So glad for all the discussions of Shetland (Britbox). My husband and I are enjoying it very much, though we’ve mentioned being sad we miss DCI Banks and Broadchurch.
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Since you have Britbox have you watched Vera? Kinda similar to DCI Banks in that it takes place in Northumberland (almost Scottish border). Vera is an older DCI no-nonsense, but lots of fun to watch. Each season is 4 episodes, each being 1.5-2 hrs long, so like a movie.
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Whoever mentioned a week or so ago that Britbox was having a Black Friday subscription sale, thanks! I also told my parents who signed up as well. Not only am I able to watch Shetland, but now I am able to watch Season 6 of Line of Duty! Most of the other Britbox shows that interest me I have already seen on PBS, Acorn or elsewhere which is why I had not bothered to subscribe, but at 99 cents, I couldn’t resist!
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You’re welcome!!!
If you get your fill and want to unsubscribe after 2 months, you’re only out two bucks!
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@MADad yep, that’s my plan. I typically alternate subscriptions b/w Acorn, PBS Masterpiece and Britbox for my UK, etc favorite programming.
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Oh my goodness. “The Shrink Next Door” with Paul Rudd, Will Farrell and Kathryn Hahn on Apple TV. It’s so good! Based on a true story.
Currently binge watching Vera. It’s not at the same level, IMO, as Shetland or DCI Banks but it’s enjoyable. Lots of twists and turns, though. I feel like I need to set up my own white board to follow some of these episodes. 
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I’m currently bingeing The Wilds. I really like it! I started it as a substitute to make me less annoyed I couldn’t binge Yellowjackets, but ended up loving it.
We (well DH and me for awhile) just watched “Blood” with Adrian Dunbar. I did not like it. He finished it, but for me the characters weren’t likeable enough to keep going.
I am watching for a second time Derry Girls on Netflix. Honestly I think it is one of the funniest, well written, well acted comedy series I’ve ever seen. I watch it with subtitles. There are so many parts I forgot the first time around.
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YES—we’ve watched Derry Girls at least twice. Cannot wait for the final season–we read somewhere that the show runner would do one final season, but I suppose COVID has affected many plans.
We’ve also watched the 3 seasons of Detectorists about 3 times—episodes go by so fast, and the Johnny Flynn soundtrack is soothing and relaxing.
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While I’m waiting for new episodes of Dexter, what are your favorite serial killer or crime shows?
Also, will American Rust be more than one season or is there closure at the end of this season?
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Watched The Unlikely Murderer (limited series) on Netflix. It was fascinating. (One actor was from a British Netflix show and I only recognized him/her by their voice.)
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I’m bingeing “Last Tango in Halifax”. I started it last year and wasn’t too captivated then. I thought it was slow and I didn’t like Celia, or Gillian or Caroline. But somehow the series is now getting better and I enjoy watching it.
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If you remember Blue SkyTV shows, well, I’ve found a French substitute on Acorn that I had never bothered checking out due to the pink overtones (literally). Which turns out to be on point for the show: Don’t dismiss a smiling blonde woman wearing pink, she could turn out to be smart and competent.
Candice Renoir is a “non anorexic” 40-something who, 10 years prior, was an ace detective in the most prestigious Paris brigade, known for her superb obervation skills and ability to find significant details in a mass of things, when her husband got a job in California. She put her career on hold for him, raised their 4 kids in CA then Senegal then Singapore.
The show starts when she suddenly returns to France due to her husband cheating so the only position at her rank (“commandant”: major?) is in Sète, a working class town by the Mediterranean and the Thau Laguna, known for poet Paul Valery, artist Brassens, “Pepe le Moko”, a “marine cemetary”, bauxite mines, docks, fishing, marinas, and “marine jousts” (think knights on horses, except white-clad and on boats). Very pittoresque, lots of cool landscapes and occasional cultural traditions.
It’s shot in September, November-December, and May-June so you see different seasons and different types of clothes (also, unlike Midsommer Murder’s county, Sete doesn’t become the murder capital of France if each murder is supposed to take place a few weeks or months after the previous one.)
Candice has colorful clothes - which we’re meant to understand is inappropriate: apparently “commandants” should wear black and grey - and awesome scarves/mufflers.
Her beloved dad had a garage, from which she learned to fix cars and grew a love for sports cars. He also abused her mom, so at 17 she went to the police to get him arrested and her mother never forgave her.
The team she’s going to lead is not happy with the arrival of a Parisian who’s displaced Captain Antoine the local guy who was rising through the ranks.
She’s going to have to earn their respect and they’re going to learn how she works.
Not a spoiler: Candice and Antoine are the will they/won’t they in the show, although they also dislike one another for the entire 1st season, not entirely unreasonably on both sides.
The fact she’s a few years older than him and not as in shape as he is , isn’t a plot point, which is refreshing.
Also not a spoiler if you know the trope 1) they will 2) then the writers will find many ways so they won’t.
However the show remains very family-friendly - you may see a bit of Antoine’s abs but there’s zero nudity (there’s got to be a clause in Cecile Bois’ contract for her to be clothed even when in bed, never seen that little skin in a French show. She can afford to dictate her terms, I guess, because she “makes” the show - good acting, see the Figarotvmag French trailer, and exceptionally luminous face despite her purported intellectual, darker true sselfv.her character. The crimes usually aren’t gory and are hardly seen. The strongest rating, beside “for all” is “-10” meaning not for kids under 10.
There’s a lot of true comedy.
Family scenes are funny but ring quite true, too - Candice is a good mother, she pays attention when it matters and knows how to handle her kids – although she can’t cook; her kids are good kids who are neither precocious nor “problem kids” but noisy, self centered (except when their mom needs them), and prone to making mistakes from trying to ride their bike down the stairs to choosing a questionable boyfriend.
TLDR: Acorn, Candice Renoir, light hearted, family friendly, not gritty/realistic mysteries with great main character and relationships you care about, shot in a seldom seen cool area.
Figaro tvmag French trailer (with vintage 80s song)
French trailer for an episode if you want to test your skills
Apparently one of the most exported programs, it’s popular throughout SouthAmerica
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Vera returns 1/9
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Details, please? Which season? Where? Currently, all of Season 10 and 2 episodes from Season 11 are available on Britbox.
The balance of season 11, which is an additional 4 episodes.
I believe 3-5 and 8 through the 2nd episode of season 11 are all on Britbox
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Thank you! We got hooked on Vera by catching episodes on one of our local PBS stations, so I wondered if that was where new episodes would be aired. Yeah, the seasons seem short, but each episode is like a made-for-TV movie, so I can’t gripe!