Reviews

I just came across this series while looking for Agatha Christie related productions. Ive seen some of the French "Little Murders" & liked it.

Anyway, the only connection this show has to Christie is that the charachter Sven Hjerson is a creation by her fictional novelist Ariadne Oliver.

Im a big fan of "cozy" mysteries. I dont watch anything with dark psychology or graphic images. In addition to Miss Marple & Poirot, I have watched Father Brown, Death in Paradise, Mallorca Files, McDonald & Dodds, Midsomer Murders, New Tricks, My Life is Murder, Chelsea Detective, Harry Wild to name a few :)

If youre a fan of mysteries that are lighter on the drama & have some subtle humor judge give this show a chance. It aired as four 2-part episodes, 45 min each. I liked the 1st story & laughed out loud at parts. But by the 4th story its a bit darker, maybe even a little creepy. In the US, Hjerson seems to only be available on a paid subscription streaming service called "Topic", but you know. . . Keep searching.

I watch movies to be entertained & as an escape from reality. Theres no major sex or violence in this movie or serious criminal intent. It should appeal to a broader audience. It does have a bit of an Indiana Jones feeling to it or as someone else has mentioned like "True Lies" with Arnold Schwarzenager.

I Iaughed alot at the banter between the characters. I would not be embarrassed to watch in the company of all ages.

I bought "Central Intelligence" on dvd & was disappointed, even offended. I wish I had this movie instead.

Obviously from that expression, Inspector Mallory is back. I know people love to hate him. He is definately a curmudgeon. My favorite was the handsome Inspector Sullivan. If you watch the previous episode of Season 8, Ep 10 there is a funny moment when both Inspector Valentine and Inspector Sullivan are back & Mallory is mad & comments to Srgnt Goodfellow about not wanting their "chiselled chins" in his office LOL. Anyway, keeping in mind the effect Covid Restrictions had on filming, this is still a good episode.

I love the Flambeau episodes. Im always looking for some redeeming quality in his character & wondering how far he can be trusted. And Lady Felicia is back. Such fun to see what shenanigans the gang gets up to this time :) . Keep in mind stupid Covid still affecting things like film locations & social distancing. Next to Ep #2 focused on Mrs McCarthy this episide is my favorite for Season 9.

I think it must be the 1st episode ever that does not include Mrs McCarthy. Very few major characters & a crazy story. Fr Brown & Inspector Mallory at a holiday camp. Obviously a filler episode while filming during Covid Restrictions. Reminds me of prior least favorite episodes involving the Circus hypnotist, Jesters vigilantes, or ventriloquist Uncle Mirth.

Great to see Sid is back & his expression when she says this is priceless ! Theres a new American diner in town. The running joke of Lady Felicia sceaming seems to have been replaces with poor Mrs McCarthy accidentally having something spilled on her clothing LOL. Ive noticed this in more recent Seasons.

Keep in mind this Season was filmed with Covid restrictions in place. This is obvious from from so many scenes taking place outdoors and people standing so far apart. This episode is one of my favorites of Season 9 along with Ep 5 & Ep 10. I hated the later Ep 6 & 7 (overdramatic or lacking major characters) but this one is like the Father Brown show we know & love.

And I thought Aurora Teagardens snooping was annoying. Wow ! This Hairstylist character is SO much worse. She steals info from police dept & then reveals it to suspects while shes asking them very invasive questions. She goes thru peoples drawers & takes photos, and illegally collects dna sample from someone. Shes the one doing all the investigating. And the Police Chief reveals a bunch of details to her and late he tells her shes "been a great help". What ?? The police would NEVER be able to use any of the "evidence" in court. She should be arrested for obstructing the course of justice ! Ugh !! Such a shame because I like the lead actors.

It was commissioned by BYU from the BBC. So its rating is for kids of all ages. If your'e a fan of British Television there are many familiar faces in this 4 episode miniseries. The Executive Producer & Writer also worked on 2 of my favorite British cozy mysteries: Father Brown and Shakespeare & Hathaway. Once I got past the fake American accents of James Lance & Carolyn Catz who play the parents, I enjoyed how the mystery unfolded. I liked seeing the gothic mansion & british countryside etc. It was filmed in UK. Available on the BYU Tv. Im watching their free app on my Roku device and there have been no ads.

Im a big fan of Dan Browns books about Robert Langdon - DaVinci Code, Angels & Demons, The Lost Symbol, Inferno and Origins. DaVinci Code was my favorite. I was also pleased with Tom Hanks movies even though they did water down some aspects to avoid angering the public. I was so excited to discover this series was airing on Peacock. But as of Episode 6 gone are Freemasonry, mysticism, mythology, theology, research into the power of the mind or any interpretation of symbols and solving of puzzles. Gone is the thrill of the hunt or joy of revelation. All thats left is an ordinary common dark crime drama. I dont care what happens anymore although I have an idea. Its been a long time since I read the book. Recently picked it up again. Its so much more satisfying.

How I'd love to see Bloopers for this episode. Mrs McArthy & Lady Felicia & their reactions to the situations they find themselves in. And how Sid helps Father Brown figure out a few things. I laughed out loud. Only a few more episodes before the changes Season 5 brings.

You hear alot of dialogue that is happening in the background or completely off camera but the corresponding video portion either feels like it was filmed at a different rate of speed or its a completely different scene. At least in Independent films like those of Joanna Hogg, the camera lingers on one single spot. The first half has long lingering shots of the fields and the evening sun coming in through the windows. We're introduced to Ralph Fiennes (loved him) and Carey Mulligans characters. The second half is like an entirely different film & focuses most on another couples personal life. I was Disappointed.

Ive watched alot of these Hallmark, Lifetime, UPN Christmas movies, some really cute, some really bad. But I had to comment on this one. I wanted to throw the remote at my tv. The main character (another wedding planner) travels from big city to childhood town & proceeds to badly insult everyone there ! The word I'm looking for rhymes with witch. When sampling food for a wedding, the people barely swallow one bite & then the Chef takes away the Full plate of food at least 3 times. Why serve up so much food if theyre not gonna eat any of it ? Her car wont start so he fixes it by replacing a hose ?? Whaaat ? Because having it be the battery was too difficult ?? And that wasnt all. I HATED this movie more than any of the others.

I was a fan of Craig Ferguson when he had The Late Late Show. So yes be warned the dialogue has some sexual innuendo jokes. But the banter between him & Kathy Lee Gifford is great fun. Dont let her perkiness from her daytime talk show deter you from seeing this. They work well together & I really liked seeing a romantic comedy involving a mature couple & thinking about whats been just "enough" in life. I'd say the main charachter is the Scottish scenery ! Filmed at Ardkinglas Estate & around Cairndow in the Argylle/Bute area of Scottish Highlands. Its beautiful. (This film is absolutely nothing like current Hollywood movies with aging actors like Diane Keaton or Robert Deniro, and thats a good thing !!)

I was happy to see Lassiter back & with Sean & Gus coming to help investigate. Catch phrases were said but I thought original witty banter & cultural references was less than usual. I liked brief scene between Henry & Shawn but wished he & the other cast members appeared for more than what felt like quick cameos. The dream scene was dumb & went on too long. The who & why of the crime left me confused. Im rewatching 1st movie now & think its much funnier & more like the series. I really hope theyll being back Despereaux in the next movie. UPDATE: Its an homage to Hitchcock films. I will look at references again.

I havent read the books & usually enjoy simple "cozy" mysteries. This season is not as good as the others & theyve made Agatha too dumbed down & shrieking all the time. But I especially HATED this episode. It was nothing more than in-your-face sexual innuendo. Bawdy bad dialogue and not a good mystery. Skip it.

Watched it with a friend whos recovering from surgery. Us two adults laughed the whole time. And we didnt have to worry about fast forwarding any inappropriate scenes if the kids did walk by the screen. As the main character tries to get out of troublesome situations, he just makes matters worse. Its funny. So what if its slapstick comedy. People give high scores when its those nasty R rated movies like "Hangover" or "Bachelorette" or with some SNL reject actors, where its nothing but foul language & gross sex jokes/scenes. (So the only thing I did not like/ was surprised by was that Ken Jeong had a role in this film.) But show us a clean PG movie about animals & suddenly it warrants all kinds of bashing

If you're a fan of Hallmark, I think you'll like this movie. Yes, its cheesy but cute and funny also. Great escape for a Sunday afternoon. Story takes place in New Zealand. Reminded me of the series "800 Words". My only complaint is that the conflict happened suddenly & threw off the pace of the film a little bit towards the end. Reality seekers should just go watch CNN.

I love movies like Indiana Jones, National Treasure, Lara Croft, The Librarian, Davinci Code etc. I find the idea of a tv show that includes art, archaelogy etc appealing. But this show doesnt know what it wants to be. Too many ideas crammed together and the constant flipping back & forth to flashbacks is horrible. They've tried to show the female thief as some independant empowered woman but she comes off as arrogant with unreal physical skills. The show could learn something from "White Collar" where the thief was so charismatic & the ensemble cast had great chemistry.

UPDATE: 7/14/19 I went back & watched more after the pilot episodes. The frequent flashbacks are not chronological & can be confusing at times. Like reading a Dan Brown novel, scenes alternate frequently from our two main characters activities to the other government agencies/terrorists. But Im a sucker for mystery & overall the show gets better & deserves a 2nd chance. After the 2 part pilot it finds its flow & I grew to like it. A simple action/adventure series thats fun to watch without having to think so hard or be subjected to graphic scenes. I look forward to Season 2.