I Love a Mystery - Mystery TV Shows (1 Viewer)

[Matt Hough]

I watched Psych until I tired of the shenanigans. But I thought the first four seasons were really entertaining.

 

[Kevin Hewell]

Psych 2006-2014

I already explained that we enjoy lighthearted mysteries. Well Psych is about as lighthearted as you can get. In most of these the mystery takes back seat to the wild madcap comedy. They are a lot of fun, so I’m OK with it but it won’t be everyone’s cup of tea.

The basic premise is that Shawn Spencer (James Roday) has been trained as a child by his father in the art of observation. Shawn is a slacker and is more interested in toys and junk food than work. He gives some tips to the police department and they decide there is no way he could know these things so he must be the perpetrator. Looking for a way out he convinces the Santa Barbara police department that he uses psychic abilities. He becomes a psychic crime consultant and starts working with the police department. In order to get help in his efforts a lot of his time is spent conning his best friend Gus to help as well as furnishing his “Blueberry” a Toyota Yaris.

View attachment 175433

The cast: Shawn Spencer – James Roday the fake Psychic

Burton (Gus) Guster – his reluctant sidekick, foil and best friend

Henry Spence – Corbin Bernsen – Shawns father a former detective

Juliet (Jules) O’Hara – Junior Detective and love interest

Carlton (Lassie) Lassiter – Tim Omundson – Detective and non-believer

Chief Vic – Kirsten Nelson – Chief of Police

A lot of the humor comes from Shawn trying to keep the belief that he is a psychic, his convincing his buddy Gus to go along with the plans, and dealing with the dangers in murder investigations. Much of the comedy uses current (at the time) references and as a card carrying “old fart” I miss about a third of the references. But there is enough zaniness to go around. The first season is OK but it isn’t until the second season where the cast finally finds their footing and the show really takes off IMHO. We enjoyed all of the shows with the exception of Psych the Musical. YMMV.

There is a fair amount of experimentation with odd titles, music, and inside jokes (the most famous – a pineapple hidden somewhere in every episode). 8.4 on IMDB and 89% on Rotten Tomatoes.

I've never seen this show before. It looks like a lot of fun.

 

[Mysto]

I watched Psych until I tired of the shenanigans. But I thought the first four seasons were really entertaining.

We enjoyed all of them but I don't think I would ever binge watch it. Shawn could get annoying.

I've never seen this show before. It looks like a lot of fun.

If you give it a try Kevin - let us know what you think. There is nothing quite like it. Even though the comedy is rampant - the murder mysteries are always played straight.

 

[Matt Hough]

We enjoyed all of them but I don't think I would ever binge watch it. Shawn could get annoying.

I went through the same reaction to Monk. The mysteries were wonderful, but after about three seasons, Monk's idiosyncrasies began to take their toll on my enjoyment. I recently, however, rewatched the entire run when it was streaming on one of the services.

 

[Mysto]

A LITTLE QUIZ - TV DETECTIVES PAST
Can you identify these?
1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

 

[Mysto]

ANSWERS

1-Boston Blackie (Kent Taylor)

2-The Thin Man – Nick & Nora Charles (Peter Lawford – Phyllis Kirk)

3-Peter Gunn (Craig Stevens)

4-Rockford Files – Jim Rockford (James Garner)

5-77 Sunset Strip – Stuart Bailey (Efrem Zimbalist Jr.) Kookie (Edd Byrnes) Jeff Spencer (Roger Smith)

6-Mike Hammer (Stacey Keach)

7-Johnny Staccato (John Cassavetes)

8-Nero Wolfe (Maury Chaykin)-Archie Goodwin (Tim Hutton)

9-Michael Shayne – (Richard Denning)

10-Mannix (Mike Conners)

More Soon

 

[BobO'Link]

I cracked open my newish copy of Hamish Macbeth this weekend. Started the first episode and had to turn on CC and start over as the Scottish accents are *very* thick at times. After the first 3 episodes I got used to it and can now watch without them - mostly (still have an occasional word, usually slang, that I have to turn CC on and rewind a bit to get the word).

It's quite enjoyable and just a bit quirky (aren't *all* "British" mysteries a bit quirky though?). The episodes are kind of a mix of local "crime," mystery, and comedy with Hamish occasionally crossing the line a bit by ignoring, or playing down, minor crimes in the area and actually being a perp (breaking the headlights of a car owned by the rival for a love interest and then writing him a ticket for broken headlights, for example). A couple of the episodes got just a bit darker than I expected with the reveal of how a child died and Hamish having to make a choice of who lives/dies in a mountain climbing incident.

This *may* be a bit of a spoiler so...

Spoiler

At the end of series 1, Hamish is caught between two lovers and has been asked, quite publicly (in the local pub with many of the townsfolk present), to marry one while the other just happens to be present - and neither knew of the other until just now (and the one doing the asking *still* doesn't know). Won't know his answer until I start series 2.

At this point I'm declaring it another winner.

 

[Mysto]

I cracked open my newish copy of Hamish Macbeth this weekend. Started the first episode and had to turn on CC and start over as the Scottish accents are *very* thick at times. After the first 3 episodes I got used to it and can now watch without them - mostly (still have an occasional word, usually slang, that I have to turn CC on and rewind a bit to get the word).

It's quite enjoyable and just a bit quirky (aren't *all* "British" mysteries a bit quirky though?). The episodes are kind of a mix of local "crime," mystery, and comedy with Hamish occasionally crossing the line a bit by ignoring, or playing down, minor crimes in the area and actually being a perp (breaking the headlights of a car owned by the rival for a love interest and then writing him a ticket for broken headlights, for example). A couple of the episodes got just a bit darker than I expected with the reveal of how a child died and Hamish having to make a choice of who lives/dies in a mountain climbing incident.

This *may* be a bit of a spoiler so...

Spoiler

At the end of series 1, Hamish is caught between two lovers and has been asked, quite publicly (in the local pub with many of the townsfolk present), to marry one while the other just happens to be present - and neither knew of the other until just now (and the one doing the asking *still* doesn't know). Won't know his answer until I start series 2.

At this point I'm declaring it another winner.

I know that this is one of the Rutifier (Russ) favorites Howie. I watched the first one and I liked it but I like you had to turn on the CC. We have it on our watch list but I have guests coming in for the week so not much watching or posting until next week.
Cheers

 

[Matt Hough]

I missed Boston Blackie, and I don't know why because I used to watch that show as a little kid. Haven't seen it in ages, though.

 

[Mysto]

While I'm waiting for my guests to wake up...

DETECTIVE QUIZ #2

1

2

3

4 - Two Answers

5 - Two Answers

6

7

8

9

10

 

[Mysto]

DETECTIVE QUIZ #2 - ANSWERS

1-Burke’s Law - Capt. Amos Burke (Gene Barry)

2-Hawaii 5.0 (Original) - Steve McGarrett (Jack Lord)-Dan (Dano) Williams (James MacArthur)

3-Hawaiian Eye – Tracy Steele (Anthony Eisley) – Tom Lapoka (Robert Conrad) – Kim (Poncie Ponce) – Cricket (Connie Stevens)

4-King of Diamonds - John King (Broderick Crawford)
Also Highway Patrol – Chief Dan Matthews (Broderick Crawford)

5-Mike Hammer - (Darren McGavin)
Also - The Outsider – David Ross (Darren McGavin)

6-Nero Wolfe - (William Conrad) Archie Goodwin (Lee Horsley)

7-Barnaby Jones - (Buddy Ebsen)

8-Murder She Wrote - Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury)

9-Diagnosis Murder – Dr. Mark Sloan (Dick Van Dyke)

10-Ellery Queen – (Jim Hutton) Inspector Richard Queen (David Wayne)

 

[Matt Hough]

SOme wonderful shows pictured in these photos. How I'd love to see some of them again!

 

[Jeff Flugel]

Got 'em all exacept for #4. Never would have guessed King of Diamonds (the only Broderick Crawford series I'm familiar with is Highway Patrol).

Fun quizzes, Marv!

 

[Mysto]

Got 'em all exacept for #4. Never would have guessed King of Diamonds (the only Broderick Crawford series I'm familiar with is Highway Patrol).

Fun quizzes, Marv!

Well done Jeff. I figured that Johnny Staccato and The Outsider would stump a few people. King of Diamonds is pretty rare.

Here's a link to an archive.org copy of KofD.

https://archive.org/download/king-of-diamonds-tv-2-ep-01-1961-09-13-wizard-of-ice-telly-savalas/king of diamonds tv _2 ep 01 1961 09 13 wizard of ice telly savalas.ia.mp4

 

[Mysto]

The Outsider - 1968-9

Darren McGavin - David Ross

The Outsider was the outcast down on his luck private eye. A wrongly convicted ex-con. He gets beat up a lot. He helps people but seldom gets a reward. It was Rockford Files before Rockford files. We loved the show but it only lasted for one short season. When I did the Detective Quiz I noticed that somebody had posted a few episodes on youtube. (Previously there had been only one). The series is still being withheld from release by (I think) his estate. Enjoy the Outsider...

 

[Bob Gu]

Here's a "King of Diamonds" promo with the vocal version of the theme song. "When Johnny King breaks a door down, he's not saying ten-four now".

TV Sherlock Holmes Quiz:

1)Which TV Sherlock's last credited IMDB role was in an episode of "Sherlock"?

2)Which TV Sherlock has a very famous actor father?

3)Which TV Sherlock's relative was a regular on "UFO"?

4)Which TV Sherlock played 'D'Artagnan' in a TV Mini-series?

5)Which TV Sherlock played 'Holmes' in the most TV episodes?

6)Which TV Sherlock had Patrick Macnee as his "Watson'?

7)Which TV Sherlock had Bernard Fox as his 'Watson'?

8)Of the last two which Sherlock actor made the most westerns? That's kind of a trick question. In theatrical movies it's one and counting TV it's the other.

 

[Rustifer]

I'm a bit of a fanatic for English Detective / Mystery series set in the most remote areas of the island. Aptly named Hinterland takes place in Wales, where they have yet to invent vowels or establish enough population or property on which to commit crimes. Nonetheless, DCI Tom Mathias (Richard Harrington) and DI Mared Rhys (Malie Harries) do their best to scare up some murders in areas so remote that the two of them rarely need more than long stares at one another to solve the most complex of situations. Dialog is often held down to non-chatty one page scripts.

Richard Harrington pops up in a bunch of British shows, but he seems particularly adept at portraying a hard-nosed DCI in this series--where bleakness is the most prominent characteristic along with persistent inner turmoil shared by both Tom and Mared. You can't live in areas like this without having a permanent raincloud hovering over you. This is also a good excuse to drink in excess, especially since Wales excels at providing pubs on every street corner.

I must admit it's been a while since I've watched this show, so I apologize for not having more salient details to share. My lasting impressions are what I've written here. I do remember it being engaging enough to sustain my interest through all 3 seasons and 26 episodes.

Here's another place that makes you wonder why people choose to live in such starkness. The Shetland islands are an archipelago off the very tip of Northern England with such a small population it begs to justify a local police force. The star of the series is a native Shetlander curiously named Jimmy Perez (Doug Henshall), a DCI who seems to have been born wearing a pea coat. Jimmy is a widower who shares his house with buddy Duncan (Mark Bonnar), both of who share a daughter Cassie since neither is sure which one of them is her actual father. Shetland may be stark, but hanky panky hasn't yet gone out of style.

The series was born out of Ann Cleeves' novels Red Bones, Dead Waters, Raven Black and Blue Lightening to provide 7 seasons' worth of scripts. I must say they're all well written, even though the 2-part episodes could well have justified just one episode and jettison a lot of uninteresting filler. Jimmy is forever having to prove his worth as a detective to avoid pressure from interfering mainland cops who think he might be best served handing out parking tickets instead of solving actual crimes.

I'm on the last episode of season 7, of which the entirety is about a missing teenager. Considering there's only about 12 people who live on the islands, it's a wonder the kid couldn't be found sooner.

 

[Mysto]

Here's a "King of Diamonds" promo with the vocal version of the theme song. "When Johnny King breaks a door down, he's not saying ten-four now".
View attachment 176225


TV Sherlock Holmes Quiz:

1)Which TV Sherlock's last credited IMDB role was in an episode of "Sherlock"?

2)Which TV Sherlock has a very famous actor father?

3)Which TV Sherlock's relative was a regular on "UFO"?

4)Which TV Sherlock played 'D'Artagnan' in a TV Mini-series?

5)Which TV Sherlock played 'Holmes' in the most TV episodes?

6)Which TV Sherlock had Patrick Macnee as his "Watson'?

7)Which TV Sherlock had Bernard Fox as his 'Watson'?

8)Of the last two which Sherlock actor made the most westerns? That's kind of a trick question. In theatrical movies it's one and counting TV it's the other.

Thank Bob. Tough Quiz!

 

[Mysto]

View attachment 176212
I'm a bit of a fanatic for English Detective / Mystery series set in the most remote areas of the island. Aptly named Hinterland takes place in Wales, where they have yet to invent vowels or establish enough population or property on which to commit crimes. Nonetheless, DCI Tom Mathias (Richard Harrington) and DI Mared Rhys (Malie Harries) do their best to scare up some murders in areas so remote that the two of them rarely need more than long stares at one another to solve the most complex of situations. Dialog is often held down to non-chatty one page scripts.

Richard Harrington pops up in a bunch of British shows, but he seems particularly adept at portraying a hard-nosed DCI in this series--where bleakness is the most prominent characteristic along with persistent inner turmoil shared by both Tom and Mared. You can't live in areas like this without having a permanent raincloud hovering over you. This is also a good excuse to drink to excess, especially since Wales excels at providing pubs on every street corner.

I must admit it's been a while since I've watched this show, so I apologize for not having more salient details to share. My lasting impressions are what I've written here. I do remember it being engaging enough to sustain my interest through all 3 seasons and 26 episodes.

View attachment 176224

Here's another place that makes you wonder why people choose to live in such starkness. The Shetland islands are an archipelago off the very tip of Northern England with such a small population it begs to justify a local police force. The star of the series is a native Shetlander curiously named Jimmy Perez (Doug Henshall), a DCI who seems to have been born wearing a pea coat. Jimmy is a widower who shares his house with buddy Duncan (Mark Bonnar), both of who share a daughter Cassie since neither is sure which one of them is her actual father. Shetland may be stark, but hanky panky hasn't yet gone out of style.

The series was born out of Ann Cleeves' novels Red Bones, Dead Waters, Raven Black and Blue Lightening to provide 7 seasons' worth of scripts. I must say they're all well written, even though the 2-part episodes could well have justified just one episode and jettison a lot of uninteresting filler. Jimmy is forever having to prove his worth as a detective to avoid pressure from interfering mainland cops who think he might be best served handing out parking tickets instead of solving actual crimes.

I'm on the last episode of season 7, of which the entirety is about a missing teenager. Considering there's only about 12 people who live on the islands, it's a wonder the kid couldn't be found sooner.

Thanks Russ I think. Yet another two I haven't watched. So many mysteries - so little time.
Cheers

 

[BobO'Link]

Series 2 of Hamish Macbeth brings with it another couple of rather dark episodes, one of which resolves the love interest thing. And the other is, well, somewhat disturbing with its conclusion and involves the goings on at a funeral home and whether or not a somewhat aimless local lad will join the firm.

And it's still a quite interesting and "fun" series.

My wife has read several mystery novels from the pen of M.C. Beaton, who provided the groundwork for this series, which I've read is nothing like the books, often combining several books into a single episode. In reading about the TV series and books I came across this:

"Beaton was not happy with the TV series. "It wasn't like the books, I wrote about a six-foot laid-back highlander and I got a 5ft 8" Glaswegian with a chip on his shoulder."

I don't recall if my wife has any of the Hamish Macbeth books or not (I'm pretty sure she has a few Agatha Raisin books). I may have to ask... You'd think I'd know as I purchased most of her books, keeping up with the various series and just which she already had or had read. They were quite safe presents as she rarely purchased one herself.