What is it? Detectorists, Season 1, six half-hour episodes on one disc from Acorn Media
How much? $39.99
When? Now
What's a detectorist? A detectorist is one whose hobby is using a metal detector to hunt for artifacts and treasure.
In this specific case, they are Lance (Toby Jones) and Andy (Mackenzie Crook, who also wrote and directed the series), two friends who've bonded over their mutual hobby in rural east England.
Lance is a forklift operator who occasionally dabbles in music and is still hung up on his kooky ex-wife (Lucy Benjamin), even though she has very obviously moved on with a Pizza Hut employee (Adam Riches).
Andy is a bit more grounded in reality than Lance, but still consumed with the never-ending search. He does odd jobs for a temp agency while also hoping to become an archaeologist. His girlfriend, Becky (Rachael Stirling), an elementary school teacher, is semi-supportive at best. She doesn't understand his hobby or his need to spend so much time with Lance.
They spend that time out in the fields of rural England, looking down at the ground, swapping stories and occasionally digging up nails, buttons and toy cars. The dream of scoring that one big find remains elusive, but they keep hunting.
They're not the only ones. They're members of the Danebury Metal Detecting Club, which is proud to have had nearly three years with no fatalities. It's a small club, but a dedicated one, with regular meetings and lectures presided over by retired policeman Terry (Gerard Horan). When Lance and Andy meet up with a young ancient history student from the local university (Aimee-Ffion Edwards), they quickly draw her into the fold, but she causes some complications.
The DMDC has competition from the Antiquisearchers (Simon Farnaby and Paul Casar), their unscrupulous rivals in treasure hunting.
The rivalry becomes more intense when Lance and Andy's research leads them to believe that a fabled Saxon hoard of gold may be buried on the land of Larry Bishop (David Sterne). Bishop is a little scary and a lot insane (he alternates between charming, lucid conversation and calling to his invisible dogs) but he gives Lance and Andy permission to detect on his property -- where he may or may not have buried his wife, whom he may or may not have murdered years before.
Sounds strange. It is, in a way. But it's also very funny (in a dry, English sort of way) and even rather sweet at times.
For all their eccentricities, these are not caricatures. Somehow, the writing, direction and acting manage to keep the stories and characters grounded so they come across as real people. Real people with an unusual hobby.
It won the British Academy of Film and Television Arts award for Best Scripted Comedy so that should give some idea of how well-made and engrossing the series is.
Are there extras? One 24-minute making-of featurette with the cast and crew.
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Style on 09/20/2015