This is available in San Francisco on Comcast cable 198, usually every evening at 6:00 pm and repeated at 9:00 pm, for 90 minutes or so per episode. Sometimes there’s an hour show at 6:00 and the 90-minute show starts at 7:00. Everything is in the original language with subtitles, and here at least it’s commercial free (associated with a local PBS station).
Here are some of the shows I’ve watched:
Don Matteo (60 minutes) - Terence Stamp as an Italian priest who investigates crimes, usually not very serious ones. Cartoony fluff, but it can be fun to watch, and it got better after the first season.
Montalbano - A Sicilian police superintendent, his absentee blonde girlfriend, and his madcap colleagues. This was my first addiction, then it ran out of episodes. Now they’re showing episodes again, and it’s not as good the 2nd time. But I like the Montalbano character mostly (except for the over-the-top Sicilian emotionality), and I especially like his Inspector Fazio. Guy does all the work and gets none of the credit.
Young Montalbano - don’t waste your time; a shameless attempt to cash in on the popularity of Montalbano with a younger cast. Somehow, everything is 20 years earlier but still in the present day.
Commisario Brunetti mysteries - Set in Venice, but done all in German by a German cast and crew. Reportedly this is because the author, Donna Leon, insisted on a foreign production company because she was afraid of the Mafia getting involved. Anyway, aside from the annoying teenage children, I like this one a lot. Brunetti is unique for the normality in his life (not depressive, not divorced, not widowed, still in love with his wife, etc.). It’s fun to watch the actor who plays the clueless boss Patta.
Fog and Crimes - Another Italian police superintendent with a blonde girlfriend. This one is much quieter and more thoughtful, and I mostly liked it (except for the girlfriend). But the story arc ran out when he found out about his dead wife’s past, and it just seemed to stop.
Beck - Swedish police superintendent, divorced, with a snotty adult daughter. I liked this series; his chief assistant detective Gunvald is fascinating - a thug but a great intuitive detective. I watch this whenever it’s on.
Wallander - another Swedish policeman, divorced, and with a daughter. There have been two different casts for this, one with a fat blond guy, and one with a slimmer brown haired guy, who was I think supposed to be after taking better care of his health. Fairly routine otherwise. In the second version (slimmed down) his daughter joins the force and his detective team (!) and seems to be a much better detective than he is.
Maigret - this is my current favorite. Supposed to be late 40s early 50s in France. Very atmospheric, and I think perfectly captures the essence of Maigret’s character and “method” (which he claims not to have, but his method is just listening and not jumping to conclusions).
Blood of the Vine - modern day, southern France, the (non-police) detective is a professional wine expert. Lots of crime in wine country, I guess. Pretty good so far.
There are several other Italian policemen: one starting just at the end of WWII and transitioning into post-war; one that’s a buffoonish Dirty Harry character, and so on. I don’t watch these.
So is this channel available elsewhere in the country? Anyone watch it and any of these programs? What do you think?
Roddy