For the crime obsessed...

Forgive the change of pace of this post.  I've been in a bit of a seasonal funk lately.  I promise to come out soon.  Meanwhile, I am going to share some awesome crime TV with you.  Yes, you read right - TV.

So, I have always been obsessed with murder, crime, police work, trials, and basically anything to do with criminal justice (or injustice as the case may be).  Naturally it would have made sense for me to go into this line of work.  Since, I am apparently not natural -  I didn't.  And now I live my life vicariously through television characters whose exciting lives are imbued with the criminal element.

If you are a "regular" you know that hubby and I live somewhere in the 80's technology-wise.  So, we have what's called Basic Cable.  This means basically (hence the name) that when the show is actually broadcast - you watch it.  Very simple.  There is no room-to-room TV, there is no DVR, there are no 5,000 channels.  There is just, simply, ABC, NBC, CBS, PBS, FOX, and a few nude women on the Spanish channels.  If you happen to turn the TV on and there is a show you want to watch on there - you sit on the couch and watch it.  I know that now-a-days shows can be watched on the laptop, but that is problematic.  If I couldn't watch it when it was on, how the hell am I supposed to be able to watch it later??? 

Thankfully, being the crime fanatic that I am this old-school TV has always worked out quite well for me.  I am happy to report that some of the best crime shows have been on the major channels.  Through the years I have been able to be a HUGE fan of: NYPD Blue, Cold Case, Criminal Minds, and, of course, ANYTHING Law & Order.  In more recent years I have also become fairly addicted to PBS Masterpiece Mystery (I will risk sounding very old and corny). 

So, that's what I love about TV.  Here's what I don't love about TV:  sit coms - in 29ish years I have found maybe two sit coms that I could watch, dramas - pretty much hate 'em, hospital shows - I have an irrational (although, sometimes quite rational) fear of hospitals so I never want to watch hospital dramas, reality TV (but, I have been known to watch Millionaire Matchmaker because I *might* love her no-nonsense potty mouth), and ALL CITY CSI's - HATE them all.

Now, what's the point?  The point is:  This season has SUCKED.  Elliott Stabler went away, Law & Order suddenly went CSI in their technology for solving crimes (more about that later), all the shows got rearranged, and there are a bunch of new shows that aren't worth a DAMN.  I have been forced to:  sit through an entire episode of Whitney (blech) without even a snicker, tolerate a finger identification that took less than five seconds on Law & Order, go to bed at 8:00, and read about 5 novels since the new season started.  I was just beginning to think there was no redemption when I stumbled upon Maria Bello in Prime Suspect. 

If you have not watched This Show and you are a crime fanatic - get busy and watch it.  It is fabulous.  It is based on the UK version (of course) starring Helen Mirren.  First of all, I am in love with Maria Bello.  She looks great while fighting crime, she has a potty mouth, she's sarcastic, she hates to cry, she thinks she sucks at love, and all her male co-workers are secretly (or not) hot for her.  What's not to love? 

Secondly, crimes are not solved in the high-tech world.  They are solved the old fashioned way (which I suspect is still The Way in Real Life) called Great Detective Work.  On last night's episode, it took three days to get results back on a fingerprint and that was about the time the killer had already made his secret not-so-secret by attempting to shoot everyone up.  The reason I hate CSI is because while it pretends to be true crime, it is mostly high-tech crime solving that I am not sure ever happens in the real world.  Seriously.  Did you know on the British crime shows the cops aren't even armed?  Love.  It. 

Thirdly, the rest of the acting is great and the story line is clean.  It's not a lot of senseless chatter and other story lines.  It's basically one crime and one crime solved - with brains.  And, a little hard drinking thrown in for good measure.  Remember alcoholic Andy from NYPD and how hard it was for him to go sober?  Who that loves true crime did not love that?  THAT was a real cop character.  And, that is what Prime Suspect reminds me of.

So, why the bitching about this season's line up?  Well, we are not in the UK apparently, and I cannot fall in love with American remakes of UK shows.  Because - the show will be cancelled.  Looks like it will be a winter of even more good books for me.  Crime lovers - catch it while you can.  Happy Watching!