Irish Blood

Scenery is great. Wish there was more of Jason O'Meara. (Reboot "Life on Mars"- Irish Edition, please!) The policewoman is hilarious. Only seen the first two episodes - am hoping it gets better.

The dynamics between Silverstone and her new-found family could be intriguing - am looking forward to the third episode.

I'll admit it-I was skeptical. I'm not usually an Acorn Channel devotee (their shows sometimes feel like the "comfort food" aisle of TV). But three episodes into Irish Blood, I'm eating my words.

First of all, it's just flat-out beautiful to see Alicia Silverstone on television. She's always been a movie star in my mind, but here she slips into a series role with this witty, intellectual innocence that somehow carries just the right amount of power. It's intriguing, a little mysterious, and it makes you lean in.

The show itself? Gorgeous. The scenery and cinematography are so thoughtfully done and every frame feels deliberate, like the setting is a character of its own. And the characters are worth watching. The way they interact is layered, subtle, and unfolding in a way that keeps me engaged without being heavy-handed.

It's the kind of series you can sink into: relaxing, engaging, and filled with the sort of clever little details that make you want to hit "next episode." Honestly, it's just plain fun to watch someone you grew up seeing on the big screen reinvent herself in a way that feels fresh and unique.

Bottom line: skeptical me is now invested me. This is a definite watch.

Ok. I really was not expecting much. To be honest I was expecting to turn it off within 15 minutes. But now I can't wait for the 3rd episode.

The acting is solid enough and the characters are fairly plausible as the character development is moving along.

I think the genre is a bit confused on whether or not it is a drama, a thriller, a comedy or a whodunit. But as long as you go into this movie with not a lot of expectations, I'm pretty sure most people will find this series enjoyable enough to watch to the end.

This is one for hard-core TV mystery fans only - by which I mean those who will watch just about anything, even clerical detectives. The star of Iris Blood is Alicia Silverstone - who now looks a bit like Kathleen Turner in middle-age - but the plot is more Cluedo than Clueless. It's a color-by-numbers mystery, with underwritten characters and an uninspired plot. And it's only partially redeemed by the Irish setting, which is under-utilised and undermined by every Oirish cliche you can imagine. It also has to be said that Silverstone, who gave one of the greatest comic turns ever captured on film in Clueless, is a clumsy presence here, most particularly in the would-be comic moments. But there the script bears at least 50% of the blame. I persevered for the first two episodes, but no more.

I almost didn't watch this because of the lacklustre reviews, which would have been a shame.

It's easy to watch and interesting without being overly complicated. It's funny in an understated way rather than a zingy one-liner kind of way. The acting styles are natural and not American over-the-top. It's not as grey, bleak and gritty than the trailers made it look, they didn't do it justice. There are some unrealistic plot points so I got in my shouting-at-the-TV quota.

This is the only thing I've seen Alicia Silverstone in since Clueless and she's natural, warm, and still completely adorable.

I'm always looking for the next mystery drama to fill my time, many end up being forgettable and flat, but this is one of the better ones.