Lately (the past six months or so), I have watched British detective shows obsessively. I have run through whole seasons, drinking every last drop of the best of the BBC. It was only a matter of time before I thought of writing a review of them.
The results are two new pages for the hubpage site. One was picked up for their new film and tv review niche site.
I’m not actually done yet, but had plenty to publish as a first installment. Including the best so far, but there are many more. I’ll probably write separate pages, to keep the list from getting too long to read at one go. And I was eager to share some great television suggestions in time for summer.
We all watch TV for a bit of relaxation. I have different shows for different moods I’m in… some are bucolic and droll, others are mind twisting and intense. Aside from the general purpose of satisfying our curiosity about mayhem and murder, these shows prove to be a course in British culture and sensibility.
That has to be another big reason I spend so much time viewing.
Differences with American TV
I wrote the article on female centric leads, because there are so many good ones in British TV, whereas in the USA we have so few. We do have some in the law and government genres- but in criminal and mystery show, it is mainly male dominated.
This is more of an observation than a protest.
Another difference is the pace. American TV is fast and frenetic. The British public enjoys the village life, plodding on in familiar daily scenes. I must say here, though, that I wondered how many murders can they really have in just one little backwater village?
That tension in my credulity didn’t prevent me from watching and enjoying, however.
I have noticed that the more modern the show, the more the action is ratcheted up and the grittier the plot.
You get to know some of your favorite actors, too. American TV doesn’t feature familiar actors in so many different shows. At least that is my perception. (We have borrowed them for some of our own favorite shows!)
Generally Speaking
I do have to use captions at times, since the dialects can be rather thick. It does not deter me from enjoying the well laid plots and great character development of many of the shows. I think that is part of what fascinates me about this television genre. Good story often told in a somewhat Dickensian manner.
Not that you can lob all of them under one general category. Many of the shows incorporate an American pace of action, gore, and car chases. Although none of the ones I like are as frenetic as a CSI or Criminal Minds.
If you are interested in checking out some ideas on which shows to watch this summer, take a look at my lineup. Recently, I signed up for Acorn, though most of the shows have been watched on PBS, or Netflix and Amazon Prime.
If you need more…
