Here is yet another Australian television mystery show that is a gem. My husband and I both enjoy Mr. & Mrs. Murder and only have one problem with it: there are only thirteen episodes!

Mr. & Mrs. Murder is an Australian television show that aired in 2013. It features a married couple with a rather “different” profession. They are a cleaning duo. Actually, rather than being just a cleaning duo, they specialize in cleaning up crime scenes >>> and some of them are pretty messy!

Charlie and Nicola Buchanan arrive to the scenes of crimes right after the police have finished collecting their clues. They not only have odd professions, I have to tell you, they are… a little odd themselves! They are a couple who are madly in love with each other. Nicola’s niece lives with them, and they often corral her into performing crazy tasks while they’re on a case.

Nicola & Charlie often get referrals for crime scene clean-ups by an inspector who values their help in solving the crimes of which he’s in charge. The inspector apparently dated Nicola before she fell madly in love with Charlie, so there are some uncomfortable moments. (If you watch the show, you’ll see what I mean!)

After watching the first episode, my husband and I weren’t quite sure if we wanted to continue watching the show. The mystery was good, but Nicola & Charlie were zany >>> with a capital “Z”! We decided to go ahead and watch the second episode, and then we were hooked!

The four principal characters are Charlie (Shawn Micallef), Nicola (Kat Stewart), Inspector Peter Vinetti (Jonny Pasvolsky), and Nicola’s niece Jess (Lucy Honigman). They are all terrific.

Each episode starts out with Nicola & Charlie going to a crime scene where they start the cleaning process. While cleaning the crime scene they invariably make friends with some of the suspects. I should mention that they make friends quickly. They are both affable, friendly, fun-loving people. The couple manages to get invited to many functions you wouldn’t typically envision a crime scene cleaning duo being invited to.

Oh, and did I mention this is a funny mystery show? My husband and I find ourselves chuckling quite often. Every once in a while I think about the old adage: There’s someone out there for everyone. Well, this quirky couple was simply meant to be together! They are the… oddest pair of sleuths you have probably ever encountered!

Charlie (Shaun Micallef) is also the creator and one of the writers of the show. As Charlie, he is one quirky guy! As for Kat Stewart (Nicola) she is absolutely model-beautiful, yet she is totally believable in the less-than-flattering hazmat outfit. Also, they are both terrific in the crazy situations in which they invariably find themselves.

Nicola’s niece, Jess, is a delight as an unwilling participant in the crazy situations Nicola and Charlie put her in. The couple’s idea of the importance of Jess’s studies (she’s working on her MBA) versus her helping solve a crime usually has my husband and me laughing. Let’s see >>> miss an exam vs.. help with the crime >>> you can always make up an exam. (I told you, Charlie & Nicola are a zany couple!)

Mr. & Mrs. Murder‘s Charlie & Nicola have the same playfulness going as the Thin Man‘s Nick & Nora Charles >>> without the martinis or Asta! I definitely recommend Mr. & Mrs. Murder. It is available on Netflix, in disc format only. Also, on Acorn.

For more movie and television show recommendations, visit the page on my site: TV and Movies.

The I.D. channel (Investigation Discovery) is one of my favorite channels on TV. That being said, Homicide Hunter is one of my favorite shows on that channel. It is one of the shows my husband and I look forward to watching, so when our DVR catches a new one, we are there! (This is a true crime show, not fiction, nor is it a Cozy Mystery show.)

The show stars Joe Kenda – a retired homicide lieutenant in Colorado Springs. Each episode, Joe Kenda introduces one of his past cases. The audience is then treated to a reenactment of the case with commentary by Kenda & other police detectives (as well as journalists) sprinkled throughout the show. The show takes us all the way through the case. Carl Marino plays Lt. Kenda.  Also, having lived in Colorado Springs years ago, it’s interesting to see some of the journalists I remember from when I was young. (As an aside – if you enjoy Homicide Hunter like we do, be sure to go online and watch the “Kenda on Kenda” interview of the “young Joe (Carl Marino) asking the “real Joe” questions.)

The show started airing in 2011 and will be starting its fifth season this year. This is a true crime show, so it’s not for those of you who are particularly squeamish. Joe Kenda is what makes the show unusually fun to watch. Yes, I know, real murder is not fun, but somehow Kenda’s ‘s dry commentary makes the show fun. Some of his comments have included:

• “Well, my, my, my.” (probably his most known quote)
• “Guilty people love to talk. Who am I to stop them?”
• “If you’re gonna lie, at least be good at it.”
• “Murder is an ugly business.”
• “Crazy boyfriend did you say? Oh, I like crazy boyfriends.”

With quotes like those – how could you not like this man?

Something that has struck me many times is the emotion Joe Kenda seems to have for the victims. He doesn’t work off of a script, simply talks to the viewer, and sometimes, at the end of an episode, he chokes up while talking about a victim. It’s a very nice thing to see a man who has dealt with murder so many years show us how much police officers feel about the victims.

Homicide Hunter is not available on Netflix, but is available on Amazon stream. The new season starts Tuesday, August 18, 2015, on the ID (Identification Discovery) channel. (I’ve already got it set up on my DVR!)

Click on these links to see these Kenda on Kenda interviews:

Kendaisms

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