Interesting, the odd references to other media (eg radio broadcasts in the background about historical events in US / UK) haven’t really bothered me at all and just give it a bit of flavour. I’d have thought that the stuff seemed tied to the year the show is set in and not really anachronistic in that respect. Also there’s not much of it so its easily ignored. Some episodes are themed around events of the time: eg a beatles-like band comes to town, so that’s pretty unsubtle but that just served as a framework and change of pace from the standard storylines.
There are some great shows getting suggestions here, but @Nightgaunt specified he’s looking for a show with mostly standalone episodes (eg Colombo, that he mentions) so seasonlong mystery shows that requires more time investment (eg Killing, Trapped, Bosch, Broadchurch…etc) don’t really fit that bill.
Since serialized drama is so prevalent these days, its probably best to look to older shows?
Just remembered that Prime Suspect got a lot of love back in the day, but haven’t heard anyone mention it in years. Have any of you watched that?
Oh if it was just radio broadcasts and period advertising or movie posters or whatever it wouldn’t bother me at all.
But, naming a solicitors office Jaggers and Vholes, phone calls from “Mr. White at Play-tone”, “Lane from SDCP”? There’s a whole very obvious Spielberg-themed episode (“this was no punting accident!”), a Fitzgerald one, more Hitchcock references than you can shake a stick at. They have a character named Nahum Gardner (and an artist named Pickman…ugh). There’s a village called Midwich. There’s one character clearly supposed to be Michael Caine’s Alfie. Another is named M. Valdemar.
I mean, whatever, right? I don’t hate the show at all. I’m sure it’s just meant to be a bit of tongue-in-cheek silliness. But the constant stream of cultural allusions to other, often-better things takes me out of it every time I recognize one which is like half a dozen or more times an episode, and I’m sure I’m hardly catching them all.
Hehe… thanks for pointing out how much stuff obviously just flew right over my head! 90% of the stuff you mention there doesn’t mean anything to me. Guess it helps that I grew up clueless in Africa?
Anyway, based on all the comments here, I guess I need to look out for Mrs Fischer! I understand there are 2 different shows? Which is the better one to start with? I’m guessing the original?
Another vote for Endeavour. I also haven’t watched the original series, but have really enjoyed the prequel series. Good characters and pretty tightly plotted mysteries.
Foyels war is amazing - its consistently one of my favorite shows, and one I recommend to anyone, even people who arent normally into this kind of show.
Its just so good, and it KEEPS being good for all the damn seasons. Its the one to watch if you havent!
Last night I watched the first Columbo and it definitely held up to its reputation. I forgot that Columbos are basically “movies of the week” so they’re not short. I was kind of hoping for a series of hour-long shows. But it seems pretty common for these shows to be short-movie-length. Probably useful for setting up and solving a meaty mystery to be more than an hour.
I’m going to try Foyle’s War and Miss Fisher soon!
Oh man, Columbo was so young in that, and he even shows a little anger and force during questioning that he doesn’t use in the series proper*. It’s an odd episode (for people familiar with the character) because you can tell Falk and the creators were still getting a feel for the character. But the next episode, even though it ALSO takes place before the official series starts, is the first time Columbo actually feels like the classic Columbo character we all know and love.
Another thing about that first pilot, it is so very 60s, while the actual series is so, so, sososo very 70s (before the late 80s return on another network).
But if you like that episode you will very much like the rest. The basic structure of the series is the same, with the show being a cat-and-mouse type of detective show, and not a mystery. The viewer will know who the criminal is, and the delight will be watching Columbo reel them in. There’s never a mystery or whodunit here (except for one particular episode in the very, very late life of the show, in the late 90s).
Haha, no kidding. They even make a joke about Stephen Spielberg by name in an episode in season 2 or 3. That particular episode is just horrible because of the, uh, practical effects, but the joke was good.
Watched an ep of Miss Fisher (also ep 1–Cocaine Blues), and while I like the unique setting, I didn’t particularly care for it. Soapier than what I’m looking for, and it felt like they were trying a bit too hard to make their protagonist a bad girl. It did have the actress who played Eowyn in it!
Then I started the first Foyle’s War ep, and I’m loving that so far, but I can’t tell if it’s going to be more mystery series or police procedural. It’s got a very young James McEvoy!
Both Poirot and Foyle’s War are nearly two-hour episodes. I’m really disappointed there aren’t many that clock in at an hour…
