Category: TV

Women’s Murder Club – season 1

On By Rick McIn books, TVLeave a comment

Women’s Murder Club is an American police procedural and legal drama that aired on ABC from October 12, 2007, to May 13, 2008.

The series is set in San Francisco, California, and is based on the series of novels by the same name written by James Patterson & Maxine Paetro.

… the series revolves around the lives of four women in San Francisco – a homicide detective, an assistant district attorney, a medical examiner, and a newspaper reporter – who come together to use their expertise and talents in their respective fields to solve murder cases. …

Having got hooked on the books, the only place I could find to watch the TV series was on YouTube in low resolution. Surprisingly, I liked the show just as much as the books.

Angie Harmon was a terrific choice to play Lindsay Boxer, the main protagonist. She has the gravitas — though Lindsay in the books is a blonde.

It’s a shame the show was cancelled.

The House of Cross by James Patterson

On By Rick McIn books, TVLeave a comment

With the new TV series launching 2024, there was more than usual interest in the 2024 release of 33rd book in the series.

I’d say this is one of the better books. Entertaining escapism.

It’s timely. Set around the inauguration of a new President.

Judges on the list of potential Supreme Court candidates are being murdered.

Why?

A body believed to be the vigilante serial killer called “M” is found after a car wreck in Nevada.

Bree believes that he was the mastermind behind the criminal organization Maestro. She and Sampson pursue to the lair in British Columbia. And disappear.

Alex Cross to the rescue.

Black Doves – season 1

On By Rick McIn TVLeave a comment

Entertaining. Quirky characters. Some funny dialogue.

Black Doves is a British spy thriller television— absurd black comedy.

Though popular, there’s much to criticize.

I ASSuME the blatant inexplicable scenes are deliberate. The hitman hanging around the murder scene, unworried by CCTV, for example.

So … let’s forget about lack of reality in many scenes.

I can’t admire the writing, either. It’s not particularly smart.

It’s always disappointing to see writers rely on flashbacks to be sure even the dumbest viewers can follow.

Certainly Slow Horses and The Diplomat are far superior.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Shetland – season 1

On By Rick McIn TVLeave a comment

I finally watched Shetland (2013), the critically acclaimed Scottish crime drama.

Good. Not great.

The first series consists of two episodes, based on the novel Red Bones by Ann Cleeves.

It’s difficult to find anything to complain about. This is serious, well produced television.

Perhaps a little too dire. Not enough levity.

I do like Alison O’Donnell as DS Alison “Tosh” McIntosh. She’s down to earth compared with deadly serious Steven Robertson as DC Sandy Wilson.

Of course I enjoy the remote islands location. And the annual Viking festival.

BUT season 1 was too complicated for me. And the REVEAL was not at all fascinating.

I assume subsequent series are better. Some say season 3 was best of all.

 Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Karen Pirie – season 1

On By Rick McIn TVLeave a comment

I visited St. Andrews, Scotland summer 2024 — and was keen to watch this drama after finding the body was found in the famed cathedral grounds.

What grabbed me first was the unlikely detective, Lauren Lyle as DS Karen Pirie.

So young and seemingly naive.

Karen Pirie is a British crime drama television series based on the Inspector Karen Pirie series of novels by Val McDermid. 

…  a young detective-sergeant, Karen Pirie, is put in charge of what appears to be a twenty-five year-old cold case. An influential podcast series focuses on the case, the unsolved murder of a barmaid, and Pirie is tasked with rexamining it.

Pay attention. The plot is quite complicated with a number of side stories.

The ending has been criticized. Fairly.

The other character I quite liked was Chris Jenks as DC Jason (Mint) Murray. Pirie’s assistant.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Murder in a Small Town – season 1

On By Rick McIn books, TVLeave a comment

An excellent TV series.

Murder in a Small Town is a Canadian mystery–drama television series which premiered on Global in Canada, and Fox in the United States on September 24, 2024. …

It is based on the Alberg and Cassandra Mysteries, a series of novels by L. R. Wright.

It was filmed at Gibsons on British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast.

In Canada, I watched it free (ad supported) on the Global TV website — but it was a pain.

The romance is consummated half way through the first episode.

Rossif Sutherland — son of the Donald — is the small town police chief.

The gorgeous Kristin Kreuk was a gymnast in Vancouver until grade 11. She’s of Dutch and Chinese Jamaican descent.

The entire cast is good.

Mya Lowe as Corporal Edwina Yen is great. You might recognize her from Yellowjackets.

I’m impressed that the show is nuanced on subjects like racism. And sexual harassment.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Prime Suspect: Tennison

On By Rick McIn TVLeave a comment

Excellent British TV.

I was sorry only 1 season was produced.

Prime Suspect 1973 (also known as Prime Suspect: Tennison) is a British television detective drama series starring Stefanie Martini as the young Jane Tennison. It is a prequel to the long-running Prime Suspect series that had starred Helen Mirren. …

Set in Hackney, the series depicts 22-year-old Jane Tennison (Stefanie Martini) as she begins her career as a woman police constable (WPC) in 1973 with the Metropolitan Police Service. At a time when women were beginning to be gradually integrated into the police force, Tennison has to deal with sexism, as well as difficulties in her home life, as her family disapprove of her career choice.

Great television despite at least 2 unbelievably blatant plot holes.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.





Cross – season 1

On By Rick McIn books, TVLeave a comment

I’m somewhat disappointed.

Excellent source books, the Alex Cross series. Excellent cast. …

I’d fire the writers. This TV drama should have been much better.

In the books, Alex Cross is a savant, using forensic psychology to analyze killers’ minds, delving into victims’ psyches to identify murderers and bring them to justice.

In season 1 he’s no Sherlock. Too angry. Too distracted. His overwhelming grief does not work for me.

He hardly does anything right.

Disappointing.

Isaiah Mustafa as Detective John Sampson, Alex’s Washington, D.C. Metro Police Department partner is very good, however. Much like in the books.

The bad guy — the “fanboy killer” is very well portrayed by Ryan Eggold. That performance cannot be faulted either.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

My GUESS is that the writers will learn from their mistakes. I expect season 2 to be much better.

Gone for Good by Harlan Coben

On By Rick McIn books, TVLeave a comment

This 2002 book is excellent.

Gone for Good has a complicated and surprising plot.

As a boy, Will Klein had a hero: his older brother, Ken.

Then, on a warm suburban night in the Kleins’ affluent New Jersey neighborhood, a young woman—a girl Will had once loved—was found raped and murdered in her family’s basement.

The prime suspect: Ken Klein.

With the evidence against him overwhelming, Ken simply vanished …

10 years later Will’s girlfriend simply vanishes. Or was she murdered?

Netflix adapted the book into a TV series set in France.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Man on the Inside – season 1

On By Rick McIn TVLeave a comment

Ted Danson really has had an impressive comedy career.

He’s good again in A Man on the Inside.

He plays Charles Nieuwendyk, a bored widower and retired engineering college professor who reluctantly takes a job as an investigative assistant for a private detective to go undercover at Pacific View Retirement Community in San Francisco, in order to find a missing ruby necklace.

Senior citizens naturally make for comedy. Think of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. The Bucket List.

It’s fun to see veteran actors like Sally Struthers still motivated to stay on screen.

Two thumbs up.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.