kgord-95556
I've read some of the negative press and from my perspective, i like the characters, the acting, script writing, settings and the various mysteries. There are several comparable series which take themselves far more seriously than they should and to criticize the writing as hokey, or the lead as overly idiosyncratic is forgetting that the series is upbeat and good fun.
levitt-97156
I too love midsomer murders,but I discovered this show a while ago and think its brilliant,good plots,good ,quirky charactors,its a shame like midsomer,they don't make more each year.you can sit down and watch it in one 2 hour sitting.great stuff.in my opinion bbc and itv in the uk have it all wrong,because the schedules are clogged up with awful soaps nowadays,2 hour programmes don't seem to be able to be fitted in,so you get this terrible planning of programmes split into 1 hour and spread over sometimes weeks before you get a conclusion.anyway back to brokenwood,great show,hope theres many more to come.
daggersineyes
Good lord I'm glad I didn't read that one horrible review before giving this show a chance. I really can't work out why that person has such a bee in their bonnet (using polite language there LOL) over what is really a very nicely put together series that has many great qualities. It certainly does not deserve the pasting that person gave it, or that ridiculously low rating. Their "review" feels like there's some grudge or sour grapes going on that are nothing to do with the quality of the show.Anyway, no it's not a riveting intense drama with horrific forensic details, or sordid tales of police corruption and what not. It's a light crime series with an emphasis on small town characters & unique kiwi lifestyle. I'd liken it more to that show about the cop in Scotland (cant remember the name off hand) or possibly a little like Heartbeat rather than comparing it to Midsommer murders or - heaven forbid!! the appalling Murder She wrote! It's not going to win any drama awards and it has a few issues with some of the minor actors and occasionally awkward scripting, but this is fun and interesting and worth the price of admission (ie free) even if only for the talents of Pana Hema Taylor.
jax713
The Brokenwood Mysteries let me down. I was looking forward to some original story lines, some coverage of New Zealand's culture and scenery, and some memorable characters and acting. I was disappointed on all counts. This is a series relying on weak replications of the hallmarks of other more famous and well done crime shows. For example, the lead detective is a rumpled, mumbling investigator whose personal tastes are all in the past tense, a sloppier caricature of Columbo minus the incisive observations. Mike Shepherd always looks like he's just come off a 3-day binge of some kind and that he found more than one woman to marry him is a head scratcher. He needs a bath and isn't charming enough to sport the stubble beard. I was glad the DVDs have subtitles in English and I'm not hard of hearing. Obviously, the production company did not consider export to other English-speaking countries.So far, the plots are very weak in Series 1; there really has not been a motive good enough or twisted enough to explain the killings. The red herrings are also weak and you can spot them a mile away.The most annoying aspect of the show is the incessant play of country music lyrics during the scene segue moments, lyrics that have nothing to do with the action and which are monumentally distracting. I tired of them in the first 10 minutes, much the same way I tired of the intense use of classical music in Endeavor. Because I had subtitles turned on, I eventually started muting the sound whenever they started. IMO, scoring should not be so dominant in a TV show and lyrics are particularly intrusive. I doubt that I will continue to follow this series.
AD
