TV mysteries

New season: small and slow, but promising

By American tradition, there are three big events each September.
It’s the start of the school year, the football season and the TV season.
Now the first two are here and in full form. But the TV season?
Most years, each big, broadcast network has about five new, scripted shows, most of them starting in September.
This year, there are four on CBS (including “Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage,” shown here), three each on NBC and Fox, two on ABC, one on CW. Seven start in September, four wait until October, one until Nov. 12. Read more…

Crimesolving is fun again, beyond paradise

Every now and then, TV returns to something it’s quite good at – light tales that solve a mystery at the end of each hour.
That isn’t its first choice. It prefers deep, dark tales that go for weeks – good ones like “Parish” (9 p.m. Sundays, AMC) or “Veil” (starting April 30, Hulu).
But a few shows have the right, light touch. There’s the delightful “Elsbeth” (10 p.m. Thursdays, CBS) and occasional British shows on PBS and streaming on Acorn or Britbox. Right now, I’d point to Britbox’s “Beyond Paradise” (shown here). Read more…