An interesting experience. My first foray into Russian TV, experienced hardcore, and I'm quite enjoying it (Russian speaking - a completely new language for me - with English subtitles that are sometimes awkward and in need of editing). The period costumes are beautiful, the set seems to be a well used location that reuses buildings and interiors as various and different places, as the script dictates, so it gives the filming a low budget feel. The acting of the titled lead was a little rough at the beginning, but she quickly got better as the series progressed, and she simply exudes charm and youthful beauty that is quite captivating for all who encounter her. The supporting performances were solid if striking a bit of a comedic tone and at times is very stylized and melodramatic which is reminiscent of the parlour dramas of the period it is depicting. The premise of a young woman who speaks to the dead to solve crimes (the obsession with Spiritualism in the 19th Century is well documented) matched by a seasoned (and romantically attractive) detective who comes to similar conclusions by astute investigative procedures, is rather unique and I liked it. At the centre of these mysteries is a romance which very much pulls the work together. I had the honour of entering the information for TVDb and subsequently TRAKT (sorry, I had no artwork) which brought to my attention what a Herculean endeavour this series must have been to perform, produce and broadcast. There were 56 episodes in this first series, all done in 2016, and broadcast, every week, sometimes twice a week and once with three unique episodes in a single week! Compare that to British series that have 4 to 10 episodes a year, or American network series that have 24 episodes. It must have been a completely exhausting (which might explain my next statement). There is a rumour of a second season coming out in 2018 (November) which would be welcomed by it's fans as the 56th episode very much layed the groundwork for new directions and some resolutions (we hope). Let's hope Amazon Prime carries it! I give the series a 7 (good) out of 10, and look forward to more ANNA-DETEKTIV, even if it takes a week to binge, as it did for Season One. {Mystery Romance Spiritualism}
