It’s been a while since I wrote about some TV shows I’m enjoying. In a previous thread Clyde suggested Shetland.
The series is on Netflix, and is worth it for fans of police procedurals.
The series takes place on the Shetland Islands in Scotland. Jimmy Perez (no, that’s not much of a Scottish name) is the lead detective, widowed, with his stepdaughter. The relationship between the biological dad, Jimmy and the teenage daughter is worth watching the series.
Bleak landscapes, ocean views, long scenes in which characters stare at the sea…and crackling good acting. No that isn’t Simon Pegg on the right, and yes…the female detective does tend to look awkward.
The author whose novels became Shetland also wrote the novels which are the basis for Vera, now on Amazon.
These take place in Northumberland, in the northeast of UK. Closer to Glasgow than Liverpool, so nearly Scottish in flavor. Similar pacing and style, but slightly less ocean gazing.
I expected a British Murder She Wrote — but I judged the show by it’s cover. Vera is cranky, unstylish, and pretty good at cracking crimes. Rude to her team at times, but caring. It’s not a lightweight cop show.
Beware, though. You will need the captions on. The adorable, yet quirky female detective in Shetland cannot be understood without them. Well, not by me, anyway.
Gloch nah oof, nair boosh!
The other warning is that while Amazon has 3 series (seasons) of Vera, you’ll have to pay for more episodes. I thought I was set for a while and they started asking for money.
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High Praise also for Grantchester on Amazon
Vicar with a broken heart, hard boiled detective. Don’t like each other. Get over it. Solve crimes. 1960’s. Lots of drinking and smoking. Nobody has sex. Great acting.
Also Great:
Inspector George Gently on Amazon
Gruff senior detective, undisciplined junior officer. Both find a way to navigate race and changing attitudes in England. So much drinking and smoking that I had to was nicotine off the inside of my TV.
So what’s on your TV?
The Artisan Craft Blog -- Dave Alexander & Company with David Edgren and Gus Bailey 
Next Food Network Star. The things I suffer through for domestic tranquility.
On Mon, Jul 3, 2017 at 7:55 PM Dave Alexander & Company with David Edgren and Gus Bailey – The Artisan Craft Blog wrote:
> Dave Alexander (formerly ukuleledave) posted: “It’s been a while since I > wrote about some TV shows I’m enjoying. In a previous thread Clyde > suggested Shetland. The series is on Netflix, and is worth it for fans of > police procedurals. The series takes place on the Shetland Islands in > Scotland. Jimm” >
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Vera is really good, as is Shetland. FWIW, Jimmy is a Real Shetlander; the Spanish Armada cames into play. Our local PBS affiliate shows both occasionally, along with DCI Banks. The Oz-produced Doctor Blake Mysteries is also quite good. Alas, we’re bandwidth limited, so no Netflix.
My wife watched The Tunnel for the first season. She found it totally depressing, with no likeable characters. I’m also pretty down on Hinterland; watched two seasons, read the synopsis of Season 3 on the Wikis, and will give it a pass. (Think of a mystery like Wallander, but less optimistic.)
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I gave up on The Tunnel just before the last episode, season one. The female detective seemed to have no empathy for her colleagues and pretty poor social skills. How could someone like that become a detective? Or even a successful uniformed cop. The “brilliant and charming serial killer” trope got old.
Hinterland is a show I’d watch again, though the male lead detective isn’t all that good at solving crimes.
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… A Penguin …
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An hour. It took me an hour to get that one.
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Sorry ’bout that …
: -)))))
No…it was an enjoyable hour and then I remembered it. –Dave
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What’s on my TV? Mostly dust.
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Mine has dust and next to it a Wii console. So it really shouldn’t be as dusty as it is.
My iPad has Grantchester, Death in Paradise, the Dr. Blake mysteries, Hell on Wheels, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, Marvel’s Agents of Shield, Powerless (I can’t believe they cancelled it!), Midsomer Murders, Murdoch Mysteries, Broadchurch, Republic of Doyles, and right now I’m rewatching Ken Burn’s The Civil War.
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Dr. Blake is very good. I’d love to see him in a movie with Kelsey Grammer. Twins on different continents.
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Death in Paradise looks like a lighter type of police show. The descriptions put it in the “Monk/Psych” kind of genre. I could be wrong. Judging a show by its cover…
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It is definitely lighter, but it’s great fun, and even though I hate heat, it almost makes me want to move to “St. Marie” (Guadeloupe).
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I don’t watch much tv, but I did binge my way through Longmire on Netflix.
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I’m again going to toss in a recommendation for “Atelier” from Netflix-Japan. Totally not what you might expect based on a brief description.
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” A young “fabric geek” lands a job at an upscale Japanese lingerie company — and quickly discovers she’ll need help to survive….” — Yeah, after I get through all the British and European cop shows
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I recently rewatched SyFy’s BattleStar Galactica.
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Best tv evah
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Watched “Hidden Figures” on Netflix last night.
Having written my first Fortran programs for a (then obsolete, soon to be decommissioned) IBM 7090, decades ago, it was like old home week.
Ah, for the days of kiloflops!
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The engineers at NASA….NASA!!!!!…did not think to measure the doorway of the computer room! Very good film.
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Ah, that was because it was designed and built by, you guessed it, “the low bidder”!
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