Movies/TV Shows

The Brokenwood Mysteries (TV Mystery Shows)

July 13, 2017

Do NOT miss this terrific television series from New Zealand! The series takes its name from the rural town in which it’s set, but don’t try to find this beautiful setting on a map!

Neill Rea stars as Detective Senior Sergeant Mike Shephard – a country western music fanatic who happens to love his vintage 1970s car. He’s new to Brokenwood, and isn’t particularly appreciated by Detective Kristin Sims (played by Fern Sutherland). Detective Sims was hoping to be in charge of the detective department. Both Fern Sutherland and Neill Rea are terrific in their respective roles.

This new detective-boss takes some getting used to. One of Detective Senior Sergeant Shepard’s idiosyncrasies: he talks to the crime victims >>> when he first meets them, while they’re laying dead on the ground!

As much as I appreciate the two main leads of The Brokenwood Mysteries, I will say this: I look forward to all the scenes Shepherd has with the Russian forensic pathologist (played beautifully by Cristina Ionda). The interaction between the coroner and… well just about anyone brings a terrific addition of humor to the shows. Unfortunately she isn’t one of the main characters of the show, so you won’t see a lot of her…

With Mike Shepherd being new to the area, it’s a wonderful fluke that he makes friends with Jared Morehu (played by Pana Hema Taylor). Mike is able to get the entire history of the town – in minute detail – from Jared. Name any subject (wine, dramatic arts, rugby, golf, etc) and Jared knows all the local juicy gossip.

Another of the main characters is D.C. Breen (Nic Sampson). I was really happy to see that his role on the show was expanded (I think after the first season). He provides a lot of the humor in the show also.

My husband, grown daughter, and I all enjoyed these television mystery shows. The setting is absolutely beautiful, the acting is great, the humor is appreciated, the mysteries are full of red herrings, and the writing is terrific. Thumbs up!

And, by the way, this is just one of the terrific tv shows available on Acorn TV.

P.S. My husband and I use the subtitles while viewing this really, really good mystery show.

For more Cozy viewing ideas, click on my Cozy Mystery TV & Movies page.

Upcoming Television Mystery Movies for July 2017

June 28, 2017

It’s the time of the month again to find out about next month’s upcoming mystery movies that will be on television. As usual, I’m posting the Turner Classic Movies channel mysteries (and some non-mystery movies with my favorite actors and actresses) that I think are definitely worth looking at.

July will have a fair number of Alfred Hitchcock movies, but separated into enough smaller marathons that singling out a “must-see” day is pretty difficult. Instead, I’d urge you to browse through the schedule to pick out your own favorite movies by the Master of Suspense.

***** ***** ***** *****

July 2017 Turner Classic Movies Channel Mystery Movies (Central time zone):

***** ***** ***** *****

Saturday – July 1, 2017

9:30 AM
THE CHANCE OF A LIFETIME (1943)
An ex-thief helps some fellow ex-cons adjust to life as defense workers, only to get involved with a robbery investigation.
Dir: William Castle Cast: Chester Morris, Erik Rolf, Jeanne Bates.
BW- 66 mins, CC

5:00 PM
BADLANDS (1973)
A young tough guy and his teen-aged girlfriend take off on a killing spree.
Dir: Terrence Malick Cast: Martin Sheen, Sissy Spacek, Warren Oates.
C- 94 mins, CC

***** ***** ***** *****

Sunday – July 2, 2017

2:45 AM
THE BAD SEED (1956)
A woman suspects that her perfect little girl is a ruthless killer.
Dir: Mervyn LeRoy Cast: Gage Clarke, Jesse White, Joan Croyden.
C- 129 mins, CC

***** ***** ***** *****

Wednesday – July 5, 2017

11:30 AM
WHILE THE CITY SLEEPS (1956)
Reporters compete to catch a serial killer.
Dir: Fritz Lang Cast: Dana Andrews, Rhonda Fleming, George Sanders.
BW- 100 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

1:30 PM
BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT (1956)
A novelist frames himself for murder to prove the fallibility of circumstantial evidence.
Dir: Fritz Lang Cast: Dana Andrews, Joan Fontaine, Sidney Blackmer.
BW- 80 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

***** ***** ***** *****

Thursday – July 6, 2017

4:00 AM
BLACKMAIL (1929)
A shopkeeper’s daughter fights off blackmail after she kills a young artist who had tried to rape her.
Dir: Alfred Hitchcock Cast: Anny Ondra, Sara Allgood, Charles Paton.
BW- 86 mins

5:45 AM
MURDER! (1930)
A juror who had voted to convict a murder suspect tries to prove someone else did it before the execution date.
Dir: Alfred Hitchcock Cast: Herbert Marshall, Miles Mander, Nora Baring.
BW- 100 mins, CC

***** ***** ***** *****

Friday – July 7, 2017

7:15 AM
TWO O’CLOCK COURAGE (1945)
An amnesiac discovers he’s wanted for murder.
Dir: Anthony Mann Cast: Tom Conway, Ann Rutherford, Richard Lane.
BW- 66 mins, CC

7:00 PM
NUMBER SEVENTEEN (1932)
A detective sets out to recover a necklace lifted by jewel thieves.
Dir: Alfred Hitchcock Cast: Leon M. Lion, Anne Grey, Donald Calthrop.
BW- 64 mins

8:30 PM
THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH (1934)
A British family gets mixed up with spies and an assassination plot while vacationing in Switzerland.
Dir: Alfred Hitchcock Cast: Leslie Banks, Edna Best, Nova Pilbeam.
BW- 76 mins, CC

10:00 PM
THE 39 STEPS (1935)
A man falsely suspected of killing a spy races across Scotland handcuffed to the beautiful blonde who turned him in.
Dir: Alfred Hitchcock Cast: Robert Donat, Madeleine Carroll, Lucie Mannheim.
BW- 87 mins, CC

11:45 PM
THE LADY VANISHES (1938)
A young woman on vacation triggers an international incident when she tries to track an elderly friend who has disappeared.
Dir: Alfred Hitchcock Cast: Margaret Lockwood, Michael Redgrave, Paul Lukas.
BW- 96 mins, CC

***** ***** ***** *****

Saturday – July 8, 2017

1:45 AM
JAMAICA INN (1939)
A young woman on the British coast stumbles onto a ring of bloodthirsty scavengers.
Dir: Alfred Hitchcock Cast: Charles Laughton, Horace Hodges, Hay Petrie.
BW- 100 mins, CC

9:30 AM
ONE MYSTERIOUS NIGHT (1944)
A reformed thief helps the police recover an Egyptian diamond.
Dir: Oscar Boetticher Jr. Cast: Chester Morris, Janis Carter, William Wright.
BW- 62 mins, CC

***** ***** ***** *****

Sunday – July 9, 2017

9:00 AM
T-MEN (1948)
U.S. agents infiltrate a deadly counterfeiting ring.
Dir: Anthony Mann Cast: Dennis O’Keefe, Mary Meade, Alfred Ryder.
BW- 92 mins, CC

***** ***** ***** *****

Tuesday – July 11, 2017

2:30 AM
NORTH BY NORTHWEST (1959)
An advertising man is mistaken for a spy, triggering a deadly cross-country chase.
Dir: Alfred Hitchcock Cast: Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, James Mason.
C- 136 mins, CC

***** ***** ***** *****

Wednesday – July 12, 2017

7:00 PM
REBECCA (1940)
A young bride is terrorized by the memories of her husband’s glamorous first wife.
Dir: Alfred Hitchcock Cast: Laurence Olivier, Joan Fontaine, George Sanders.
BW- 130 mins, CC

9:30 PM
FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT (1940)
An American reporter covering the war in Europe gets mixed up in the assassination of a Dutch diplomat.
Dir: Alfred Hitchcock Cast: Joel McCrea, Laraine Day, Herbert Marshall.
BW- 121 mins, CC

***** ***** ***** *****

Thursday – July 13, 2017

1:30 AM
SUSPICION (1941)
A wealthy wallflower suspects her penniless playboy husband of murder.
Dir: Alfred Hitchcock Cast: Cary Grant, Joan Fontaine, Sir Cedric Hardwicke.
BW- 99 mins, CC

3:15 AM
SABOTEUR (1942)
A young man accused of sabotage goes on the lam to prove his innocence.
Dir: Alfred Hitchcock Cast: Priscilla Lane, Robert Cummings, Otto Kruger.
BW- 109 mins, CC

2:45 PM
THE LEOPARD MAN (1943)
When a leopard escapes during a publicity stunt, it triggers a series of murders.
Dir: Jacques Tourneur Cast: Dennis O’Keefe, Margo, Jean Brooks.
BW- 66 mins, CC

***** ***** ***** *****

Friday – July 14, 2017

3:45 PM
KID GLOVE KILLER (1942)
A police scientist investigates the mayor’s murder.
Dir: Fred Zinnemann Cast: Van Heflin, Marsha Hunt, Lee Bowman.
BW- 74 mins, CC

7:00 PM
SHADOW OF A DOUBT (1943)
A young girl fears her favorite uncle may be a killer.
Dir: Alfred Hitchcock Cast: Teresa Wright, Joseph Cotten, MacDonald Carey.
BW- 108 mins, CC

11:00 PM
SPELLBOUND (1945)
A psychiatrist tries to help the man she loves solve a murder buried in his subconscious.
Dir: Alfred Hitchcock Cast: Ingrid Bergman, Gregory Peck, Michael Chekhov.
BW- 111 mins, CC

***** ***** ***** *****

Saturday – July 15, 2017

1:15 AM
NOTORIOUS (1946)
A U.S. agent recruits a German expatriate to infiltrate a Nazi spy ring in Brazil.
Dir: Alfred Hitchcock Cast: Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman, Claude Rains.
BW- 101 mins, CC

3:15 AM
THE PARADINE CASE (1948)
A married lawyer falls for the woman he’s defending on murder charges.
Dir: Alfred Hitchcock Cast: Gregory Peck, Ann Todd, Charles Laughton.
BW- 114 mins, CC

9:30 AM
BOSTON BLACKIE BOOKED ON SUSPICION (1945)
A reformed thief accidentally sells a phony first edition of Dickens, which triggers a murder.
Dir: Arthur Dreifuss Cast: Chester Morris, Lynn Merrick, Richard Lane.
BW- 67 mins, CC

2:45 PM
TOPAZ (1969)
A French agent is sent to Cuba to spy for the CIA.
Dir: Alfred Hitchcock Cast: John Forsythe, Frederick Stafford, Dany Robin.
C- 126 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

***** ***** ***** *****

Tuesday – July 18, 2017

1:30 PM
THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY (1945)
A man remains young and handsome while his portrait shows the ravages of age and sin.
Dir: Albert Lewin Cast: George Sanders, Hurd Hatfield, Donna Reed, Angela Lansbury.
BW- 110 mins, CC

7:00 PM
THE DROWNING POOL (1975)
A private eye’s investigation of an anonymous letter leads to murder.
Dir: Stuart Rosenberg Cast: Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward, Tony Franciosa.
C- 108 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

***** ***** ***** *****

Wednesday – July 19, 2017

7:00 PM
ROPE (1948)
Two wealthy young men try to commit the perfect crime by murdering a friend.
Dir: Alfred Hitchcock Cast: Dick Hogan, John Dall, Farley Granger.
C- 81 mins, CC

8:30 PM
STAGE FRIGHT (1950)
An acting student goes undercover to prove a singing star killed her husband.
Dir: Alfred Hitchcock Cast: Jane Wyman, Marlene Dietrich, Michael Wilding.
BW- 110 mins, CC

10:30 PM
STRANGERS ON A TRAIN (1951)
A man’s joking suggestion that he and a chance acquaintance trade murders turns deadly.
Dir: Alfred Hitchcock Cast: Farley Granger, Ruth Roman, Robert Walker.
BW- 101 mins, CC

***** ***** ***** *****

Thursday – July 20, 2017

12:30 AM
I CONFESS (1953)
A priest suspected of murder can only clear himself by violating the sanctity of the confessional.
Dir: Alfred Hitchcock Cast: Montgomery Clift, Anne Baxter, Karl Malden.
BW- 95 mins, CC

2:30 AM
DIAL M FOR MURDER (1954)
A straying husband frames his wife for the murder of the man he’d hired to kill her.
Dir: Alfred Hitchcock Cast: Ray Milland, Grace Kelly, Robert Cummings.
C- 105 mins, CC

7:00 PM
REAR WINDOW (1954)
A photographer with a broken leg uncovers a murder while spying on the neighbors in a nearby apartment building.
Dir: Alfred Hitchcock Cast: James Stewart, Grace Kelly, Wendell Corey.
C- 112 mins, CC,

9:15 PM
THE TROUBLE WITH HARRY (1955)
A corpse creates a world of trouble for several passersby who each believe they may have caused the death.
Dir: Alfred Hitchcock Cast: Edmund Gwenn, John Forsythe, Mildred Natwick.
C- 99 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

11:15 PM
THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH (1956)
International spies kidnap a doctor’s son when he stumbles on their assassination plot.
Dir: Alfred Hitchcock Cast: James Stewart, Doris Day, Brenda de Banzie.
C- 120 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

***** ***** ***** *****

Friday – July 21, 2017

1:30 AM
THE WRONG MAN (1956)
A musician is mistaken for a vicious thief, with devastating results.
Dir: Alfred Hitchcock Cast: Henry Fonda, Vera Miles, Anthony Quayle.
BW- 105 mins, CC

***** ***** ***** *****

Saturday – July 22, 2017

9:30 AM
BOSTON BLACKIE’S RENDEZVOUS (1945)
A reformed thief helps the police stop an escaped maniac’s killing spree.
Dir: Arthur Dreifuss Cast: Chester Morris, Nina Foch, Steve Cochran.
BW- 64 mins

7:00 PM
ALL ABOUT EVE (1950)
An ambitious young actress tries to take over a star’s career and love life.
Dir: Joseph L. Mankiewicz Cast: Bette Davis, Anne Baxter, George Sanders.
BW- 138 mins, CC

11:15 PM
WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE? (1962)
A crazed, aging star torments her sister in a decaying Hollywood mansion.
Dir: Robert Aldrich Cast: Bette Davis, Joan Crawford, Victor Buono.
BW- 134 mins, CC

***** ***** ***** *****

Sunday – July 23, 2017

5:00 AM
ABOVE SUSPICION (1943)
A honeymooning couple are asked to spy on the Nazis in pre-war Europe.
Dir: Richard Thorpe Cast: Joan Crawford, Fred MacMurray, Conrad Veidt.
BW- 91 mins, CC

9:00 AM
DEADLINE AT DAWN (1946)
An aspiring actress risks her life to clear a sailor charged with murder.
Dir: Harold Clurman Cast: Susan Hayward, Paul Lukas, Bill Williams.
BW- 83 mins, CC

1:00 PM
THE CAREY TREATMENT (1972)
A doctor uncovers a hotbed of corruption when he tries to clear a colleague of a murder charge.
Dir: Blake Edwards Cast: James Coburn, Jennifer O’Neill, Pat Hingle.
C- 101 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

5:00 PM
WAIT UNTIL DARK (1967)
A blind woman fights against drug smugglers who’ve invaded her home.
Dir: Terence Young Cast: Audrey Hepburn, Alan Arkin, Richard Crenna.
C- 108 mins, CC

***** ***** ***** *****

Wednesday – July 26, 2017

7:00 PM
VERTIGO (1958)
A detective falls for the mysterious woman he’s been hired to tail.
Dir: Alfred Hitchcock Cast: James Stewart, Kim Novak, Barbara Bel Geddes.
C- 128 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

9:30 PM
NORTH BY NORTHWEST (1959)
An advertising man is mistaken for a spy, triggering a deadly cross-country chase.
Dir: Alfred Hitchcock Cast: Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, James Mason.
C- 136 mins, CC

***** ***** ***** *****

Saturday – July 29, 2017

9:30 AM
A CLOSE CALL FOR BOSTON BLACKIE (1946)
A reformed thief fights to clear himself of murder charges.
Dir: Lew Landers Cast: Chester Morris, Lynn Merrick, Richard Lane.
BW- 60 mins, CC

***** ***** ***** *****

Sunday – July 30, 2017

9:00 AM
BORN TO KILL (1947)
A murderer marries a young innocent then goes after her more experienced sister.
Dir: Robert Wise Cast: Claire Trevor, Lawrence Tierney, Walter Slezak.
BW- 92 mins, CC

***** ***** ***** *****

Tuesday – August 1, 2017

1:30 AM
MANHATTAN MURDER MYSTERY (1993)
A middle-aged couple suspects foul play when their neighbor’s wife suddenly drops dead.
Dir: Woody Allen Cast: Woody Allen, Diane Keaton, Jerry Adler.
C- 108 mins, CC

***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** *****

If you’re particularly looking forward to these or other mystery-themed tv specials coming up in July, be sure to leave a comment below!

In case you’re interested in seeing the rest of this month’s television mystery movies, here’s the June television mystery movies schedule:

Upcoming Television Mystery Movies for June 2017

And of course, here is the page on my site with plenty of entries about movies and television shows you may enjoy:

Cozy Mystery List TV and Movie Section

Vera – British Television Mystery Series

June 14, 2017

My husband and I sort of put off watching the first episode of this because I knew this British television series is based on a “not necessarily Cozy” mystery series (written by Ann Cleeves). I received several comments and letters from Cozy Mystery readers suggesting I watch this TV mystery show. Am I glad we finally did!

This British mystery series is set in Northumberland – and features a rather cold, desolate area. Vera (played beautifully Brenda Blethyn) is usually seen donning a rumpled overcoat – somewhat reminiscent of Columbo’s. She wears her trademark floppy fishing hat almost every time she’s outdoors. Vera is a Detective Chief Inspector heading an office of detectives. She is a no-nonsense type of boss who doesn’t go in for normal everyday pleasantries. She doesn’t remember the names of her subordinates’ children, probably because their names aren’t important facts in a case. She often asks questions, but doesn’t listen to the answers since she’s off on another tangent.

During the first four seasons, Vera was very capably shadowed by Detective Sergeant Joe Ashworth (David Jean). One of my favorite characters throughout the first six seasons is Detective Sergeant Kenny Lochhart (Jon Morrison). His relationship with Vera seems to go way back. He is the person Vera is most likely to joke about – however we never actually see him outside of the office with his many women – the subject of many of Vera’s needling jokes.

Another favorite character of mine was the forensic technician, Billy (Paul Ritter). Vera and Billy also shared a past. They were almost “equals” which doesn’t happen very often with Vera.

There are no female characters of whom I can write. It seems like as soon as the viewer becomes familiar with a female on the show >>> she’s gone. Sometimes her absence is explained, other times I’m left asking my husband “What the heck?”

If you’re looking for a new mystery to watch that isn’t flashy, sexy, or full of beautiful people – but rather a series that is realistic, and centers on a believable mystery, then I suggest you try Vera. My husband and I are glad we did!

(By the way, Vera is available for streaming on Acorn TV – which is how we watch it.)

Also, if you’re interested in taking a look at some other good mystery shows, make sure to go to my Cozy Mystery TV and Movies page.

Murder, She Wrote TV Mystery Show

June 8, 2017

I have had several readers contact me over the past twelve years – asking why I don’t have a Murder, She Wrote entry on the Mystery TV and Movies Page. I just assumed everyone was already aware of this 1984-1996 TV mystery show – either from when it originally aired or now, in its umpteenth re-run life.

If you have read my description of what a Cozy Mystery is then you are aware of the trepidation I assume neighbors of Jessica Fletcher (the main sleuth) must feel whenever she is in town. Every week, Jessica (beautifully played by Angela Lansbury) is on the quest to find a murderer! In fact there were so many murder in her hometown (Cabot Cove, Maine) that she finally had to establish a living base in New York City, perhaps at the insistence of her Cabot Cove neighbors >>> those still alive that is! (Actually, she has a second home there so that she can be closer to her publisher, as well as teach criminology classes.)

Jessica is a retired high school English teacher who writes best selling mystery novels. Her novels are so popular in fact, that whenever she visits either New York City or an exotic locations (of which there are many, especially in later seasons) the police assigned to the case (which Jessica will invariably solve) welcome her to join them in solving the case, since they are big fans of her mystery novels.

At the beginning of the TV series, I believe most of the shows were based in Cabot Cove, a quaint fishing village where (just about) everyone is on a first-name basis. Jessica has a close circle of friends – which includes easily-agitated Dr. Seth Hazlitt (William Windom), Sheriff Amos Tupper (Tom Bosley), realtor Eve Simpson (Julie Adams), and Sheriff Mort Metzger (Ron Masak). Of course, Jessica knows everyone very well. Her knowledge can be attributed with either having had them in one of her English classes or them being parents of her students. Also, her good friends (Seth and Eve) love to share gossip!

I doubt there are any mystery shows that are more Cozy than Murder, She Wrote. Even though the shows are based on murder, they are never graphic, nor do the shows ever focus on the “let’s-gross-out-the-audience” realistic forensic scenes. (I believe they were considered “family fare” when they originally aired.)

Best selling Cozy Mystery author Donald Bain writes the Murder She Wrote book series which is based on this show. I picture Angela Lansbury every time I read one of Bain’s Cozies. I can’t imagine any other actress trying to take this role on. I strongly recommend you try watching Murder, She Wrote – if you’re one of the few people who hasn’t already enjoyed this TV series.

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