TV Series: Four (4) BBC Mysteries That Are Binge-Worthy

Binge-watching a BBC British murder mystery is one of my guilty pleasures. My first introduction to BBC mystery was BBC Masterpiece Mystery which aired Sunday evenings via America's PBS stations.  (PBS - Public Broadcasting Service.)  That was during the 70s.  Fast forward to the year 2000 and the marvels of online streaming enabled me to find the complete series of mystery programs to watch.  Just set aside a few hours of “me time”, grab a bowl of popcorn, and watch as many episodes as possible.   If you have never watched a British mystery, these 4 shows will get you hooked.

1. Midsommer Murders
2. Inspector Morse
3. George Gently
4. Broadchurch

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Midsommer Murders:  This show started airing in 1997. It's based on the Chief Inspector Barnaby book series written by Caroline Graham. First, there was Tom Barnaby. Then he retired and his cousin John Barnaby picked up where he left off. Can you believe it? As of January 2020, there have been over 120 episodes and it's still going! This show has a huge fan base. “As of 2016, Midsomer Murders has been sold to more than 200 countries around the world.” [2]

Midsomer Murders - S01, Ep01 - The Killings at Badger's Drift

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Inspector Morse:  An awesome series produced between 1987 and 2000; 33 two-hour episodes. Yes. 2 hours and you are so engrossed in what's happening you don't even notice the time. This show was so good they made a sequel (Inspector Lewis) and a prequel (Endeavour).  The fans just couldn't get enough.

Inspector Morse - S01E02 The Silent World Of Nicholas Quinn

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George Gently:  Not only is the inspector an excellent detective, but he would have made a “really good dad”.  The fact that the setting was in the 1960s is what got me interested.  The 60s were my pre-teen and teenage years so I was curious to know what it was like in Britain during that time period.  The program is adapted from the Inspector Gently novels written by Alan Hunter. I loved the throwback vibe.  20+ episodes (including a pilot) that lasted from 2007 to 2017.


Inspector George Gently - Trailer 


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Broadchurch:  Quite frankly I was only interested in watching this murder mystery because I saw that one of the main characters was played by David Tennant.  He's my favorite Doctor Who.  But from the very first scene in the very first episode, they had reeled me in like a fish on a hook.  24 episodes; 2013 - 2017.  Watch all of the episodes in one sitting.  It was nominated for seven BAFTA awards.

Broadchurch Official Trailer

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Hope you put these programs on your Watch List. If you have already watched I'll bet these shows are on your RE-Watch list.

Movie: Murder Mystery: “Big Bad Wolves” (2013)

Horror films and scary psycho-thrillers about murderers on the loose are not really my idea of fun entertainment. They are not my favorite type of film because of my weak stomach which cannot easily digest blood and gore – fake or real; and bad dreams or nightmares are almost always inevitably a byproduct of watching those movies. 

But every once in awhile, particularly if it’s a Friday or Saturday night, a relative or friend might be able to persuade me to watch that kind of movie. But even if I agree to watch the movie, certain allowances must be made.

Allowance Number 1: I am not to be left alone at any time while the movie is showing, except that I can go to the bathroom by myself. LOL.

Allowance Number 2: It is perfectly OK if I “watch” the film all the way through with my eyes closed and just listen to the dialogue. That way there won’t be any gory scenes in my memory for me to fall asleep and dream about.

Allowance Number 3: If I watch the movie trailer and it scares the bejeebers out of me, all bets are off! That’s it! I’m not watching the movie! If watching a movie preview upsets me, there is no way I can watch the movie.

* * *

Here is a movie recommendation. The movie is “Big Bad Wolves”. It’s Israeli-produced and it’s a scary murder mystery suspense thriller! This movie is also described as a black or dark comedy, but I have a problem with movies labeled as such. It’s just one of my pet peeves. Does this plot sound something to make you laugh? It’s a murder mystery wrapped around a horror. The victims are innocent little girls, a killer or killers are on the loose, and you have just got to know if the Big Bad Wolves get caught!

The Saturn Awards are presented by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films, an American organization. “Big Bad Wolves” received the award for Best International Film at the 40th annual ceremony. If that accolade isn’t enough to impress you, then it might interest you to know that Quentin Tarantino called it the ‘Best Film of 2013’.

Anyway! After reading a review that piqued my interest, this movie went on my watch list. The Number 3 allowance has been eliminated since watching the trailer did not overwhelm me with fear and dread. However, because of Number 1 and Number 2, I have to wait for my husband or other relative or friend to be in the mood to watch this mystery with me. I am NOT watching this movie all by myself! LOL.

Original source: Virily.com

♦ MovieTrailer:

Big Bad Wolves (English Subtitled) by Lior Ashkenazi for $2.99 ~ https://amzn.to/2FfbBIJ

'Big Bad Wolves' Is Designed to Scare the Parents, Instead of the Children ~ “... full of wicked surprises ..” ( https://t.co/TjzJbtFDuI ) #moviereviews #entertainment #moviesmusicandbooks #MurderMystery @popmatters pic.twitter.com/Am1NrgGFjB

— Treathyl Fox (aka cmoneyspinner) ~ #Freelancer (@cmoneyspinner) January 8, 2019

Binge-Worthy TV Series: Turkish Drama: Filinta Mustafa (2014-2016)

“Filinta Mustafa” is a Turkish mystery and historical period drama series, set in 19th century Istanbul, the Ottoman Empire. There are 66 episodes and they aired from 2014 to 2016. Netflix was instrumental in bringing this TV show to an American audience.

A Clear Line Drawn Between Good and Evil

This series draws a clear line between good and evil and makes it plain for you to see.

• The good guys are really good. Noble and kindhearted. Fiercely dedicated to the pursuit of justice.

• The bad guys and ladies (there is no discrimination or gender inequality) are extremely bad.

Imagine that this fictional series paints a “true picture” of Sultan Abdülhamid’s era (the Ottoman Empire). If so, then to be a law enforcement officer in 19th century Istanbul, you never get any rest! Not only do you have to deal with the local thugs and scumbags, but you have to wrestle with the foreign criminals from around the world that bring their crime to your city. The English, the French, the Russians, the Americans, the Germans, the Catholics! Oh my!

These people scheme and connive to do everything from murder and robbery to starting wars! Also, we have to throw in corruption among the government officials within the Ottoman Empire. Did I mention the part about young children being kidnapped by a secret organization and trained to become ruthless killers? It’s a good thing Filinta Mustafa has a loyal partner, Blade Ali, who works with him to help fight crime and corruption.

The Shakespearean Lens

The best way to describe this TV series is to compare it to a Shakespeare tragedy. A tragedy written by William Shakespeare can’t be tragic if there aren’t dead bodies lying all over the place! Well! There was one episode where there are so many dead bodies and the crimes which occurred in such a short period of time, the police detective said: “Oy! It’s raining corpses today in Istanbul!”

Yeah. It was that many dead people! More than in a Shakespeare tragedy. You just have to ask: Do evil people ever stop thinking and take a break? Do they ever stop being cruel and ruthless, and just smell the roses? 

Filinta Mustafa is Eye Candy for the Ladies

“Filinta” or “Filinta Mustafa”, is the “first Ottoman crime show of television history”. The main character, Mustafa has been styled as “the Turkish Sherlock”. If you are a loyal fan of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s master detective Sherlock Holmes, you will probably become a fan of his Turkish look-alike.

If I’m being honest, the ladies would love watching this show, whether or not it was interesting. Why? Because they won’t be able to take their eyes off the main character. Filinta Mustafa (played by Onur Tuna) is strikingly handsome. Pure eye candy! Brings a new meaning to “Turkish delight”. Your eyes get glued to him. You follow him everywhere. You see no reason for them to take the camera off of him. If he’s not in the scene, the ladies are thinking: “Hurry up! Get the camera back on Mustafa!”

Summary Review

This is a made for TV crime-solving series that is genuinely delightful entertainment. In each episode, you look forward to the bad guy getting his comeuppance!! There are many bad guys but the main one who is a constant thorn in Mustafa’s side is “Boris Zaharyas”. This guy put the letter “C” in the words criminal, conniving, callous, and cruel! He has got to be brought down! Serhat Tutumluer plays this part and he plays it to the “T”!!

Take your time watching this series. You will want to savor the moment and patiently wait for when Mustafa finally brings down the curtain on Boris!!

My summary review of this series? Never a dull moment.

Source:  RationalMind.club

My Perfect Stranger is the Perfect for Time Travel K-Drama Lovers

Korean scriptwriters often come up with some very interesting time travel plots.  My Perfect Stranger is a perfect time travel K-drama.   

Two perfect strangers end up traveling back to 1987, both with two completely different objectives they wish to accomplish.  But as they begin to unravel certain events, they discover that their purposes are connected.  

However, it's the past.  Everything has already happened.  Can they really turn back the clock?  If they could it would be wonderful,  Especially since turning back the clock would result in preventing a serial killer from ever committing the crimes in the first place.

Hae Jun (played by Kim Dong Wook) works as an anchorman at a news station. One day as he is driving his car, his GPS starts acting weird and the voice announces that the directions have changed. Why do weird and strange things always happen on dreary rainy nights? Following the GPS directions he drives into a tunnel and is blinded by a bright light. He stops his car, gets out, and finds an abandoned car. At least …??? It looked like a car. It was actually a time machine. So he did what anybody else would do if they found a time machine. He got inside and tested it to see if he would really travel through time. First, he went to the future and then he went to the past. It was a blast!

But then he decided that since he had already made plans for what he would be doing once he retired, might as well travel to the future life to see if his life had worked out just the way he planned it. His future was not the way he planned it. He had been murdered! That was not a blast. It was a shock!

So! What would be your next thought? Time machine? My murder?

Go back in time to prevent the crime from happening!

Since he had successfully tested the time travel machine, going back and forth between the past and the present was easy. Just get in the car, set the year, and voila! You're there. But this one time, as he was driving through the tunnel, he sees a young woman standing in the pathway. 

The woman is Baek Yoon-young (played by Jin Ki-joo), an editor who works at a publishing company. He swerves to try to avoid hitting her but somehow they both end up in the year 1987. She is from the same time period that he was from, i.e. the year 2021.

But why was this woman brought back in time with him?

To him, she's a perfect stranger. For her, the feeling is mutual. She doesn't know him either!

They both have two different purposes for wanting to go back in time. However, as they begin to unravel certain events, it turns out their objectives are intertwined. 

• The death of Baek Yoon-young's mother was recorded as a suicide, but it is possible that it was murder. She needs to know the truth.
• Hae Jun is trying to find a serial killer in the hopes of preventing his own murder 30 years later. 

The first murder occurred in 1987 and it took place in Woojeong Village.  He and Yoon-young begin working together to unravel the mystery. They have a clue that is rather cryptic. There was a matchbox from the Boong Boong Cafe found at the scene of the first crime and it contained a note: “A woman who reads is dangerous.”

What could that possibly mean?

My Perfect Stranger is an extremely believable time travel drama and the murder mystery is a riveting crime thriller. The Viki viewing audience rated My Perfect Stranger, 9.5 out of 10 stars. I agree.

Healer (2014) K-Drama TV Series Still Popular!

Healer is a Korean drama series that was released in 2014. Even though it is almost 10 years since its release K-drama fans on social sites all around the web are still buzzing about it. No doubt it's because of the three (3) main characters. As soon as you meet them, you instantly become their cheerleader.  Healer can be categorized as a suspense/thriller, action, and romantic comedy. It is so popular that the story will be adapted into a webtoon version. 

There were 3 main characters, but without a doubt, Ji Chang-Wook was the star of this show. He is a very versatile actor. In Healer, he is very athletic, and a skilled martial artist who is almost like Superman. He even disguises himself as a timid mild-mannered reporter named Park Bong-soo, similar to Clark Kent (Superman's disguise). 

By contrast, in The Sound of Magic (2022) he plays a mysterious magician who can convince any unbeliever to believe in magic. Plus he sings! From action star to a musical? If you want to watch him in a historical period drama, he played a lead role in Empress Ki (2013). That's versatility.

Healer is 20 episodes, currently streaming on Viki.com. Over 86,000 viewers in this audience have given the series a rating of 9.7 out of 10 stars. I agree.

11 BEST Korean Dramas Recreated Into WEBTOON Adaptations – KpopPost

K-Drama Review: The Sound of Magic | Music. Magic, and Murder?

The Sound of Magic is a Korean drama based on the webtoon titled “Annarasumanara”; streaming on Netflix, released in 2022. It's only 6 episodes and is categorized in the Musical genre.

One does not usually expect a murder mystery to start with a song and dance routine. For this reason, my initial impression of episode 1 was confusion. (O.o)  Nevertheless, I decided to watch the series from start to finish and was pleasantly surprised. 

Yoon Ah-yi (played by Choi Sung-eun) is a high school student who is going to school, works part-time, and takes care of her little sister. She and her younger sibling were deserted by both parents. This young lady is having a hard-knock life.

Ri Eul / Ryu Min-hyuk (played by Ji Chang-wook) is … a young man who wears a top hat and insists that he is “a real magician”. He lives in an abandoned amusement park. When you first meet this character, you might think he's a bit weird. But you certainly don't think he's a murderer.

QUESTION: Is it possible that this “real magician” can really make real problems disappear?

She was hoping he could make her real problems go away.  But when he is arrested for the murder of one of her classmates she is in disbelief.  His real problem compared to her problems is HUGE!

♦ I gave this Netflix series 4 out of 5 stars. The story and the soundtrack were “magical”.

Read the full review on PopGeeks.com

♦

LINKS OF INTEREST:

4 Things We Loved And 1 Thing We Hated About The Premiere Of “The Sound Of Magic” | Soompi

Series Review: Why The Sound of Magic is Saving K-Dramas in 2022 | PopMachine

Netflix's 'The Sound of Magic' sets new records as it is garnering much popularity overseas | allkpop

'The Sound of Magic' Netflix Review: Stream It or Skip It?

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K-Drama Review: Delivery Man (2023)

Scriptwriters for Delivery Man get A+++ for their creativity.  A taxi service for ghosts?  What an unusual storyline.

A taxi service for ghosts? Seo Young Min (played by Yoon Chan Young), is a cab driver who discovers that he can see and hear ghosts. These wandering souls are unable to leave this world because when they departed this life, they had some unfinished business. He starts a service where he picks up these lingering souls, and helps them finish what needs to be done so that they can be delivered into the afterlife.

It proves to be a profitable business endeavor. Only …? His first ghost passenger is Kang Ji Hyun (played by Minah). Her problem is not so easy to solve because she has no memory of who she is and why she ended up in his taxi cab. But she does prove to be a valuable assistant and with her help, Seo Young Min can help his other ghost passengers pass on to the next world.

This series was released in 2023 and is only 12 episodes. Viki viewers rated it 9.3 out of 10 stars.

Read full review at PopGeeks: Delivery Man | Viki Original Korean Drama Series

Decoy: Crime and Mystery Korean Drama Series

Decoy is a K-drama crime and mystery series that has two (2) seasons. Seasons 1 and 2 were both released in 2023 and are six (6) episodes each. 

~ Noh Sang Chun (played by Heo Sung Tae) is a thug turned mastermind scammer.

~ Goo Do Han (played by Jang Geun Suk) is a lawyer turned detective.

~ Kang Jang Hoon (played by Lee Sung Wook) was once a detective but is now the Deputy Head. When he was a detective, he was in charge of the team investigating the crimes of Noh Sang Chun. However, the case was closed because the prime suspect died. As the Deputy Head, he is now Goo Do Han's boss.

Goo Do Han is very good at investigating but sometimes his superiors discipline him because he may have not followed "procedure".  The Deputy Head has a problem. It's been 10 years since the death of Noh Sang Chun. But several murders are occurring and before the victims die they call the police and say “Help! I am being killed by Noh Sang Chun.”

Detective Goo Do Han is supposed to be at home because he was suspended pending an internal review. He is not supposed to be working. The Deputy Head disregards the fact that Goo Do Han has been suspended from official duty and calls him back to work on this case.

Detective Goo Do Han is stuck between a rock and a hard place. It seems not only is he trying to bring criminals on the outside to justice, but there are corrupt government officials and police investigators on the inside who may be involved as well. He really needs to do his job while watching his back! If he doesn't, he might end up being one of the murder victims. He needs to determine:

• If Noh Sang Chun was reported dead but is in fact, alive and committing murders; or
• If someone is committing murders and confusing the police by claiming to be Noh Sang Chun.

It is amazing how much intensity could be packed into 12 episodes. Viewers who like crime and mystery TV shows will want to add Decoy Parts 1 and 2 to their watch list.

Read my full review of this K-drama series at PopGeeks.com.

Book Lovers ~ An Assortment of Books to Add to Your Reading List

Once stayed in a temporary residence when my family was being relocated from one state to another.  We stayed in this house for a few months until we found our permanent home.  What a memory! 

This house was right out a dream home magazine.  My favorite room in this house was the office/library.  Public libraries have always been one of my favorite places.  But I had never lived in a house that was big enough to have my own personal library where I could retreat to and shut off the rest of the world.  

If you had your personal library, what kinds of books would be on your bookshelves?  Here are some of the books you might find in my library.


♦ Picture Books for Children (or for grown-ups who never grow up)

• "The Eagles Are Back" : Jean Craighead George tells the story of how the American bald eagle was saved from extinction.
• "Annie and the Old One" : Written by Miska Miles.  It is an introduction to the customs and traditions of  the Navajo people and touches upon a very sensitive subject for children: explaining the death of a loved one.
• "The Emperor and the Kite":  Jane Yolen tells the tale of a young child who saved a kingdom all because she knew how to fly a kite.  So the next time someone says to you "Go fly a kite!", just imagine yourself on a secret mission saving an empire.

♦ Hot and exciting reads. Suspense Thrillers or Romance.

• FC Etier Writes Political Thrillers : "The Tourist Killer" was FC Etier's first novel; followed up by "The Presidents Club". Two novels written for those who enjoy a web of conspiracy and intrigue with lots of political overtones.
• Two Thrillers and One Romance : Just the titles of these books should tempt you. "Power Of Persuasion"; "Trusting Evil"; and "All the Beautiful Sinners".  Which one do you think is the romance?  :)
• Irresistible Historical Romance Novels : “A Rose in Winter” and “Shanna”  ~ Both books authored by the late Kathleen E. Woodiwiss, the lady who pioneered the historical romance genre and should be credited with it being one of the most popular book genres, based on book sales in the USA.

♦ History or Mystery.

• Dickens Junction Mystery Series : Love Charles Dickens and murder mysteries? Perfect!
• The Roman Mysteries by Caroline Lawrence : History and mystery set in the ancient Roman empire, written to encourage children to learn history but adults will equally be fascinated.
• Book Selections From the Vintage Series : Choose from reading about the American Civil War to life in 1930s Bombay.

♦ Science Fiction or Fantasy.

• Books by Kev Heritage, S. M. Reine and other popular authors in the sci-fi genre
• Gifts for the Tolkien Enthusiast - Can't say the word fantasy and not mention Tolkien.

♦ Inspiring Biographies.

♥ ♥ ♥ 

Now that you've picked your book (or books), 

settle down for some good reading!  :)

Also published at partner blog.

TV Series: Murdoch Mysteries is Perfect for Mystery Lovers

I am grateful to Netflix for introducing me to Canadian TV series. One of those series which I thoroughly enjoyed was “Murdoch Mysteries”. The program is about Detective William Murdoch. He's a genius; a Sherlock-Holmes-type who not only has a brilliant mind but also comes up with brilliant inventions to help him solves crimes. The setting is Toronto, Canada, at the turn of the 20th century, when Canada was still under or linked to the British and Westerners were just learning how useful electricity is and how to drive motor cars.

Unfortunately the series is no longer available on Netflix. So I hunt for sites that have free online video streaming of this show and that way I can continue watching. I got attached to Detective Murdoch, his wife, Doctor Julia Ogden, and the entire cast.

It's rated PG. It's good family entertainment.

You can find a lot of the episodes on YouTube for free or for rent.

Murdoch Mysteries (2008 ~ ) : Award-Winning
Canadian TV Detective Series