Like many, I was sent home from my day job to work remotely over month ago due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While I have wanted to work remotely for some time now, I wish it had been under different circumstances. I have been using the time catching up on television shows and movies that I had recorded or were on one of my many Watch Lists. So, I thought I would give you a list of some programs that might keep you entertained during your own confinement and stop you from going a little stir crazy!
Cozy Mysteries
Cozy mysteries are a genre of crime fiction, usually set in a small town, that treats crime with a touch of humor. The British are the most adept at this type of mystery, but the Canadians and even the U.S. have a few that are entertaining as well.
- Midsomer Murders began in 1997 and is currently in it’s 21st season. It originally starred John Nettles as Detective Chief Inspector Tom Barnaby and his partner Sergeant Gavin Troy, played by Daniel Casey, as he tried to solve crimes in the fictional town of Causton in Midsomer County, England. It is actually filmed in various villages and towns in Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire. At times, Tom’s wife and daughter, Joyce and Cully, join in to provide the necessary clue for to solve the murders. Tom has had several partners throughout the show, all of whom at some point are possible love interests for his daughter. As in any small town story, you will always have your nosy neighbors, but in Midsomer they use their knowledge for blackmail and come to untimely and gruesome ends. You can stream this on Acorn TV.
- Agatha Raisin is a public relations executive that leaves the city for an bucolic village in the Cotswolds only to find it isn’t as peaceful as it seems. Treachery and murder abound and Agatha, played by Ashley Jensen (Ugly Betty), enlists the help of her best friend Roy (Mathew Horne – Gavin & Stacey) and her new village entourage to solve these mysteries. Pratfalls abound as Agatha and her Scooby Gang investigate in this more humorous take on the British cozy mystery. You can also stream this on Acorn TV.
- Murdoch Mysteries is a Canadian cozy set in turn-of the-century Toronto. Detective William Murdoch (Yannick Bisson) is a new type of policeman. He uses science and invention to solve crime that a times totally baffles his fellow policemen and friends, Inspector Thomas Brackenreid (Thomas Craig) and Constable George Crabtree (Jonny Harris). He is often joined in his investigations by his wife Dr. Julia Ogden (Helene Joy), the city coroner. This mystery often interweaves historical figures, such as Nicola Tesla and Teddy Roosevelt, into their stories. You can also stream this on Acorn TV, but you can also watch this on the Ovation Network.
Mysteries
Outside of the Cozy, mysteries have a wide range; sleuth, police procedural, medical, suspense, romantic suspense, etc. Unlike the cozy, these mysteries take crime seriously. I have discovered an affinity for many foreign series,
- Modus is a Swedish mystery following former profiler and psychologist Johanne Vik (Melinda Kinnaman), and Detective Ingvar Nyman (Henrik Norlén) as they investigate a series of murders. This is available for streaming on PBS Masterpiece or Amazon Prime.
- The Brokenwood Mysteries is a crime drama from New Zealand. DI Mike Shepherd (Neill Rea) relocates to the small town of Brokenwood and investigates crimes with the help of Det. Kristin Sims (Fern Sutherland) and DC Sam Breen (Nic Sampson). While I’m classifying this as a straight mystery, it does have some cozy mystery traits. There is some comic relief to the serious subject matter, especially when Mike interacts with the coroner, Russian expat Gina Kandinsky (Cristina Serban Ionda), who harbors unrequited, and not so secret, longings for the DI. This is available for streaming on Acorn TV.
- Bosch is a crime drama based on the Harry Bosch book series by Michael Connelly and stars Titus Welliver in the title role as Harry (Hieronymus) Bosch and Lance Reddick as Deputy Chief Irvin Irving. Harry isn’t the perfect detective you see in a lot of shows. He is a flawed man with a troubled past, which has made him strive for justice, regardless of the cost to himself. Thankfully, Harry isn’t always serious, especially when dealing with Det. “Crate” Moore and Det. “Barrel” Johnson, who add a much needed comic relief to the series. Six seasons are available on Amazon Prime.
Action, Adventure and Miniseries
- Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan is the Amazon Original Series, which reboots the Jack Ryan Saga. For those of you not familiar with this story, Jack Ryan is an intelligence analyst with the CIA, who is plunged into a field assignment when he uncovers a terrorist threat. Two seasons are available for streaming on Amazon Prime.
- The Plot Against America is based on a novel by Philip Roth, that is told from the viewpoint of a Jewish family from New Jersey. What if Charles Lindbergh had run for president and won against FDR and his fascist leanings keeps America out of World War II? This six part miniseries is available on HBO and stars Winona Ryder, Morgan Spector and John Turturro.
Comedy
- Avenue 5 is a new sitcom on HBO starring the wonderful Hugh Laurie as Captain Ryan Clark. He is the captain of a cruise ship in outer space that gets thrown off course. Hilarity of course ensues as the crew try to keep the passengers calm when they find out that their seven day voyage will now take three years. Josh Gad is the spoiled billionaire Herman Judd who owns the space ship and has no clue how things work in the real world. Zach Woods plays the equally clueless cruise director, Matt Spencer, whose every action creates more panic in the already crazed passengers.
- Grace and Frankie follows Frankie Bergstein (Lily Tomlin) and Grace Hanson (Jane Fonda) as they learn that their husbands, who are partners in a law firm, have been in love with each other for over twenty years and finally come out to their families. Grace and Frankie have been “friends” for years, but they learn to help each other after they move in together to figure out what to do with their lives. Six seasons are available on Netflix.
Reality
- The Great British Baking Show was originally on PBS, but you can now stream it on Netflix. Known in the UK as the Great British Bake off, each week the contestants have three tasks to complete: the signature bake, the technical and the show stopper. Expert Baker, Mary Berry, was one of the original judges on this competition, along with Paul Hollywood, the acclaimed bread master. Later, he was joined by Prue Leith after Mary left the show in 2016. This show inspired the Great American Baking show
- Guy’s Grocery Games is hosted by Guy Fieri. Chefs compete in three rounds to win $20,000 in Flavortown Market. He is joined by three celebrity chefs judges, such as Aarti Sequeira, Robert Irvine and Alex Guarnaschelli, in this combination game show and cooking show. Games include: Budget Battle, where contestants have $10.25 plus coupons to make a dinner for four; Cart Swap, where Guy lets the chefs shop for a specific type of meal and then has them swap carts and cook with the ingredients one of the other chefs picked; and Watch Your Weight, where you can only buy 5 pounds of ingredients. You can watch this on Amazon Prime or on The Food Network.
- Spring Baking Championship is another baking competition on the Food Network. Clinton Kelly hosts this Monday night show. Nancy Fuller, Duff Goldman and Lorraine Pascale judge these bakers as they compete to win $50,000. On a recent episode, the bakers made Troll inspired desserts.
As I comb through my list, I may add more at a later time. I hope you enjoy these as much as I do.
Everything & Nothing 