# Recommend some good quirky/funny/detective/cop shows on BritBox **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** tv-shows-scripted\ **Created:** [July 8, 2021, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-good-quirky-funny-detective-cop-shows-on-britbox/946013 "2021-07-08T19:28:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mordecaiB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mordecaib/32/7725_2.png) [@mordecaiB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mordecaiB)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2021, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-good-quirky-funny-detective-cop-shows-on-britbox/946013/1 "2021-07-08T19:28:47Z")
My wife and I have very different tastes in movies and tv shows. About the only thing we watch together are UK, Australian, New Zealand lightweight mystery shows. We had Acorn for the last couple of years, which had loads of stuff we could watch, but it was getting harder to find new stuff so we dropped it and switched to BritBox starting today. I already know the first show we will watch, Season 9 of Death In Paradise. We loved the seasons with the proper British cop, liked the seasons with the goofy British cop, but we got bored quickly with the third cop and his daughter. I’m not even sure we finished watching the shows with him. It looks like this last season may have a new guy so we are looking forward to it. Any shows that are easy to watch mysteries that don’t take themselves too seriously, even cozy shows where the crime solver is a baker or a tea shop owner etc. Any suggestions would be appreciated. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2021, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-good-quirky-funny-detective-cop-shows-on-britbox/946013/2 "2021-07-08T19:38:27Z")
Look for the 12 seasons of New Tricks > **[New Tricks](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Tricks)** > > New Tricks is a British television police procedural comedy drama, created by Nigel McCrery and Roy Mitchell, produced primarily by Wall to Wall (until its final year, when it was handled by Headstrong Pictures), and broadcast on BBC One. The programme originally began with a pilot episode on 27 March 2003, before a full series was commissioned for 1 April 2004; New Tricks concluded after twelve series on 6 October 2015. The show utilises an ensemble cast, of which Dennis Waterman was the only... Episodes are self contained and also Police Procedural with a fair amount of _humour_. It is well done. > The series focuses on the work of the Unsolved Crime and Open Case Squad (UCOS) – a fictional division within London’s [Metropolitan Police Service](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metropolitan_Police_Service) tasked with re-investigating [unsolved crimes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cold_case_(criminology)). UCOS primarily functioned with a senior police detective overseeing the work of three retired [police officers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Police_officer) who would handle each case, and who could bring in police support when needed. Each episode focuses on a different investigation, with characters often coping with problems at their age but using their wisdom to overcome hurdles in the original investigation of cold cases. Both creators, McCrery and Mitchell, devised the title of the programme around the [proverb](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proverb) “[You can’t teach an old dog new tricks](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/you_can%27t_teach_an_old_dog_new_tricks)”. * * * If you like _Death in Paradise_, you’ll probably enjoy [The Murdoch Mysteries](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murdoch_Mysteries). (Actually Canadian). They take place from 1890s into the 1900s thus far. 14 seasons and 221 episodes already. The show is excellent. ---
**Author:** ![mordecaiB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mordecaib/32/7725_2.png) [@mordecaiB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mordecaiB)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2021, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-good-quirky-funny-detective-cop-shows-on-britbox/946013/3 "2021-07-08T19:56:04Z")
Yep, we watched both of these on Acorn. My quick glance thru BritBox when I signed up showed me there was going to be a lot more overlap with Acorn than I thought there would be. In my experience shows don’t usually play on different pay channels. ---
**Author:** ![pmwgreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@pmwgreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pmwgreen)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2021, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-good-quirky-funny-detective-cop-shows-on-britbox/946013/4 "2021-07-08T20:15:36Z")
**Shakespeare and Hathaway** **Rosemary and Thyme** (old) **Campion** (really old) **Hetty Wainthropp** (pretty old and also broadcast in US on PBS a few years back.) **Vera** and **Shetland** (based on books by mystery writer Ann Cleeves) Also take look for “Alan Plater” in IMDB under “writer”. He wrote lots of my favorite individual episodes of BBC programs including **Marple** , **Campion** , **Maigret** (Michael Gambon version), **Dalziel and Pascoe**. ---
**Author:** ![mordecaiB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mordecaib/32/7725_2.png) [@mordecaiB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mordecaiB)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2021, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-good-quirky-funny-detective-cop-shows-on-britbox/946013/5 "2021-07-08T20:29:17Z")
> [@pmwgreen](#): > > **Shakespeare and Hathaway** > **Rosemary and Thyme** (old) > **Campion** (really old) > **Hetty Wainthropp** (pretty old and also broadcast in US on PBS a few years back.) > **Vera** and **Shetland** (based on books by mystery writer Ann Cleeves) Thanks! **Shakespeare** goes on the list! **Wainthrop** goes on the list! Already watched **Rosemary & Thyme** , **Campion** and **Shetland**. **Vera** was so annoying I wanted to kill her myself. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2021, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-good-quirky-funny-detective-cop-shows-on-britbox/946013/6 "2021-07-08T20:40:50Z")
Seconding _Shakepeare and Hathaway_ – it’s fun, doesn’t take itself seriously, and the characters are hilarious. If you haven’t already watched it on Acorn, _Father Brown_ is another cozy mystery series, starring Mark Williams (Arthur Weasley in the _Harry Potter_ films) as a Catholic priest who solves murders. ---
**Author:** ![leahcim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b4bc9f/32.png) [@leahcim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leahcim)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2021, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-good-quirky-funny-detective-cop-shows-on-britbox/946013/7 "2021-07-08T20:47:12Z")
My wife and I liked _The Mallorca Files_. German/British odd couple cop show set on a Spanish mediterranean island (where they have jurisdiction for… reasons). We think of it as a low budget, lower stakes Hawaii 5-0. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2021, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-good-quirky-funny-detective-cop-shows-on-britbox/946013/8 "2021-07-08T20:47:56Z")
I’ll second _Father Brown_, pretty good show. ---
**Author:** ![mordecaiB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mordecaib/32/7725_2.png) [@mordecaiB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mordecaiB)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2021, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-good-quirky-funny-detective-cop-shows-on-britbox/946013/9 "2021-07-08T20:53:42Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > If you haven’t already watched it on Acorn, _Father Brown_ Yep, already watched and liked. > [@leahcim](#): > > My wife and I liked _The Mallorca Files_ . Looks good! On the list. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2021, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-good-quirky-funny-detective-cop-shows-on-britbox/946013/10 "2021-07-09T02:05:12Z")
I know you said light-hearted, but I still strongly recommend the TV series [Sherlock (TV Series 2010–2017) - IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1475582/). It puts Holmes and Watson in a present day setting, but keeps to the spirit of the books. The series has won may awards, but to give you an idea how good it is, the lead characters have gone on to play 🕶 : - Smaug (voice), Khan and Doctor Strange - Bilbo and Everett Kenneth Ross ---
**Author:** ![Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heffalump_and_roo/32/7691_2.png) [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heffalump_and_Roo)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2021, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-good-quirky-funny-detective-cop-shows-on-britbox/946013/11 "2021-07-09T02:35:39Z")
From my recent thread on cozy mysteries, @GuanoLad recommended a few shows on Britbox. So far, the ones I haven’t seen in this thread are **MacDonald and Dodds** and **Miss Scarlett and the Duke**. In the first sentence, he’s talking about Acorn. After that, the shows are mostly on Britbox. > [@Let's talk about cozy mysteries](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-cozy-mysteries/944806/9): > > This is a good plan, because there you will find things like Agatha Raisin, Whitstable Pearl, Professor T, and Dead Still. Also you may want to track down McDonald and Dodds, Rosemary and Thyme, Miss Scarlet and the Duke, and Shakespeare and Hathaway. @MrDibble recommended **Jonathan Creek** , which is on Britbox. > [@Let's talk about cozy mysteries](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-cozy-mysteries/944806/13): > > Jonathan Creek was cosy-adjacent. At least the first seasons. @omenran liked **Cadfael** , also on Britbox. > [@Let's talk about cozy mysteries](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-cozy-mysteries/944806/8): > > Probably because Mystery! On PBS ran it alongside Agatha Christie stuff, I put Cadfael in the same genre of mystery stories. I haven’t read the books it’s based on, but I do enjoy the episodes. (There are 4 seasons, but a total of 13 episodes) ---
**Author:** ![pmwgreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@pmwgreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pmwgreen)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2021, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-good-quirky-funny-detective-cop-shows-on-britbox/946013/12 "2021-07-09T04:00:10Z")
Even if you’ve already seen the Joan Hickson **Miss Marple** series, it’s worth a re-watch because it was shot on film and Britbox has it remastered and looking gorgeous. Just watch and marvel. You have never seen tweed like this before. You can practically smell it! ---
**Author:** ![mordecaiB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mordecaib/32/7725_2.png) [@mordecaiB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mordecaiB)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2021, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-good-quirky-funny-detective-cop-shows-on-britbox/946013/13 "2021-07-09T04:33:59Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > you’ll probably enjoy [The Murdoch Mysteries](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murdoch_Mysteries). I should have mentioned that I’m surprised Murdoch isn’t featured on Canadian money or mentioned in the history books. Without his hundreds of inventions we would all still be living in wood shacks and driving horse and buggy. Canadians should be proud! > [@glee](#): > > I know you said light-hearted, but I still strongly recommend the TV series [Sherlock (TV Series 2010–2017) - IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1475582/) Already saw them when they originally aired in the US. Liked it despite the fact that the guy that plays Sherlock sets my teeth on edge just by watching him. > [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](#): > > From my recent thread on cozy mysteries, @GuanoLad recommended a few shows on Britbox. So far, the ones I haven’t seen in this thread are **MacDonald and Dodds** and **Miss Scarlett and the Duke**. I just saw that thread a bit after I posted mine. If I had saw it first I would have just piggy-backed on. I put **MacDonald and Dodds** and **Miss Scarlett and the Duke** on my list, along with **Cadfael** , which I saw many years ago but my wife has not seen. So thanks to everyone in that thread! > [@pmwgreen](#): > > Even if you’ve already seen the Joan Hickson **Miss Marple** I don’t know why, but I could never get into any Agatha Christie, books or tv shows. However, this goes on the list because my wife loves anything by Christie. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heffalump_and_roo/32/7691_2.png) [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heffalump_and_Roo)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2021, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-good-quirky-funny-detective-cop-shows-on-britbox/946013/14 "2021-07-09T05:04:03Z")
> [@mordecaiB](#): > > I put **MacDonald and Dodds** and **Miss Scarlett and the Duke** on my list, along with **Cadfael** , which I saw many years ago but my wife has not seen. So thanks to everyone in that thread! Please let us know which ones you enjoyed. I’m also looking into trying Britbox. I was originally going to go with Acorn, but after looking at the selection and what I can get on Hoopla (library service), Britbox has more that I can’t get anywhere else. I just ran across this article. If you have some time left on Acorn, here’s some stuff that’s new for July 2021. [https://likewise.com/blog/everything-coming-to-acorn](https://likewise.com/blog/everything-coming-to-acorn) ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2021, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-good-quirky-funny-detective-cop-shows-on-britbox/946013/15 "2021-07-09T13:58:42Z")
I have, only this week, started watching the 2008 series [_Inspector George Gently_](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1430509/reference). There are 25 episodes starring Martin Shaw and Lee Ingleby over 8 seasons. While they are more serious than the shows that have been mentioned, there have been laugh out loud funny moments in each of the episodes that I have seen. The characters of Gently and Bacchus are beautifully drawn and their byplay is very enjoyable. I assume, well at least hope, that the rest live up to the couple that I have seen. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2021, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-good-quirky-funny-detective-cop-shows-on-britbox/946013/16 "2021-07-09T14:03:30Z")
Inspector Gently was interesting to watch to see how things changed over the 1960s. And not a show, but I saw a film adaptation on Britbox of _[An Inspector Calls](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/An_Inspector_Calls_(2015_TV_film))_, which was very good. ---
**Author:** ![mordecaiB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mordecaib/32/7725_2.png) [@mordecaiB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mordecaiB)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2021, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-good-quirky-funny-detective-cop-shows-on-britbox/946013/17 "2021-07-09T17:53:55Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > I have, only this week, started watching the 2008 series [_Inspector George Gently_](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1430509/reference) We watched this on Acorn just a few weeks ago. Very good start, bogs down a bit in the middle but the last season is great. Bacchus was a great character, with his goofy hair styles, sideburns and fashion choices. > [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](#): > > Please let us know which ones you enjoyed. I’m also looking into trying Britbox. I was originally going to go with Acorn, but after looking at the selection and what I can get on Hoopla (library service), Britbox has more that I can’t get anywhere else. I’ll report on them when I finish. Knowing what I know now, I should have just used Acorn to watch the Australian/New Zealand shows and then switched to BritBox. **The Brokenwood Mysteries** from N.Z. is a must see. We also loved **Miss Fisher Murder Mysteries** , but the sequel with her grand daughter is just is just awful. > [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > And not a show, but I saw a film adaptation on Britbox of _[An Inspector Calls](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/An_Inspector_Calls_(2015_TV_film))_ , which was very good. I actually put this on our list last night after seeing it while I was browsing the BritBox site. The plot looks intriguing. ---
**Author:** ![Banksiaman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banksiaman/32/3334_2.png) [@Banksiaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banksiaman)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2021, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-good-quirky-funny-detective-cop-shows-on-britbox/946013/18 "2021-07-09T22:54:06Z")
I dont know what Britbox has to offer but _Hamish Macbeth_, about a police officer in a quaint, quirky fictional Scottish town is a very pleasant way to burn a few hours. Its got Robert Carlyle, who is always a good watch. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2021, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-good-quirky-funny-detective-cop-shows-on-britbox/946013/19 "2021-07-09T23:03:58Z")
He is excellent, the show was a snoozefest though. ---
**Author:** ![mordecaiB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mordecaib/32/7725_2.png) [@mordecaiB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mordecaiB)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2021, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-good-quirky-funny-detective-cop-shows-on-britbox/946013/20 "2021-07-10T05:09:13Z")
> [@Banksiaman](#): > > I dont know what Britbox has to offer but _Hamish Macbeth_ , We have seen these, it’s still weird to see Carlyle so young. Everything else I’ve seen him in he has longer greyish hair. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-good-quirky-funny-detective-cop-shows-on-britbox/946013.md?page=2)