Beck
Do you fancy something slightly more hard-boiled than the traditional twee British murder mysteries, but slightly less confronting than the more contemporary crime dramas? Perhaps you're hankering for a crime drama where the crime plots are well-crafted but the regular characters are familiar enough to provide a sense of comfort.
If so, then Beck is for you.
Martin Beck is a Swedish detective. He is aided in his crime-cracking pursuits by Gunvald Larsson: a highly capable but hot-headed sidekick. After the first couple of instalments (and following the departure of a female colleague who finds Larsson's volatility a little too tough to handle), they are joined by another female colleague. The quartet, of sorts, is completed by Beck's superior, another woman, with an admirable no-nonsense approach to management.
This release contains four feature-length episodes - TV films, of sorts. The longer format allows for more intricate storylines, with just the right amount of character-driven sub-plots.
Martin Beck is wonderful at his job, and a very likeable man, There's no doubt his slightly older age brings with it considerable wisdom, but it's his offsider, Gunvald, who often steals the limelight, with his fiery termperament and sardonic lines.
There are so many high quality productions coming out of Scandanavia. Beck is no exception. It's immensely satisfying crime drama.