What is it? Mr. & Mrs. Murder, Season 1, 13 episodes on four discs from Acorn Media
When? Now
How much? $59.99
A married couple who commit murders? No. They clean up after them.
In this Australian mystery series, Charlie and Nicola Buchanan (Shaun Micallef and Kat Stewart) run a cleaning service for crime scenes. They’re the people who are called in after the CSIs and police have finished gathering the evidence they need. They mop up the blood, sanitize the floors and occasionally stumble across something the police have overlooked.
It’s a perfect job for them, really, because while they’re good at cleaning, they’re also quite good at solving murders. Nic’s intuition and Charlie’s encyclopedic collection of random facts, combined with their enthusiasm for detective work make them a formidable team.
Nic’s friend (and the bane of Charlie’s existence), Detective Peter Vinetti (Jonny Pasvolsky) is usually happy to send work their way, especially since he tends to get the credit for the crimes they solve.
To lend an extra hand, Nic and Charlie regularly recruit their niece Jess (Lucy Honigman), a student working on her master’s in business administration who lives with them but who’s not nearly as enthusiastic about getting mixed up in murders.
Through gut feelings and keen observation, they solve the murders of: a national hero/self-help guru in a swank hotel, a polarizing fashion designer killed during his runway show, a chef murdered in his restaurant kitchen.
Is it good? That depends. Those looking for deep, twisted, complicated mysteries that expose the dark underbelly of human nature and take themselves very seriously will be disappointed.
This is light-hearted, cheerful murder at its best, with the tone set by the two main characters.
While the deaths aren’t exactly taken lightly, there’s not a lot of sturm and drang. Nic and Charlie are as giddy as children when they get the chance to follow a suspect or witness an arrest.
There’s not much drama in their personal lives either. These are two people who genuinely love their job, their hobby and each other and are having a great time. Peter may have a bit of a crush on Nic, but he’s seen as an annoyance, not a threat. Stewart and Micallef (who have worked together before), have great chemistry and make their happy relationship believable without being sickly sweet. It’s refreshing, really. The only drama that comes their way is the occasional close call with a bad guy.
The plots are a bit formulaic. The Buchanans clean and uncover evidence the police have overlooked. The police zero in on a suspect. Nic is convinced they’ve got the wrong person. The Buchanans nab the villain. Repeat. But unless one is looking for high drama, the light touch and the cast chemistry make for a cozy and entertaining, if not particularly thought-provoking, viewing experience.
Are there extras? There are a few very short bits talking with the cast and creators, but nothing earth-shattering or particularly informative.
New this week: Broadchurch, Season 1; I Dream of Jeannie, Seasons 1 and 2; NewsRadio, Seasons 1 and 2; Psych, Season 8; T.J. Hooker, Seasons 1 and 2.
Next week: The Big Valley, Season 2; Cracked, Season 1; Mayberry R.F.D., Season 1.
Style, Pages 50 on 03/30/2014