The Coroner

The Coroner is one of those lightweight but entertaining mystery/crime dramas the UK excels at.

Reminiscent of series such as Midsomer Murders, this mystery/crime drama taps into the notion of "polite crime", made famous by authors such as Agatha Christie and Arthur Conan Doyle.

Death is done "nicely" with socially respectable people going about their "who dunnit" business of solving crime in a picturesque seaside town. The main lead is a latter day Sherlock Holmes, a coroner who, with the help of her local police counterpart (with whom she shares an almost romantic connection) uncover the causes of deaths bought to her attention.

As is almost always the case with UK series of this kind, the acting is right on the mark. The characters are convincing, if a little clichéd, and carry their respective roles well. I have enjoyed The Coroner so far and plan to keep on watching. Seven out of ten from me.

I accepted that it was lightweight in the first series but it was quite enjoyable and the Jane/Davey potential relationship added some spice to the plain cooking.

The second series is not as good and the story lines are pretty banal in the main and nothing is fleshed out to a believable conclusion. In one episode people are murdered for performing their jobs as sea rescue volunteers. Found that a bit far-fetched. The beautiful scenery of Devon was the saviour and Claire Goose is always worth watching.

I believe the series has been cancelled and I can understand that.

Nice detective type story, but this time as the title indicates the investigation is led by the Coroner Jane Kennedy (Claire Goose) although she does work closely with local police in the person of Detective Sergeant Davey Higgins (Matt Bardock).

Jane has just recently returned to her childhood home from London with her 15 year old daughter Beth, and in her role as coroner investigates violent or unexplained deaths to determine the cause. Through these investigations she has become reacquainted with Davey her now married childhood sweetheart. Rounding out the regular cast is Jane's mother Judith with whom Jane and Beth are currently living, Judith's boyfriend Mick who runs the local pub and Clint who is Jane's assistant.

This episodes are primarily about the investigation but there is also time given to family dynamics and usually some humor, the episodes run about 45 minutes each. It's a nice group of characters, the investigations are usually interesting, and the cause of death is not always murder. The series ran for two ten episode seasons.

Another strength of the series is the beautiful backdrops of the South Devon coastal locations.

I really enjoyed the Coroner which was shown here in Australia in the evening 7.30pm on Saturday. I thought it well written with a mixture of seriousness and light-hearted fun. The scenery was stunning and made one want to visit Britain. Inside many ageing women there is a Judith just aching to come out! Jane's expression towards her mother reminded me of my own daughter's expression towards me. Davey tells a great story with his eyes and smile. I like that it is inter - generational. Great cast , great acting, great story lines and great scenery. I would really love to see a Season 3

good entertaining show,really deserves an evening spot,good plots,nice scenery ,good acting.I've now just heard its been been cancelled.in the words of bbc spokesman ,to make room for new afternoon programmes.probably another dreary soap or cheapo reality drivel.bbc needs a shake up.the coroner was only on 10 afternoons a year.yet rubbish like the doctors and EastEnders are on 5 or more times a week,all year round,droning on and on.why aren't these entertainment free programmes axed.