Two Darks and a Lite

As is my habit after dinner I skedaddle upstairs to check  my email, spend some time with the Good Book and then settle back to watch some telly. Ha! That’s Brit speak for television and I’m going to give you a review of some of the stuff I’ve been Netfilxing. Two Brits and an Aussie. Ready?

Broadchurch – David Tenant. I could stop right there as I’d watch almost anything he’s in (maybe even Dr. Who) but that wouldn’t tell you much about the show. Broadchurch is the name of a fictional town on the coast where the murder of a young boy needs solving. Mr. Tenant teams up with a feisty female detective played by  Olivia Colman.  Plagued by heart troubles (needs a pacemaker), Tenant plays a broody, angry and frequently hallucinating detective to Colman’s more normal self. Normal, that is, until the death of this child, whose mother is a good friend of Colman’s character. The case wreaks havoc in this close community with lots of intrigue, back stabbing and plain old mystery all round. James D’Arcy adds a very creepy element to the mix and he’s suspect from the get-go. Watch out for him. The show kept me captive and it might do the same for you.

Dreamland – Oh, boy. If you ever want to see the inner workings of a dysfunctional government agency watch this hilarious show. Set in Australia we have the Nation Building Authority trying to get things done for the country. Except there are only three in the whole department who give a fig about whether anything actually gets done. Tony, played by Rob Sitch, is alternately hopeful and distraught about the crew that he’s working with. His upbeat secretary, Katie, is always there to aid and abet his efforts and Nat, played by Celia Pequoia, is on his side, too. Everybody else is there to sabotage their efforts and the results will make anyone who’s ever worked in an office roll with laughter while shaking their heads at the absurdity (and reality) of it all. I hope you enjoy it like I did. Can’t wait for new episodes.

River – This is a Netflix original and so well done. Set, once again, in Britain, and rife with paranormal elements, it’s not your usual fare. Or maybe just not mine. The Ghost and Mrs. Muir is about as paranormal as I get and that movie is even older than me. Anyway, DCI River, played by Stellan Skarsgard (a Swede in case you couldn’t tell by the name – and when I Googled him I found out he has 8 kids!) is a haunted man. Haunted by dead criminals and a dead partner. So much so that he talks to them in public, punches walls thinking he's punching them and generally does all kinds of stuff that psychiatrists love to pick apart. And all while solving crimes, annoying his boss lady and delighting his therapist. I’m  almost done with the first season and am eager for the second.

So, there ya go. Kind of brief, but hopefully enough to get you going.  I hope your holiday season is humming along okay. If you need a break try one of these shows. A bit of an escape from reality you just might be needing right now.

Image: Free Digital Photos