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:
Debbie says
I’m going to check it out
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Debbie, I hope you enjoy the show. We truly look forward to every new episode they air.
Rosie says
I too love Homicide Hunter, strictly due to Joe Kenda. I am so glad to know the episodes are on Amazon streaming. I can now catch up on the few I have missed. Thank you.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Rosie, if you haven’t gone on the ID channel’s site and watched those interviews between “the two” Joe Kendas, make sure you do! They really are very Joe Kenda-ish.
carolyn says
I love ID & Homicide Hunter is one of my favorite shows! Not at all “cozy” but definitely interesting.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Carolyn, he certainly tells it like it is! You’re right: Not at all “cozy”!
Rebecca says
You said it so well, I can only add that it is my favorite show on ID. When Joe says, “my, my, my,” you know the case is solved.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Rebecca, the husband of one of my mom’s care providers is a deputy who knows people who used to know Joe Kenda. They have told him that what you see on TV is exactly what he’s like.
Rob says
Count me in ladies: I love this show and Kenda is as real and honest as they come. He really gets choked up when children and women are victims. I’ll be right on it when the new series starts but once in a while, they’ll air on Tuesday around 5 and 6 pm. I watch all the reruns and will be right there to watch the new season. I hadn’t seen the interview with Kenda and the young Kenda (Carl Marino) is an excellent actor. You also see the total dedication to giving the victim a voice and being no nonsense about catching the killer (s).
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Rob, it sounds like you’re a Joe Kenda fan! Be sure to take a look at those Kenda on Kenda interviews. They’re very short, but quite a bit of fun to watch.
Leslie says
Hi Rob. I absolutely cannot find the Kenda on Kenda interview. I’ve gone to the website, searched…
Would you please point me in the right direction. I would LOVE to see it. I am so happy Kenda is coming back.
Another GREAT true detective show is Cold Justice on Friday evenings. These ladies track down killers in real time and there will soon be a spin-off.
Thanks, I would appreciate the help,
Leslie
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Leslie, click on this link to see the
Kendaisms,
here’s the What are the Internets? interview,
and here is the “Will I be Rich?“
Rita says
Love, love, love this show along with a couple of others on Investigation Discovery.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Rita, it’s our favorite ID show . (I also watch Tamron Hall, Paula Zahn, and Aphrodite Jones.)
MaryGrace says
Homicide Hunter is my favorite show on ID purely because of Joe Kenda. Having an inside seat to the way he thinks and works a case is an enlightening look at a detective’s mind. Now I’m anxious to watch the “Joe on Joe” interview. Thanks for letting us know about it.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
MaryGrace, there are several “Joe on Joe” interviews. I just watched some of them again. They are terrific!
Lt. Joe Kenda – Kenda on Kenda – Kendaisms
Lt. Joe Kenda – Kenda on Kenda – What Are “The Internets”
Lt. Joe Kenda – Kenda on Kenda – Will I Be Rich?
(Unfortunately, they are now introduced by a 30 second ad that you can’t delete early. The same ad! Makes me want to never buy that product!)
MaryGrace says
Thanks, Danna. I’m anxious to check them a out!
Ann says
I don’t have cable but there is a channel called Escape in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area that you only seem to get with an antenna and it has something similar to this and also forensics programs.
Ann
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Ann, Escape sounds like a great channel. If they show Homicide Hunter on it, be sure to give it a try.
Vicki says
I’m another big fan of Joe Kenda & Homicide Hunter. So is my dad. One of my favorite catch-phrases is when he looks at the camera and says “Oh, really?” where he draws out the word “really”. I giggle every time.
So looking forward to the new season!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Vicki, I know exactly which “Oh, really?” you’re talking about. He’s a kick!
Janice M. says
My husband and I LOVE Detective Kenda and Homicide Hunter! His ‘catch-phrases’ are awesome and we find ourselves uttering his “my my my” or “Oh, really?” to each other whenever something pops up that we weren’t expecting.
That being said, we value that he is a voice for those who no longer have a voice, and that he sees things through to the end for each person he comes across in his work.
We’re so looking forward to the new season!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Janice M, it sure looks like a whole lot of us are looking forward to Homicide Hunter’s return. I remember one particular show about a little boy whose father was a total jerk-of-a-human being, and how choked up Joe Kenda got while talking to the camera. It was very touching.
Jeff Ryan says
I just found this site after googling articles about Mr. & Mrs. Murder, and then wandering around here.
I worked in law enforcement and the justice system for many years, and I’ve worked with a lot of detectives. And Joe Kenda reminds me of homicide detectives everywhere. Seriously, you could drop him in the middle of any urban police department, and he’d seem like he’d been there forever.
This show is very good, and Kenda is priceless.