AcornTV: Darby and Joan Season 2/Dalgliesh Season 3

Feb 1, 2025 | 2025 Articles, Lorie Lewis Ham, Mysteryrat's Maze, TV

by Lorie Lewis Ham

It’s great to have an escape, especially in these difficult times, and one such delightful escape is subscribing to AcornTV. They provide an abundance of wonderful mystery programming, along with some comedy and drama as well.

If you are looking for a fun mystery with a touch of comedy, look no further than Darby and Joan. The show pairs iconic Aussie Bryan Brown (The Thorn Birds, Cocktail) as Jack Darby, detective sergeant (retired), with Italian-Australian Greta Scacchi (Presumed Innocent, Emma) as Joan Kirkhope, clinical nurse manager (retired). Joan was under the impression her husband Ian was in Spain enjoying tapas and sangria, but with only one thing left to do and then homeward bound, he has a heart attack, and she finds herself in Australia, not Spain, identifying his body. In season 1, against her daughter’s advice, she decides to return to Australia to track down where he’d been, who he’d met, and why he was there. Heading out toward her first destination, Joan barely avoids an oncoming car. The car, however, flips upside down…Meet Jack. Suggesting he could hitch a ride from someone at her first stop, he grabs his fishing gear and his Australian Shepard Diesel and hops in her RV. This is the beginning of a delightful mystery-solving friendship. While it has its serious side obviously, the pair’s banter provides plenty of laughter as well.

Season 2 recently was released on Acorn and is just as much fun as season 1. In this season, they deal with a family feud that almost turns deadly, a possible angel of death, a kidnapping on an island resort, a fire at a winery, a poisoning, and we learn more about the incident that led Jack to retire. People keep assuming they are a couple, but they are quick to deny it—too quick perhaps? I wouldn’t object to them adding some romance between the pair—but either way, the show is a lot of fun and you get to enjoy some of the beautiful sites of Australia as well.

Another favorite of mine that is more on the serious crime drama side is Dalgliesh. The show is based on P.D. James’s novels featuring Scotland Yard’s Chief Inspector Adam Dalgliesh (Bertie Carvel). In December, they released its third season. Set in the 1970s, they have done an excellent job of bringing that time period to life. Carvel is brilliant as the soft-spoken, reserved, poetry writing detective and very true to the character from what I can remember from reading the books when they first came out (our former reviewer Kathleen Costa agrees). In this season, he deals with murder at a seminary, a murder in the home of an influential family, and a serial killer targeting female employees of a nuclear power station. These are all done in 2 parts.

So whether you are looking to escape to Australia with something that has a lighter comedic touch, or to England for something more serious, you can’t go wrong with either of these shows. They are brilliantly done.

Check out other mystery articles, reviews, book giveaways & mystery short stories in our mystery section. And join our mystery Facebook group to keep up with everything mystery we post, and have a chance at some extra giveaways. Also listen to our new mystery podcast where mystery short stories and first chapters are read by actors! They are also available on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, and Spotify.

Lorie Lewis Ham is our Editor-in-Chief and a contributor to various sections, coupling her journalism experience with her connection to the literary and entertainment worlds. Explore Lorie’s mystery writing at Mysteryrat’s Closet. Lorie’s latest mystery novel, One of Us, is set in the Tower District of Fresno and the world of community theatre!

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