Category: TV

Under the Vines – season 1

On By Rick McIn food, TV1 Comment

Charming and heartwarming. 

Yet another fish-out-of-water comedy.

Like Green Acres. 😀

Under the Vines is a New Zealand comedy drama television series …

Two step-cousins — Australian socialite Daisy Munroe and UK lawyer Louis Oakley — inherit a declining New Zealand vineyard, Oakley Wines …

The joint heirs have no experience with wine-making or New Zealand rural culture, and each is having financial, social, and existential crises. They become interested in the winery’s future but frequently don’t see eye-to-eye. …

Some nudity. Randy Kiwis.

General nonsense.

I really like Trae Te Wiki as Tippy (Isabella) Bidois: Oakley’s young, adventurous and newly successful vintner/winemaker. 

Some funny lines.

Why are they so loud?

They are Australian. 😀

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Ms. Fisher’s Modern Murder Mysteries

On By Rick McIn TVLeave a comment

Another good Aussie TV series.

This is a sequel to Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, which I have not yet seen.

Ms. Fisher’s Modern Murder Mysteries (2019) is set in Melbourne, mid-1960s.

The show revolves around the personal and professional life of Peregrine Fisher, … who inherits a fortune when the famous aunt she never knew goes missing over the highlands of New Guinea.

Peregrine sets out to become a world-class private detective in her own right, guided by a group of exceptional women in The Adventuresses’ Club, of which her aunt was also a member.

Each episode is about 80 minutes.

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Slow Horses – season 3

On By Rick McIn TV1 Comment

Weakest season, so far.

The plot incredibly unbelievable.

Who approved this script?

Still, Gary Oldman as Jackson Lamb, the head of Slough House, makes it worth watching.

For me it’s mostly a black comedy, an absurd workplace shambles.

But at times, it’s almost le Carré level espionage drama. 

People still LOVE this show after 3 seasons.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Reacher – season 2

On By Rick McIn books, TV1 Comment

Season 1 was great.

Reacher – season 1

But season 2 was even better, IMHO. 

YES it’s ultra violent. TRUE – dozens of bad guys die because they never seem to shoot straight. 😀

Too much Mission Impossible silliness, of course.

But Reacher is iconic. A true original.

In season 2, Reacher reunites with his U.S. Army Military Police unit, the Special Investigators, when one of their own is murdered under mysterious circumstances.

Some fans of his books like me wonder WHERE they can go in season 3?

A letdown is likely.  Most of the Reacher books are like season 1 ➙  He wanders into a random town. Somehow gets involved in a big fight with a bad guy.  Wins without car chases or gun fights.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Agatha Raisin – TV show and Book

On By Rick McIn books, TVLeave a comment

Funny. Dumb. 😀

This 90min pilot went on to 4 seasons through 2022.

Agatha Raisin is a British comedy-drama television program, based on M. C. Beaton’s book series of the same name about a former PR agent who solves crime mysteries in the Cotswolds village of Carsely.

… broadcast as a pilot titled Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death 2014 …

… soon finds herself a suspect in a murder case when she enters the village’s annual quiche-making competition in an attempt to ingratiate herself with the community. She sets out to clear her name and solve the mystery of the quiche of death.

This is a case where the TV show is better than the source book – Quiche of Death (1992).

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Mystery Road – season 3

On By Rick McIn TV1 Comment

Mystery Road – seasons 1 & 2 were excellent.

Mystery Road: Origin is season 3.  A prequel. Good — but not as good as the first two.

The backstory of Mark Coles Smith as Jay Swan, a young detective in the Aussie outback 1999.

Later, in the other two seasons, Aaron Pedersen plays Jay Swan.

My favourite character, by far, is Grace Chow as Cindy Cheung, a young, enthusiastic, and positive police officer. She was truly the only one I could cheer for consistently.

The acting is very strong. Brave. 

But the story line simply too hard to follow, for me. At the end of the series I had to search out explainers.

I probably won’t watch season 4.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Jack Irish – season 1

On By Rick McIn TVLeave a comment

Entertaining and funny. Black humour.

Jack Irish  an Australian television drama series (2012) …

Guy Pearce as Jack Irish, a criminal defense lawyer turned debt collector and troubleshooter.  …

Very popular. Skillfully done.

Jack is hopeless as any kind of action hero.

Still, not having seen any of the Jack Irish films, I was confused by most of season 1.

Former girlfriend Linda takes a job in Manila. Get’s involved with a dangerous, mysterious gang. Rescues a child.

Jack has something of a new girlfriend, Sarah, and tries to find out who killed her sister.  A charismatic mega-church pastor seems to be responsible.

I have to admit, the last episode did finally wrap up where they were going with this. An interesting plot. 

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My Life Is Murder – season 2

On By Rick McIn TVLeave a comment

I didn’t have much motivation to continue with this otherwise entertaining show as it’s quite formulaic. Few surprises.

The star is some weird kind of police consultant who is asked in on murder cases that have gone cold. Or might get cold.

Does she get paid? … It doesn’t seem so.

My main incentive to continue with season 2 was that Lucy Lawless moved the show from Melbourne to Auckland. 

Detective Harry Henare replaces DI Kieran Hussey. Exactly,.

George Stathopoulos replaces Reuben Wulf as the owner of the small restaurant where Lucy sells homemade bread. Exactly.

Formula.

Ebony Vagulans as Madison Feliciano, Alexa’s assistant, is just as sassy. BUT moves in with her boss in Auckland. 

They made more of an effort to show off the local scenery. Auckland is gorgeous.

William Shatner asks Alexa out in episode 4. 😀 It’s as much a comedy as a drama.

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Devs (TV series)

On By Rick McIn TVLeave a comment

A very pretty high tech set.

Intriguing premise.

Nick Offerman.

But I quit half way through. Too slow. 

Any plot that concerns time travel in any way is likely to end unsatisfactorily.

Happy Valley – season 1

On By Rick McIn TVLeave a comment

I finally got round to watching the 2015 BAFTA for Best Drama Series. 

Happy Valley is fantastic TV — but very hard to watch. It’s simply too intense. 

Devastating.

Catherine Cawood is a divorced police sergeant with two children.

She is still trying to recover from the suicide of her daughter, which happened eight years ago.

Catherine is raising her grandson, Ryan, who was born due to her daughter being raped by Tommy Lee Royce.

Just when it seems like Catherine is gaining control over her life, she discovers that Tommy, whom she holds responsible for her daughter’s suicide, has been released from prison after serving time for other offences.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.