TV mysteries

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“Chelsea” arrives, bridging the mystery gap

For fans of British-style mysteries, this is the gap month.
PBS’ Sunday shows wrapped on Aug. 2: “Patience” ended a good second season; “Grantchester” ended a great, 11-year run.
Now we wait through a stretch of reruns or pledge drives. On Sept. 6, things bounce back with “Marlow Murder Club” and “Marble Hall Murders.”
But what do we do in the interim? Try the Britbox streamer or the Ovation channel? Maybe even read a book?
Possibly, but here’s an alternative: The Acorn streamer (www.acorn.tv) chooses this ideal time for its new season of “The Chelsea Detective” (shown here). Each of the first four Mondays in August adds a movie-length tale; most have clever plots, all have interesting characters. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / August 2, 2026
Stories

New season: small and slow, but promising

By American tradition, there are three big events each September.
It’s the start of the school year, the football season and the TV season.
Now the first two are here and in full form. But the TV season?
Most years, each big, broadcast network has about five new, scripted shows, most of them starting in September.
This year, there are four on CBS (including “Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage,” shown here), three each on NBC and Fox, two on ABC, one on CW. Seven start in September, four wait until October, one until Nov. 12. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / September 9, 2024
News and Quick Comments

Crimesolving is fun again, beyond paradise

Every now and then, TV returns to something it’s quite good at – light tales that solve a mystery at the end of each hour.
That isn’t its first choice. It prefers deep, dark tales that go for weeks – good ones like “Parish” (9 p.m. Sundays, AMC) or “Veil” (starting April 30, Hulu).
But a few shows have the right, light touch. There’s the delightful “Elsbeth” (10 p.m. Thursdays, CBS) and occasional British shows on PBS and streaming on Acorn or Britbox. Right now, I’d point to Britbox’s “Beyond Paradise” (shown here). Read more…

By Mike Hughes / April 23, 2024