The Brokenwood Mysteries

I like this show because it isn't the shoot 'em up, everyone is having an affair with someone on the Force type of show, like almost all US cop shows are nowadays.

Every other episode isn't about some terrorist plot (in fact none, so far).

It DOES bear comparing to Midsommer, in the sense that it doesn't take itself too seriously. Good mysteries, without the ridiculous twists and turns. I like the shows where at the end, you can say "yep, that's the bad guy, and looking back, it makes sense how they got there and why he/she did it"

I detest the ones where I end up instead with "WTF?"

It's better than the new Midsommer, with what's his face and what's his name, but I think not as good as the old Midsommers, and not up there with Lewis either. Much better than the old Morse though.

But I like it, and I'm a huge copper show fan (except US ones, though I live here).

Foyle, Lewis, Midsommer, Gently, Frost, Vera

I hope they keep it running. A unique setting, well acted, well written.

Some other reviews here have compared "The Brokenwood Mysteries" to "Midsomer Mysteries" and I agree there are similarities. Ultimately though, for a variety of reasons I find Brokenwood much more enjoyable. I've seen a lot of mystery series and read many (but not all) of the reviews here and am surprised none that I've read noted the most unique thing about Brokenwood that sets it apart from Midsomer and every other mystery series I've seen. While most other mystery series usually have one or two leading characters usually a Detective Inspector and his/her partner and a few other regular characters, such as a medical examiner, perhaps a spouse of the lead, etc., Brokenwood is the only series I've ever seen that has a whole host of recurring characters most of whom have nothing to do with Law Enforcement. Indeed, many start out as suspects in one episode and then show up in other episodes, sometimes as witnesses or suspects again in a different case, or for some other reason. The most notable is Frankie 'Frodo' Oades who is a suspect in his first appearance, then just happens to be closely involved in some others, even a suspect once or twice again. But there are lots of other. Jared, who is a suspect in the first episode, then helps Detectve Mike Shepherd start his grape growing enterprise and they become good friends. Or gay Reverend Greene, who is a suspect in two of the several episodes he appears in. Or Ray, the owner of the local watering hole, who for some unfathomable reason opens a Pizzeria, seemingly leaving his difficult sister to run the more profitable Bar. Then there's the town gossip, Mrs. Marlowe, whose information sometimes helps the detectives, sometimes leaves them perplexed. Perplexed is a good word to describe many of the detectives reactions to what they hear or see. This especially true of Fern Sutherland's Det. Sims. This just scratches the surface of the many recurring characters and suspects. Brokenwood must be very small town indeed.

For a mystery series this show is very lighthearted, but where else do the most hilarious lines come from the pathologist, in this case Russian Gina Kadinsky (played perfectly by American actress Cristina Serban Ionda) who has an unrequited crush on lead Detective Mike Shepherd. Neill Rea who plays oft married Shepherd anchors the show with a no-nonsense approach that belies the often quirkiness that surrounds him. I saw the first season on Prime's "shows to sample" last month (August 2022) and was so hooked I had to subscribe to Acorn to see the next seven seasons. I've now seen all the 36 episodes so far made (don't know iif they'll be more) and enjoyed them immensely. If you like British mysteries you/will probably love this New Zealand mystery series.

I enjoyed the first season of Brokenwood. No, it does not have big name actors, a big budget, heavy sex and swearing but it keeps your interest and is entertaining.

If you want all the hype, hoopla and jabberwocky of US based shows this is not for you.

I agree that some of the acting in the first episode was below par but it picked up in future episodes.

Some of it is hokey and there is also quite a bit of subtle humour from DI Mike Shepherd which can easily pass by the viewer. No, he is not suave, sophisticated and debonair but I like the character.

The episodes are up and down so you must be a patient viewer. In season 1 I enjoyed 2 of the 4 episodes. The first and last episodes in my opinion were below par.

I also liked the quirky country music in the background. It is a bit different from the norm.

I watched it on DVD so I could use the captions to help understand some of the kiwi accent (eg the "chicks" in the mail).

Try it out and see if you like the show. Don't try to compare it to some of the pommie shows just take it on its own merits.

POSTSCRIPT I am now into the third season of this series and each season is better than its predecessor. I have now upped my rating of the show to a 8.25 from a 7. The only real criticism I have about season 3 is the new background music they used. It is not as good as the music in the first two seasons.

Really enjoyed seeing a program in NZ that wasn't trying to portray either Auckland as "Little Sydney" all glam and international or South Auckland as "Little Harlem", for the 1.5mil that live in Auckland, there are stories from the other 3 million outside of the city.

The settings were real without LOTR CGI, the characters were not over the top, the stories had their twists and turns without relying on overnight DNA tests.

Similar to other cop shows, probably, different and standing on its own, yes it does that too.

Really though, how many police shows are all that unique nowadays anyway (CSI and NCIS franchises) or the formulaic UK shows: Two unusual surnames for the title, a male/female lead, one of the two has some disturbing past that troubles them.......doesn't make them bad watching.

It's perfectly fine to watch TV for entertainment and not to be educated or enlightened, that's what real life is for. Brokenwood does that from an NZ viewpoint with a bit of brain engagement and if you don't think this sort of thing happens, you haven't read the papers for 40 years.

I stumbled across this series just out of curiosity and for some exposure to New Zealand and its culture. What I got was a quirky light-hearted show that combines solving murder mysteries with a dose of humor, and none of the dark, disturbing plots and atmosphere that most shows today seem to favor.

Acting is excellent. I particularly love Gina and her interaction with Mike, and others. She steals the show with her one liners. It's also has a great format that introduces many recurring characters from previous episodes to truly give the feeling that you're watching stories that take place in a community, not just a series of unrelated stories that could take place anywhere.

As a foreign viewer, I don't recognize any of the actors. In most of these crime solving procedural shows I watch in the US, the murderer is always the guest star with the top billing, usually a recognizable face, and that spoils the mystery. In Brokenwood, it's more difficult to pick out the murderer, so extra entertaining for me.

It's nice to watch a wholesome show like this once in a while, without all the gun violence. And being a long-running show, you can be invested in it without being disappointed.

As Gina would say, in Russia, they would not like this show. They do not like humor. And not enough people die.