World Mysteries and Thrillers discussion

Like TV shows, TV movies, or movie series. Or even individual movies if really good.
Like the idea for the group; located somewhere interesting and exotic.
Name me some of your favorite TV shows or series, I need recommendations.
A plus if you can catch it in Netflix (US), or iTunes etc. Or library. Somewhere...

As a starter, I've always loved Montalbano.
Unfortunately it's difficult to catch it in the US.
An awesome detective, located in Vigata (a fictional place around Ragusa, Sicily).

Then I got hooked in Justified.
Man, that show (and Raylan, and Boyd) make Eastern Kentucky seem like an awesome place. How did that happen?
At least the first season is in Netflix streaming, and all seasons are in iTunes.

Then my husband got me hooked in Longmire.
A bit slower than Justified, but it fits the pace. An awesome sheriff, Longmire that is, and awesome sidekicks. And it makes Wyoming seem like a neat place.

So what else might I like?

I kind of like the new summer series on NBC Sunday nights called Crossing Lines http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2427220/?... featuring a multi- national task force investigating serial crimes that cross borders all over Europe.

Do you remember 'Van der Valk', BBC series about a Dutch detective? Honestly, I don't remember it at all well, except that it occurred to me that there may be some fans of it here - vaguely derived from a concept by Nicolas Freeling. I can't claim to be an expert on this. Anyone?

Haven't heard of either - my sister might be more familiar with the second one, as she lives in Europe, and they get plenty of other series.

I'm still looking for some series like Justified and Longmire.
Interesting, non-LA location, with good characters, enough dark stuff, and enough action.

I've tried a few new to me series but haven't got hooked on anything new yet. Copper didn't cut it for me, and all the other shows pilots were like that - take it or leave it.

Try Ripper Street. Victorian crimefighting as in Copper, but not as grotesquely in-your-face. Matthew Macfayden gets some wonderfully turgid dialog to chew on.

Ripper Street is fantastic. Matthew Macfayden is wonderful and the rest of the cast is just as good. BBC America has some great shows -- try Luther and Broadchurch. I've not watched Law & Order UK, but it is on my list. Also, I just started to watch the Bridge on FX. Pretty gory, but great cast and interesting story lines.

Wallander series starring Kenneth Branagh and the US series called Motive. The viewer knows who did the crime, but not why as the tv detectives try to catch the perp. Interesting premise and Lauren Holly is great as the main detective and single mom raising a teen.

I’ve been wondering about Wallander, Ripper Street, Justified etc and will now give them a try. Thanks for the info. I think I watch more BBC than anything else.

Just finished watching "The Escape Artist" with David Tennant. Super! I won't spoil, but I will say that there is very little blood and very many mind games. (Do we still call them that?) Well, psychological rather than gore strewn.

Jules Dassin's "The Naked City" (1948)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Nake...
...often characterized as the first police procedural in film.

Another good one: 'Union Station' (1950) starring William Holden.

Person Of Interest is a great show. Starts as a fun crime drama with a unique twist but slowly evolves into a show which examines technology, corrupt politics and surveillance. Jim Caveizel and Michael Emerson are the actors for the protagonists and they hit it out of the ballpark constantly.

I found a Swedish TV series on Netflix based on Wallander (also series title), subtitled in English, and liked it a lot. I found it to be truer to the flavor of the books than the Branagh version.

Broadchurch. Definitely.

How To Get Away With Murder Thursday nights (you can watch the pilot at http://abc.go.com/shows/how-to-get-aw...). Technically it is a show about defense attorneys (the main character is a law professor and defense attorney who teaches four main students how to win non-guilty verdicts for her clients). So the law side of it is pretty interesting. There's also some drama and soap opera tactics (lots of crossing love stories) and an open premise that the four law students actually committed a murder, but we don't know why yet. I only watched the pilot but I enjoyed it and it is trending like crazy on Twitter!

Janelle wrote: "How To Get Away With Murder Thursday nights (you can watch the pilot at http://abc.go.com/shows/how-to-get-aw...). Technically it is a show about defense attorneys (the main character i..."

I watched the first episode - I found it to be a good premise, but as you said, much soap opera going on. I probably won't go back to it.

Gerard wrote: "The title reminded me of the Jack Lemon/Verna Lisi 'How to Murder your Wife'i>

The show actually reminds me of Shark, with James Woods. It was about a defense attorney turned prosecutor and he had three or four young assistants he "mentored." Again, HTGAWM is more drama filled than a typical detective show

Another good one coming soon is HARRY BOSCH. It is an Amazon TV series starring Titus Weaver based on characters from my all-time favorite mystery writer Michael Connelly. I watched the first test episode and it is pretty dark, but so is most of Connelly's writing. Excited for when that comes out!

Oh yes - Bosch... one of my big book detective crushes.
Can't wait for more episodes. I think the series got selected to be continued, lucky us. :)

The House of Cards, I am not sure if it is a Netflix only series but it is an amazing show.

Anna wrote: "Oh yes - Bosch... one of my big book detective crushes.
Can't wait for more episodes. I think the series got selected to be continued, lucky us. :)"

It is always funny to see a book on screen. Titus Weaver is not at all how I imagined Bosch, and yet he does a marvelous job. I think I'm slowly falling in love with him, too!

The same for me. I imagined Bosch to be darker and wirier - especially in the beginning. And scruffier - Weaver is too polished and too Hollywood. Yet he does have the same intensity that Bosch has in books. So I think I'm starting to like him.

Now who would you want to play Harry Hole if he ever got on screen?

Ooh, that's a tough one. Now that I've seen him as Titus Weaver, it is hard for me to unsee him, you know? It kind of reminds me of the 50 Shades movie uproar and how fans had all kinds of opinions on the leading man. It just isn't easy to cast that main character. Some movies get it spot on and others are just so off. I never really liked Matthew McConaughey in THE LINCOLN LAWYER. I love Matthew McConaughey, just not in that role. It just didn't gel with me, unfortunately.

I kind of dug him as Lincoln Lawyer - because that lawyer is so different from Bosch. And he captured the spirit. With Bosch I've always had a much stronger emotional attachment, so "he should be scruffier" and more this and that. Less fancy suit and fancy haircut wearing Hollywood guy.

Hole will be nearly impossible. Passion, insane passion that drives him forward but also to drink and destruction. And he definitely should not be Hollywood cut.

COPPER is a great series. JUSTIFIED AND LONGMIRE are both terrific. Regrettably LONGMIRE has not been renewed.
Reports are he has great appeal with people over 50. That's not the demographic his network wants.

Scott and Bailey on local PBS, hard to locate. Enjoying Longmire on NetFlix. All the good shows get cancelled.


Bourne wrote: "COPPER is a great series. JUSTIFIED AND LONGMIRE are bothGMIRE has not been renewed.
Reports are he has great appeal with people over 50. That's not the demographic his ne..."

Gerard wrote: "What about the French Spiral (Engrenages?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YQJ5..."

Janelle wrote: "How To Get Away With Murder Thursday nights (you can watch the pilot at http://abc.go.com/shows/how-to-get-aw...). Technically it is a show about defense attorneys (the main character i..."


Very French! Ha ha. . Enjoyed it up to a point.

Cat wrote: "I found a Swedish TV series on Netflix based on Wallander (also series title), subtitled in English, and liked it a lot. I found it to be truer to the flavor of the books than the Branagh version."

Just watched 13 episodes, had seen earlier season. The final season sounds tragic, but it is so well done. Super acting.

I am surprised no one has mentioned the CBS adaptations of Robert B. Parker's Jesse Stone stories starring Tom Selleck. They were made for TV movies (2005-2012) that I find excellent.

Steven, good point! Tom Selleck made that character.

TRUE DETECTIVE on HBO is fascinating and totally strange. I am watching DVD from Netflix. If it was streaming, I would sit there and watch all 8 episodes without a break. The second season is in production now and is scheduled for a 2015 release. This is up there with Justified for plot and characters.

I don't know if you can watch it, since it's not a new series, but the A&E Original (yes, at one point, this was their first original series) A Nero Wolfe Mystery.

Has anyone mentioned the Inspector Murdoch series? It's based on Maureen Jennings books and is set in Victorian-era Toronto. It's as much a police procedural as a history of science. Murdoch, in his fascination with science, resembles Holmes, albeit more uptight and ethical. Arthur Conan Doyle is, in fact, in a couple of episodes! The first 3-4 seasons are available streaming on Netflix. The show is good enough that we've ordered the others from Amazon!

I'd like to second Nupur's recommendation for the Murdoch Mysteries. It's a bit lightweight but fun, with some period authenticity but also frequent sly references to future developments in forensic and other science and technologies.

Seriously people I've just been reading through the comments and I can't believe nobody's mensioned the truly awesome BBC series Sherlock. This series is a modernised take on the classic Sherlock Holmes. I have to say when I first started watching it I was wasn't sure about the idea. However, after the first episode I found myself all ready looking for the next two seasons, or series as we brits call them. I hope someone will notice this and actually start watching Sherlock, I can assure you that your life will never be the same. As everybody can probably tell, I have a very slight obsession with this show. You'll totally understand where I'm coming from when you watch it.

And I'd like to also second Robin's enthusiasm for Benedict Cumberbatch's Sherlock - I love it too! To add to that, I also like Elementary on American network TV (I get it through Netflix), yet another take on Sherlock. Set in New York, Watson is Lucy Liu, very smart show.

I wasn't aware that elementary was on Netflix. I've also watched Netflix, but I have to say I still prefer Sherlock, the only thing I found extremely irritating about Sherlock is the amount of episodes in a series. I just wish they'd do more episodes each series.

Elementary is only on DVDs from Netflix, not streamable

ok, I've just watched the first season, need to find time to watch season 2.

Phair wrote: "I kind of like the new summer series on NBC Sunday nights called Crossing Lines http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2427220/?... featuring a multi- national task force investigating serial crimes th..."

I definitely like this, even if the satellite TV here is showing it later than elsewhere.

My sister watches Crossing Lines. She raves about that show. She's always telling me to watch it, But i'm watching too many things as it is. So just like my TBR list I'll need to catch up before adding anything new.

I like the CSI and Criminal Minds series, but all of them seem to stretch believability. I am frequently amused by dialog where one character, for the upteenth time, explains some aspect of the investigation that you know, after watching many episodes, they both know.

J.K. Rowling's Cormoran Strike detective novels will be adapted for a major new BBC One drama series. The Cuckoo's Calling and The Silkworm were written under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith and will form the basis of the serial, which will be made with the assistance of the Harry Potter author.
A three-part adaptation of Rowling's The Casual Vacancy will be aired on BBC One in February 2015.

Hilary Mantel loves the BBC's Wolf Hall adaptation
http://www.radiotimes.com/…/damien-le...…

Damien Lewis and Mark Rylance Wolf Hall drama gets approval of BBC's top boss... and Hilary Mantel
RADIOTIMES.COM

SPIRAL ARRIVES THIS WEEKEND
This Saturday marks the return of acclaimed French legal drama, Spiral. The show returns for a fifth series on BBC Four as it explores the complex world of French criminal investigation. From the police agents on the streets of Paris to the law enforcers in the French courtroom, Spiral promises to keep you enticed with gritty plotlines and startling performances.