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Ron Miller's DARK CORRIDORS VOL. 5, No. 49 |
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On Television |
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MYSTERY SHOWS
"Murder in Suburbia" premieres Monday, Nov. 22, at 8 p.m. Eastern/Pacific on BBC America. The season premiere of "Waking the Dead" follows at 9 p.m. |
BBC America presents two
tough, modern crime shows
of TheColumnists.com
There are always those people who are trailblazers.
Superintendent Jane Tennison of "Prime Suspect" was
one. She was smart, she was tough, and she was a woman. And she
was a woman at a time when there were few--if any--women in positions
of authority at England's Metropolitan Police HQ. The top cop
jobs always went to someone in the old boys network.
Tennison changed all that and, in many ways, likely made things
easier on the force for the likes of Detective Inspector Kate
Ashurst (Caroline Katz) and Detective Sergeant Emma Scribbins
(Lisa Faulkner), the two crime-fighting women cops in the new
BBC America series "Murder in Suburbia."
"Ash" and "Scribbs"
are young, smart, and accepted by their male peers. Their beat
is solving crimes in the suburbs--the largely well-to-do suburbs
of large homes, large lawns, and wide streets--a place a million
miles away from Tennison’s gritty London.
In the first of six one-hour dramas, Ash and Scribbs are called
in to investigate when a wealthy young woman is found murdered
in her home. Suspects abound, including her fiance--and the owners
of a singles club frequented by the victim.
Unlike the more quietly intense Tennison, Ash and Scribbs interject
a bit of wry humor into the show--most of it centered around
their inability to meet any good men to date --and their curiosity
about their attractive boss’ love life.
But the humor doesn’t detract from their ability to hunt
down the woman’s killer and close the case.
"Murder in Suburbia"
is a crackerjack drama and a fine companion to a new season of
"Waking the Dead," which follows it on Monday nights.
If you are a fan of CBS’ "Cold Case," you’ll
love "Waking the Dead." This fine British drama focuses
on a diverse group of crime fighters: a police inspector, a psychologist,
a forensics specialists, and two detectives.
The first of six new episodes has the team investigating a series
of murders that occur over different decades but all have the
same key element: the victims’ skulls were nailed to the
floor. This is gritty stuff--and many scenes are not for the
faint of heart
--but it is great to watch as the team peels back layer after
layer of clues leading to a crackerjack ending. Don’t miss
it.
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Speaking of great television, the Emmy-winning "The
Amazing Race" returns Nov. 16 (9-11 p.m., a two-hour premiere)
for a sixth series of chills and thrills. As usual, 11 teams
race around the world--overcoming a series of often heart-stopping
challenges-- in a quest to win $1 million. This is the BEST reality
program on TV. Period.
©2004 by Donna J. Plesh. The photos are courtesy of BBC
America.
TELEVISION CRITIC DONNA J. PLESH is the former TV writer for the Orange County Register in California.
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