Out”.

 

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.

 

2015, Abduction, AIDS, Alcoholism, British, Clever Plot, Complicated, Conspiracy, Creepy, Dark, Drama, Drugs, Emotional child abuse, Explicit sex, Gay theme, Harmful Medicine, Improbable details, Made For TV, Mathematician, MI5, Mother-son relations, Murder, Netflix Streaming, Nudity, Suspense, Wonderful acting

London Spy (2015)

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From IMDB:

A chance romance between two men from very different worlds, one from the headquarters of the Secret Intelligence Service, the other from a world of clubbing and youthful excess, leads into mystery after one of them is found murdered.

From Netflix you can stream this 5-episode one-season series. Indeed Wikipedia confirms that there are only 5 episodes. Why would I doubt this? Read on to find the answer.

Give this series a 10 for originality, sinister plot, and great actors. But WARNING: Do not expect to live happily ever after.

In the novel “1984” Big Brother is always watching. Here also, the character Danny (played by Ben Whishaw) is up against an unbeatable conspiracy which only seems to be more malignant with each attempt by Danny to fight back.

Danny, a young promiscuous gay man, meets Alex (played by Edward Holcroft) a seemingly repressed and virginal gay man. After the two become lovers (there is one scene of the two men making love) and genuinely fall in love,  Alex disappears. Danny spends the rest of the series exploring this disappearance.

Along the way Danny teams up with a remarkable set of well-known actors:

  • Jim Broadbent (if you have ever watched British entertainment, you will recognize this famous and seasoned actor) pays Scottie, Danny’s aging gay mentor and friend.
  • David Hayman (again an instantly recognizable British actor) plays as one of the conspirator’s servants Mr. Turner.
  • Charlotte Rampling (need I say more?) is one of Alex’s mothers. How’s that for intriguing?

As swept up as I was (i.e.  “binge watching”), I have to qualify:

The Good:

  • Acting is as superb as it is really, really slow. This story is a monument to sad, mournful pondering. But Ben Whishaw can just stand still and emote. No action required.
  • As a mystery story, it just sinks deeper and deeper.

The Bad:

  • Story speed is really, really slow.
  • Too many times the details seem to be too improbable. Can any conspiracy be that all-powerful and airtight?
  • One of the plot twists prompted my response “Give me a break!”
  • Do not expect to live happily ever after, but rather hopefully ever after.

Clearly, this film will not be everyone’s cup of tea. It just worked for me despite any plot disappointments.

 

 

2016, Clever Plot, Cult Brainwashing, Drama, Frenetic, Made For TV, Netflix Streaming, Suspense, Thought provoking, Unusual, Violent

Rebirth (2016)

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From Netflix:

Long-lost buddy Zack gets suburban dad Kyle on a bus to a Rebirth seminar, sending him down a rabbit hole of psychodrama, seduction and violence.

Again a Netflix Original film, this time one full-length feature lasting 1 hour and 40 minutes.  Several languages available both in subtitles and audio tracks.

What seems to start as some almost boring story picks up when Kyle reaches the Rebirth seminar, From then on the story crescendos into a horror story of violence, brain washing, and the frightening power of a fanatical cult. Recall how the novel “1984” ends? This is no different and the ending is chilling indeed. Could that ever happen? Think about Scientology.

Such a film may fascinate or horrify you, but it will not make you happy.

 

2015, Australian, Australian Aborigine, Barely Acceptable Trash, Bloody scenes, Cancer theme, Car Chase, Corny at times, Ends in Cliff Hanger, Fantasy, Gay theme, Love Story, Made For TV, Medical Theme, Mediocre, Motorcycles, Murder, Netflix Streaming, Police Culture, Revenge, Sci-Fi, Sex Scenes, Small Town, Sometimes seems silly, Violent, War, War Veterans, WWI

Glitch (2015)

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From Netflix:

James and Elishia keep the Risen under wraps while they try to make sense of what’s happening, and James makes a second shocking discovery.

From Netflix you can stream the 6 episodes of season 1 of this Netflix original.

At least 6 people climb out of their graves and interact with the living for 6 episodes. Mostly this is a mystery story which tries to solve not only how this resurrection is possible but also how each person died. It takes a character as many as 6 episodes to make that self-discovery, often to their great unhappiness. Curiosity kept me watching this mediocre, maudlin, barely acceptable piece of trash.

Surprisingly, this new production offers the audio and subtitles in many languages. Because the dialog is simple and basic, this is a good opportunity to use languages other than English. HOWEVER, the written scripts do not match the spoken scripts, which has been a flaw prevalent in many films for many years.

WARNING: Episode 6 ends with a huge cliff hanger. Just when you think you will learn the answers, the season ends.  Wait, I suppose, for a second season.