Like so many of you, I am almost as big a fan of international crime television series as I am of published crime fiction. The interesting thing to me is how much the television shows and the books overlap...although when that happens, I always end up preferring the books to the television.
Here are some of the television series from around the world that I have either already enjoyed or am still in the process of enjoying:
One Season (10 episodes total)
Premise: Big city cop comes to coastal village to join the local police force commanded by her daughter, who resents her. Their relationship is kept secret from everyone else...until it slips out.
Starring: Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu and Hortense Gélinet
My Rating: 4 Stars
Irish/British
Two Seasons (12 episodes total)
Premise: A young woman becomes convinced that her father had something to do with her mother's sudden death.
Starring: Adrian Dunbar and Carolina Main.
My Rating: 5 stars Season 1, 4 stars Season 2
American
Seven Seasons (68 episodes total)
Premise: LA cop Harry Bosch refuses to play by the rules but he is the best detective in the precinct. Based on the Michael Connelly Bosch series.
Starring: Titus Welliver, Jamie Hector, Amy Aquino, Lance Reddick, and Madison Lintz.
My Rating: 5 Stars for all seasons
British
Three Seasons (25 episodes total)
Premise: Former London cop takes a job as chief of police in small town Canada. It all begins innocently enough before his past catches up with him and all hell breaks loose.
Starring: Tim Roth, Genevieve O'Reilly, Christina Hendricks, and Abigail Lawrie.
My Rating: 5 Stars for Seasons One and Two
British
One Season (4 episodes total)
Premise: To be with his partner, a gay policeman returns to the town from which he was ostracized years earlier by a fundamentalist religious cult. His past haunts him daily. (Based on the Ann Cleeves novel)
Starring: Ben Aldridge, Declan Bennett, Sarah Gordy, Anita Dobson, and Siobhán Cullen.
My Rating: 3 Stars
Dutch series with subtitles
Three Seasons (30 total episodes)
Premise: A mobster recently released from prison coerces a Dutch tax official into helping him solve his money problems. Their eventual bonding surprises both of them.
Starring: Barry Atsma, Georgina Verbaan, and Jacob Derwig.
My Rating: A solid 5 all the way through
As much for my own record-keeping and memory-jogging as for anything else, I'm going to add to this original group of favorite television series as time allows. In the meantime, I hope some of you find something here that you might enjoy. Too, please feel free to recommend your own favorite TV series in any comments you post below.
That French one appeals to me so I'll search that one out if possible... will check Netflix and Prime. Our favourite foreign one is the Italian 'Montalbano' with subtitles, made by Sweden and Italy I think. It's a bit 'off the wall' but I love the casting of both the original series and The Young Montalbano. We've just started watching a new British one called The Bay which seems promising. It's set in Morecombe and the bay area, in Lancashire, which makes a nice change from inner city Glasgow or London.
ReplyDeleteThe French one is really good, Cath. The dynamic between the resentful daughter and the repentant mother is really interesting as it evolves over the life of the series.
DeleteI haven't seen the Italian one you mention but The Bay is available to me on BritBox, so I'll move that one up for later viewing. Thanks for the suggestion.
I don't enjoy crime series- but my husband really does (and I don't recognize any of these so I doubt he's seen them). I'll pass along the recommendations!
ReplyDeleteI started watching them mainly to see what I would learn about the more hidden aspects of various cultures and countries, and I've come to really enjoy them. It's not so much they mystery or actual crime involved that hooks me usually, more the characters and interrelationships. It all makes for really good drama. I hope your husband does enjoy something you recommend from the list.
DeleteI will have to look into some of these shows more. Many are new to me.
ReplyDeleteWe have watched all of Bosch and are awaiting the new show that will continue that series, sort of. Tin Star looks especially interesting, because of the setting in Canada, in a small town. I have read a good bit of mystery fiction (and some other fiction) set in Canada.
Right now we are liking the old TV series The Big C (2010-2013) with Laura Linney. I'm not sure why I missed it when it came out but it is charming! We loved all the seasons of Bosch. But now maybe we should watch Blood and Tin Star ???
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