Tag: tv series

“Zorro” – TV Series Review

When I learned that Jean Dujardin, best known here for his Oscar-winning performance in THE ARTIST, was starring in a new series as the legendary masked hero of yore, I started salivating over the chance to screen this new version of “Zorro”. Most of the Zorro productions ever since the first film in the silent era have been written with some degree of levity. This eight-hour French miniseries offers some splendid moments, but winds up going astray. It also varies considerably in concept from all the other incarnations, and not to great advantage.

This Zorro is a middle-aged Don Diego in 1820s’ Los Angeles who hasn’t worn the costume for twenty years. He’s been married for 17, but neither his wife, Gabriella (Audrey Dana) nor his father Don Alejandro (Andre Sussolier) ever learned of his secret identity.  He’s now a rather mousy, naïve clerk who’s been working for his dad for over 40 years as a quill-pushing City Hall drudge. When pappy kicks the bucket, Don Diego becomes the new alcalde (mayor), only to learn that he gets less respect than Rodney Dangerfield. That’s the first disconnect. In almost every other version, Diego is smarter and cagier than everyone else, playing the fool or fop as part of his strategy to keep anyone from even thinking he could be the dashing rogue in black. This dufus is hard to reconcile with the skills and savvy he displays when he puts on the disguise from yesteryear for another round of anonymous heroics.

When acting as Zorro, Dujardin and/or his stunt double show all the panache and agility of the best of his predecessors, including the beaming smile during his flashy dispatchings of baddies. But he still remains clueless as his civilian self, as both a public official and as a husband. On the plus side, a couple of figures from the Disney TV series – which many of us likely consider the basis for all comparisons – are revived for this one. Mute aide Bernardo (Salvatore Ficarra), who only pretends to be deaf for gathering intel, is an asset. Comic foil Sgt. Garcia (Gregory Gadebois) who has been the biggest source of laughs in most versions since the Disney days, remains fat and incompetent, but a bit wiser from 20 more years on the job. Just a bit. In the beginning of Episode Three, he gets to shine in one of my favorite scenes from the whole enchilada.      

The casting is fine, and the action sequences are quite entertaining. Swordfights are quite unbloody, but highly acrobatic and mostly played for laughs. But the script from four credited writers is a huge disappointment. Some parts are fun – like Don Alejandro’s “ghost” popping up to chastise or annoy his son a bunch of times. But most of the plot makes little sense; the usual big, bad villains are not in the package. I won’t go into details, but Don Diego’s character arc may grow tiresome for you, as it did for me, stretching too little conflict, heroism and enlightenment over too much running time. The first four hours played better than most of the last four.

Perhaps my hopes were too high from loving THE ARTIST and enjoying some of Dujardin’s OSS117 James Bond spoofs. If you tone down your expectations from this caveat, you’ll likely be more satisfied. It’s obvious that the dude still has all his comedy chops intact, even in a vehicle that doesn’t deploy them to maximum advantage.

RATING: 2 out of 4 stars

“Zorro”, in French with subtitles, streams on MHz Choice June 30.

https://watch.mhzchoice.com/zorro

Jean Dujardin

“Adamsberg Mysteries” Season One TV Series Review

The two-part French telefilm, “Fred Vargas’ The Adamsberg Mysteries” (originally “Sur la dalle”) might either be a one-and-done, or the pilot for a series of procedural films featuring police detective Adamsberg (Yvan Attal). I hope it’s the latter.

The grizzled veteran is called to a town in Brittany by local top cop Mathieu (Olivier de Benoist) for help in solving some weird serial-style killings. They’d worked together before on a tough case, so the reunion was a likely step in the sleuthing for this new challenge. The village had been home to the famous Chateaubriand as its only claim to fame. Though the family no longer owned their ancestral chateau, the last descendant, Josselin (Micha Lescot), would ponce around town in period apparel, posturing as the viscount he would have been in earlier times, providing photo ops for the tourists, and tolerant amusement to the locals.

The town’s culture was suffused with a strange superstition. Stepping on someone’s shadow would spell their doom. Some believed it with religious fervor, forming a cult of acolytes. While our cops are on the case, multiple killings occur tastefully off-camera, pointing to an arcane motive and method. The eccentric Josselin is a prime suspect. So much so that he regularly asks the cops why they’re not arresting him. He seems naïve, simultaneously taking his stagey persona seriously and recognizing its folly. Several other locals emerge as likely suspects or victims. They add up to a colorful little batch of oddballs and customs.

When Adamsberg is summoned at the beginning, we see Corinne Masiero, oft-praised by this writer for her delightfully eccentric eponymous character in the long-running “Captain Marleau”series, as a team member who is supposed to go there with him. But she bows out, barely to be seen again. She’s replaced by lovely Virginie Ledoyen as a newcomer to the squad. One supposes she’s there for eye candy but as events unfold, she proves to have a number of surprising and valuable skills to contribute. In fact, if they don’t knock out more of these movies for Adamsberg, they should consider spinning her off to a film or series of her own.

The story is adapted by Emmanuel Carrere from a novel by Fred Vargas (hence the title in the imported version). The cast is full of interestingly crafted and diverse characters; the screenplay has a suitable number of twists and surprises for such dramas, with touches of levity along the way. Director Josee Dayan makes good use of the Brittany environs, and keeps things moving at a satisfying pace. Definitely an easy and worthy watch.

“Fred Vargas’ The Adamsberg Mysteries,” in French with English subtitles, streams on MHz Choice as of May 12, 2026.

Rating: 3 out of 4 stars

Louis-Do Lencquesaing

“Lex Africana” – TV Series Review

When I was given the opportunity to review a TV series that featured a guy who was an architect and martial artist, there was no way to pass up “Lex Africana”. In this French/Senegalese production, Seydina Balde, who also created and co-wrote the series, stars as Gabriel, the son of a widely respected doctor. He’d moved to Japan, staying estranged from his home and family for three years until his dad was killed in a car crash. The authorities rather summarily ruled it an accident, but Gabriel wasn’t buying it. His attempts to review the evidence and findings are staunchly resisted by the cops and courts. But he persists, as he must for there to be six hourlong episodes of story worth telling.

The series opens with a brutal scene of torture, then switches to Gabriel’s return. His sketchy cousin is his main ally, though he’s almost as much hindrance as help. Even his high-ranking uncle seems powerless to intervene. Our hero’s efforts navigate a pinball course of helpful discoveries and obstacles. The latter gives us reasons for two or three hand-to-hand clashes per episode, fighting one or more baddies in each. Like the Energizer Bunny, Gabe takes his lickings and keeps on ticking, usually giving more than he gets.  

Gabriel’s ex-girlfriend is now a lawyer living with a cop who may be more honorable than his colleagues. In need of work, Gabriel volunteers for an NGO that can use his architectural skills, while providing the series with a couple of worthy subplots. Balde’s scripts make Balde the actor a solid protagonist – dogged in his pursuit of the truth, and empathic with those who deserve it.

The fights are ample enough to pump some adrenaline, but the choreography leaves much to be desired. There’s not a lot of variety in those sequences.   He also blunders his way into more traps than we’d expect from a man with his intellect and skills. Several supporting characters are given leeway to add emotional depth and suspense, as their presentations may differ from the realities of who they are. Knowing who to trust is a dominant ongoing suspense element of the drama.

The season ends with resolution of most of the plotlines, but leaves room for further developments in Season 2, if the proverbial green light shines upon the producers. This aired in 2024, so there’s still time to regroup the troops. If it does, I’ll go back for another round.  

“Lex Africana”, in French, English and Wolof with subtitles, streams on MHz Choice on May 5.

RATING: 2 1/2 out of 4 stars

“Backwoods Crime” – TV Series Review

A scene from the Austrian TV series “Backwoods Crime.” on MHz Choice. Courtesy of MHz Choice

Some time ago, I reviewed ten mostly-unrelated tele-films from Austria, streaming on MHz Choice under the umbrella of “Backwoods Crime.” The casts, plots and locales are all different, just sharing the common thread of murders in the boondocks being handled in an intelligent, modest-action manner by whichever cops are called upon. All were worthwhile, to varying degrees. Not a lemon in the lot.

“Der Schutzengel” is the first of nine now being released for streaming under that heading. This one opens 12 years before its main action, with young Martin (Michael Steinocher) having his marriage proposal deflected by his girlfriend. She says they’re too young, but doesn’t fully close that door. We learn she disappeared shortly thereafter, with her whereabouts still unknown.

A dozen years later, Martin returns to that town as a police officer, planning to move into his old house with his new squeeze. But he starts having flashbacks to the unfinished business of that dangling proposal. Those mainly consist of the eye candy we get from Martin having recorded his then-topless intended, expecting a yes to be preserved for posterity.

Martin’s first case involves the long-term housemaid of the local gentry found dead in the pond where she regularly swam. It looks like an accident, but that wouldn’t give us 90 minutes of story line, would it? Once they determine it was murder, despite any apparent motives,questions arise as to whether it relates to that earlier disappearance, which has been gnawing at Martin ever since.

The case is overseen by Detective Paul Werner (Franz Karl), who methodically and calmly unravels the mystery(ies). There’s nothing glamorous about the process, but Karl’s low-key performance, balancing the sleuthing with sensitivity, is a pleasure to watch. He’s apparently played cops before, but this character deserves more chances to shine. Give the dude a real series, folks. Then be sure to send it along for streaming on our side of the pond.

The consistency of the quality throughout these ten gives good reason to expect more of the same from the other forthcoming nine.

That’s my last review for 2025. Happy New Year, everyone!

“Backwoods Crime: Der Schutzengel,” in German with English subtitles, streams on MHz Choice starting Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025.

RATING: 3 out of 4 stars

A scene from the Austrian TV series “Backwoods Crimes.” Courtesy of MHz Choice. Copyright: ORF/Mona Film/Tivoli Film/Helga Rader

“Tandem: Return to the Past” – TV Series Review

Astrid Veillon and Stéphane Blanca as Soler and Marchal (center), in the French TV series “Tandem: Return to the Past.” Courtesy of MHz Choice

“Tandem: Return to the Past” (“Retour vers le passe”) is a long-running light French police procedural that draws to an end after 85 episodes that aired from 2016-2024. I reviewed the first dozen or so long ago, and don’t feel I’ve missed a lot of character progression in the interim. The squad and families have remained largely intact. Ex-spouses and colleagues Lea (Astrid Veillon) and Paul (Stephane Blancafort), the lead cops in the series, are getting along well and are possibly on the verge of re-tying the old knot. Their son Thomas (Titouan Laporte) has also become an officer. Things are going smoothly all around.

Well, that changes dramatically when a floating body turns up in the nearby river, minus one arm. Lea and Paul are vacationing with the whole family in the boonies when they find what turns out to be the missing appendage – miles from the other remains – perched atop a cairn, imbuing it with even greater significance.

They soon learn that both parts of the stiff came from a woman who was Lea and Paul’s bestie at the academy 20 years earlier. She was believed to have committed suicide. But the way her remains were unearthed and arranged, followed by the corpse of one of their old instructors found lying in her open and recently-vacated grave, point to our protagonists being targeted to revisit the old case, since someone apparently has an ax to grind, and thinks they’re the ones to handle it. Or, they might even be getting targeted, in a more menacing sense of the word.

Events in this two-part episode move along at a good pace, with humor and a few subplots fleshing out the complete picture and moving all towards closure. The scenery is lovely, as are the old buildings featured in much of the action set in Montpellier and its surroundings in southeastern France. The cast is almost overrun with likable characters. Lea and Paul’s faces – especially when smiling – radiate warmth and sincerity that works well with colleagues, witnesses and suspects.

I’m sure all who saw the previous 84 will feel as if they’re saying goodbye to old friends. I’ll probably go back and catch the ones I’ve missed. (Since writing this, I already have watched most of them; good stuff continued in the interim.)

No more coming without spoilers. Suffice it to report that all wraps up in a satisfactory manner, with no cliffhangers or unanswered questions.

“Tandem: Return to the Past” (originally “Retour vers le passe”), in French with English subtitles, begins streaming MHz Choice on Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025.

Stephane BLANCAFORT (Paul Marchal), and Astrid VEILLON (Lea Soler), in the French TV series “In Tandem: Return to the Past.” Courtesy of MHz Choice

“Riviere-Perdue” Season 1 – TV series review

A scene from French TV crime series “Riviere-Perdue.” Courtesy of MHz Choice

The six-episode police procedural miniseries from France, “Riviere-Perdue,” covers a related series of crimes in six 52-minute episodes. Its tone is more somber than most of the European TV fare I’ve reviewed – almost Nordic in tenor. But the setting is a village nestled in lush mountain greenery that makes it a visual treat, including all the standard driving transition scenes with overhead shots well above average on the beauty scale.

The star is Captain Alix Berg (Barbara Cabrita) who specializes in juvenile cases. She and an older homicide colleague, Commissaire Balthus (Jean-Michel Tinivelli), come to the eponymous town because two 11-year-old girls, Anna (Charlotte Lacoste) and Lucie (Camille Petit), went missing five years earlier, but staunch public pressure to find them endures. Their parents aren’t wealthy, and no ransoms were demanded, making some sort of perversion or trafficking most likely.

Ferrer (Nicolas Gob), the local lead cop, is still kicking himself for not realizing there had been a crime from the get-go, possibly making the recovery harder than it became. There’s a lot of anger and suspicion among the two families and others who may have been involved. The whole town is up in arms about the lack of resolution. The upside for viewers is that quite a few cast members get to display a wide range of their dramatic chops.

Some new evidence leads to the suspicion that an abduction from seven years before this one might have been done by the same perp or perps. Anna is rescued by a trucker in the early going but says little about her five years in captivity, including how much of the time she was with Lucie. Some of that may be due to emotional trauma and a head injury, but she also seems more secretive that she should be – especially since Lucie’s whereabouts remain unknown. Most of the running time centers around the search for Lucie, as the three detectives ricochet among a number of suspects, pursuing each clue that pops up regarding the old and new cases.

MHz Choice subscribers may recognize Gob from the light mystery series “The Art of Crime,” and Bruno Debrandt from the episodic procedural drama “The Traveller.” I’ve enjoyed both series, as my reviews of them reflect. This one is more serious and mystifying than those others. That’s partly due to the nature of the crimes running through the season, and all the dicey reactions and shifting relations among the principals that ebb and flow at a high and often extreme rate. As usual, there’s no nudity and relatively little on-screen violence. Beyond that, the less you know of the details, the more you’ll savor the suspense and its handful of plot twists.

“Riviere-Perdue” Season 1, mostly in French with English subtitles, is available via on MHz Choice starting Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025.

RATING: 2 out of 4 stars

Barbara CABRITA (as Alix Berg) Nicolas GOB (as Victor Ferrer) Cyril GUEI (as Marc Vidal), in a scene from the French TV series “Riviere-Perdue.” Courtesy of MHz Choice

“Something Undone” Season One – TV Series Review

Michael Musi as Farid and Madison Walsh as Jo, in the Canadian crime drama TV series “Something Undone.” Courtesy of MHz Choice.

The crime drama from Canadian TV, “Something Undone” starts with an unusual premise. Farid and Jo (Michael Musi, Madison Walsh, who were also co-writers of the series), a pair of true-crime pod-casters come across a 30-year-old sensational murder in a small Newfoundland town in the house of a family of five, with Satanic-type symbols scrawled on its walls.

The case was closed on the decision that the father killed his wife, kids and self. But Farid and Jo suspect that’s not the whole story. Farid goes to the town and is met with hostility (and more) at every turn. Few are willing to answer his questions. The police chief takes a “nothing to see here” approach, claiming the old file can’t even be found.

Meanwhile, Jo is obsessing over her own personal history and issues. She’s on medications for mental health problems including alcohol abuse, and digs deeply into the suicides of her mother and granny for answers to her own fragile psychological state. She and Farid are at odds over the value of her treatment and the dangers of her drinking, further complicating both of their efforts. The action alternates between the two, linked by their erratic attempts at communication.

Farid concludes the heinous crime had been whitewashed, unfairly pinning the blame on the father. He learns there were similar killings in the area around the same time that were never solved. The town depended heavily on tourism, and didn’t want visitors to be deterred by any perceived dangers. Dredging up the old story is seen as a new threat to that part of its economic base by most of the locals. An unseen hand appears to be keeping a lid on the facts, and punishing anyone who provides information to the journalist.

The story stays suspenseful throughout its 10 hour-long episodes, but empathy for the protagonists is hard to maintain. As Farid and Jo clash and fail to support each other’s burdens, they grow more annoying than sympathetic. One saving grace is the excellent performance by Billy Campbell as a local religious do-gooder with a questionable past.

Those of us who crave closure should consider this caveat. The series aired in 2023. Though there aren’t big cliffhangers, it leaves dangling plot points most would want resolved. As of this writing, it’s unknown if a second season or follow-up tele-film are in the works. I hope either will come to pass.

“Something Undone” Season One begins streaming MHz Choice on Tuesday, July 8, 2025.

RATING: 2 out of 4 stars

Madison Walsh as Jo in the Canadian crime drama series “Something Undone.” Courtesy of MHzChoice

“Mafia” – TV Series Review

A scene from the Swedish TV crime series “Mafia.” Courtesy of ViaPlay

The crime drama “Mafia” (originally “Maffia”) from Sweden is a bit atypical in its focus. Covering a period from 1991-1999, it’s mainly about Yugoslavian gangs in Sweden smuggling tax-dodging cigarettes for unimaginable profits. The timing is key, since there were Serbian and Croatian factions in conflict over not only turf and profits, but the beginnings and continuation of the war between the two back home. Both involved sides relied heavily on their cut of the multi-millions of smuggling revenue to fund the fighting.

The main character is Croatian Jakov (Peshang Rad) who is the shrewdest member of either gang, trying to maximize profits while minimizing violence and risks. The other two leaders are his “brother from another mother” Goran (Nemanja Stojanovic) who is more impulsive, and Drago (Cedomir Djordjevic) who is a reckless bully. The other two have more physicality and charisma than Jakov (think of Tim Roth vs. Jeff Fahey and Vinnie Jones), making them the ones others will follow, and whom Jakov always has to wheedle into patiently pursuing a wiser course of action. He’s the only one who sees the big picture and understands how to fly under the radar and play the long game.

They butt heads with a larger gang headed by the utterly ruthless Serbian Zlatko (Miodrag Stojanovic, who looks like James Carville in a perpetually foul mood). The maneuvers and shifting alliances among them and others make for a lot of dramatic tension and periodic violence. Those relations are further complicated by the involvement of the cops, headed by Gunn (Katia Winter) whose cooperation with Jakov as the lesser evil of the lot is tenuous, at best. Is she using him to limit the smuggling and body count, or is he using her to unseat the others? Or both? Will she wind up appreciating his relatively low-key approach to the racket or jailing him?

The six 45-minute episodes each cover different years in the decade, as events in Sweden and back home unfold. There are a lot of moving pieces to follow and several compelling side relationships keeping the tenor more human and less geopolitical. I frequently complain that such seasons and miniseries from The Continent run 8-10 episodes when six would be sufficient. This one proves my point, as there’s little fat in the package that lesser producers might have milked for more running (and commercial-selling) time. Performances are excellent all around. The pace and scope of action are above average for such fare. I’m not exactly thrilled with aspects of how the season ends, but the product was engaging enough to make me hope for further developments in the lives of the surviving players.

“Mafia,” in Swedish and Serbo-Croatian with English subtitles, streams on ViaPlay starting June 19, 2025.

RATING: 3 out of 4 stars

“Chaos” – TV Series Review

A scene from Danish TV series CHAOS. Courtesy of Viaplay

The Danish dramedy ”Chaos” (originally “Kaos”) offers a change of pace from the murder and crime fare I’ve been mainly covering. The title refers to a few elements of upheaval in the lives of spouses Lise (Katrine Greis-Rosenthal) and Martin (Hadi Ka-Koush). They’ve been hosting a popular morning TV talk show for a decade. But new management wants a younger demographic and gives their show the axe. Lise wheedles the incoming boss into granting them a month to generate a big upswing in total viewers, with emphasis on a high percentage of those treasured 18 – 24 year-old eyeballs.

The setup seems perfect for a satire on the TV industry, how decisions are made and how they affect everyone involved on both sides of the screen. But they don’t keep primary focus there. Lise’s desperate scramble for new ideas to reach those market-share goals is enmeshed with parental issues and marital discord, including the temptation of a potential new lover. The dark humor of the lengths they go to in trying to meet the deadline is unfortunately diluted by melodrama – some of which makes little sense, in context.

Lise is ambitious and zealous in trying new ideas that might preserve her turf, but not the virago of other TV personalities like Nicole Kidman’s deceptively devious character in 1995’s TO DIE FOR. 

Katrine’s performance is admirable, considering the multiple facets of a persona she has to portray. The proceedings are boosted by several supporting players – notably Silje Havmoller Schmidt as Sarah, her  bright, loyal intern;  and Andreas Jebro’s increasingly panicked turn as the show’s producer, Mads. The plot provides a basis for many fine visuals and good use of some lovely exterior settings.

Regular readers know of my distaste for cliffhangers. These eight half-hour episodes end with some degree of closure, but dangle a big question for a possible second season. Since it aired in Denmark only last year, that’s a possibility. I was engaged enough to be curious about if and how the story continues.

CHAOS, in Danish with English subtitles, debuts streaming on Viaplay on Thursday, May 22, 2025.

RATING: 2 out of 4 stars

“Makari” Season 3 – TV series review

A scene from the Italian light murder mystery series “Makari.” Courtesy of MHz Choice

It’s been almost two years since I reviewed the earlier seasons of this light, charming Italian murder mystery series, “Makari,” set in sunny Sicily. I encourage you to read the prior reviews to refresh your memory (as did I), to better understand the players and relationships for this third season. Here’s the link to that review: https://www.wearemoviegeeks.com/2023/07/makari-season-2-tv-series-review/.

This round includes four separate cases, with some significant story arcs running throughout. The episodes are a bit longer than before – each about 2 hours – but the light tenor of the series continues. Peppe helps Saverio with everything, while providing the rest of us with the comic relief of his clumsy, overly-friendly puppy personality.

This year, Saverio is enjoying some success as a novelist, leading to his being offered a guest teaching position at a nearby school. The students couldn’t possibly be less interested in books at the start. But he, of course, wins them over. Suleima has completed her architecture studies and is working on a project for Saverio in their eponymous village of Makari. Their blissful co-habitation is threatened when an old beau of hers, Guilio (Eugenio Franceschini), suddenly appears with a sob story of failed romance that makes him turn to his former best friend for solace. He becomes a thorn in Saverio’s side throughout the season, as ulterior motives emerge.

In the first episode, Saverio is asked for help from an old girlfriend who is being sued by another of his exes; one of their husbands is killed, making the other’s a prime suspect. Suleima becomes suspicious that one or both of the women might still have the hots for her guy. In the second, the restoration of a nearby village leads to sharply divided factions among the locals on its direction; one side demands emphasis on historical purity; the other wants to create more of an active arts center. That results in one of the leaders gettin’ hisself kilt. Also, it starts to appear as if the foxy teacher Michela (Serena Iansiti) who recommended Saverio to the school may have more intimate aspirations.

The third is both the funniest and most irritating of the lot, as Suleima’s parents arrive unexpectedly to also stay in their house. Her overbearing dad still thinks of Giulio as the son he never had, and the son-in-law he should have had, fawning over him endlessly, while criticizing and nitpicking at everything about Saverio. That drags on alongside a vendor’s murder at a major book festival. The last episode takes place at a swanky spa that may not be the miraculous new-age health and healing operation that it purports to be. Naturally, while our little crew of protagonists is there, a doctor turns up dead. As has happened several times in the series, Saverio first has to convince the cops that it wasn’t an accident before working towards a solution.

As before, the series thrives on Saverio’s easygoing charm and Peppe’s levity, plus the rocky course of his love for Suleima. The mystery element continues to remain well-written, maintaining suspense throughout each. No need to binge, but watch them in order to follow the course of several relationships. By the end, you’ll likely join me in hoping for a fourth season.

“Makari” Season Three, mostly in Italian with English subtitles, begins streaming on MHz Choice on Tuesday, May 20, 2025.

RATING: 3 out of 4 stars