If you’re in search of entertaining shows to binge-watch this first weekend of summer, I recommend checking out the series listed below. Lucy Lawless is captivating in the mystery show filmed in New Zealand, currently streaming on Acorn: My Life Is Murder.
Season 4 has arrived, and if you’re looking to catch up with the first three seasons, now’s the time before diving into the latest episodes of the acclaimed crime drama. Lucy Lawless returns as the tenacious private investigator Alexa Crowe, tackling eight new mysteries, exploring eight different worlds, and pursuing eight cunning killers. This season, Alexa is joined by her circle of friends and family: tech whiz Madison (Ebony Vagulans), café proprietor Reuben (Joe Naufahu), her brother Will (Martin Henderson), and Detective Harry (Rawiri Jobe).
With significant changes in her life, Alexa is ready to confront past demons and eagerly anticipates her future. More determined than ever, she’s set to unearth the deepest secrets and solve the most perplexing cases. The executive producers leading the series are Rachel Antony, Claire Tonkin, Lucy Lawless, Harriet Crampton, Nicky Davies Williams, Pilar Perez for DCD Rights, and Don Klees for Acorn TV.
Continuing the lineup is Harry Wild (Season 3): After two successful seasons on Acorn TV, the hit mystery series with Jane Seymour (The Kominsky Method, Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman) as both star and executive producer, returns for a third season. This season continues to follow Harriet “Harry” Wild, a retiring university literature professor at a pivotal point in her life.
The cast also sees the return of Rohan Nedd (Whitstable Pearl) as Fergus, her protégé turned partner; Kevin Ryan (Guilt, Copper) as Harry’s son, a senior police detective; Amy Huberman (Finding Joy, Striking Out) as Harry’s daughter-in-law; and includes Samantha Mumba (The Time Machine, Evolution), Paul Tylak (Kin), and Rose O’Neill.
Season three resumes with Fergus, under Harry’s guidance, challenging Paula’s custody claim over Liberty. Amidst their personal turmoil, Harry and Fergus tackle their most convoluted and dark cases to date. The season is penned by creators David Logan and Jo Spain, with Jane Seymour, Daniel March, Klaus Zimmermann, James Gibb, Morgan O’Sullivan, James Flynn, Catherine Mackin, and Bea Tammer as executive producers. Direction is by Robert Quinn and Emer Conroy.
Another standout is “Recipes For Love and Murder” (Season 2): The acclaimed Maria Doyle Kennedy (Outlander, Orphan Black) reprises her role as Tannie Maria, a recipe columnist turned advice columnist, who finds herself entangled in a murder investigation alongside rookie journalist Jessie September (Kylie Fisher). The second season continues from where the first concluded, with production returning to South Africa. Thierry Cassuto, the founder of Both Worlds Pictures, produces the series in partnership with Paris-based Paradoxa.
Continuing with the theme of delightful mysteries, we present “Under The Vines” (Season 3): Set in New Zealand, this comedy features Rebecca Gibney and Charles Edwards as city dwellers Daisy Monroe and Louis Oakley, who inherit a struggling vineyard. The show returns after six eventful months since the Oakley family was last seen. Eager to reclaim their status as the ‘sole’ mutual heirs of the Oakley estate, Daisy and Louis must collaborate to find a way to remove William. The executive producers are Rebecca Gibney, Richard Fletcher for Libertine Pictures, and Brendan Dahill for Perpetual Entertainment.
Last but not least, you’ll want to catch Whitstable Pearl (Season 3): The beloved British crime drama featuring Kerry Godliman (known from Ricky Gervais’ After Life) is back, with Godliman reprising her role as Pearl Nolan and Howard Charles returning as DCI Mike McGuire. Adapted from the acclaimed novels, this six-part series delves into the sinister underbelly of murder and vice hidden beneath the facade of the charming 16th-century English seaside town of Whitstable, renowned for its native oysters and the harsh winds and spray of the North Sea.
In this season, Pearl furthers her private detective agency, tackling a variety of new cases, including the re-examination of a notorious local cold case and the death of a celebrated food critic. The series is produced by Debbie Pisani, with Tony Wood and Richard Tulk-Hart serving as Executive Producers for Buccaneer, alongside Catherine Mackin and Bea Tammer for Acorn Media Enterprises (Acorn TV), and Øystein Karlsen, Mike Walden, and Julie Wassmer.
