New Seasons of PBS Mystery Start September 15

Van der Valk, Moonflower Murders & Ridley

I find myself often, even usually, reviewing in this space detective mysteries to be found on BritBox, an online streaming service of BBC and ITV. Many of their shows originally appeared in the U.S. on PBS. But as it became more profitable to stream their own shows, most disappeared from PBS (though some older episodes can pop up on local PBS stations). However, PBS seems to have made arrangements with BBC and ITV to coproduce some excellent shows that start their new seasons on PBS on September 15. You can watch them – Van der Valk, Ridley, Moonflower Murders – broadcast or via PBS Passport.

I reviewed Van der Valk previously (rating 5). It can be a bit gritty but Marc Warren plays Commissaris Piet van der Valk with majestic cool. The show is set in Amsterdam (which I visited this year and love looking for places I remember seeing). There was an earlier TV version of the books the series is based upon to which I give only a 4. The current version is sharp, fast moving and quirky, largely due to the great actors the series assembled. Warren plays Van der Valk as a constantly moving, silent predator constrained, however, by his strong commitment to right and wrong, if not always by police procedure. He heads a team of capable subordinates including his equally strong deputy Inspecteur Lucienne Hassell, played by Maimie McCoy. Hendrik Davie, a flamboyant police forensic pathologist played with great panache by Darrell D'Silva, is another standout. The new season will be the fourth. I’d say now a 5+.

I’ve noted Ridley before too. Adrian Dunbar plays this retired DI trying to get past a personal tragedy and called back to assist his former sergeant, now a DI herself. Thoughtful and observant but not entirely comfortable with being just a consultant, Ridley often seizes the lead role and doesn’t get along well with the DCI heading the team. He also co-owns a jazz bar and sings there at the end of episodes, quite soulfully too. The shows are intricately written and well acted. But as they have a bit too much backstory for me, I give the series just a 5-.

I’ve mentioned Magpie Murders but without much of a review. Based on a fictional detective story within a detective story written and adapted to TV by Anthony Horowitz, it uses the fictional detective to help the book’s editor to find the missing final chapter of the last book and the death of its author. Very clever. Horowitz can be counted on always to deliver great mysteries including Midsomer Murders and Foyles War. In this new season, the show becomes Moonflower Murders. I don’t know the plot but as it again is written by Horowitz, I can confidently give the series a 5.