“The Brokenwood Mysteries” is currently on its 11th season. This is an interesting New Zealand series following Detective Senior Sgt. Mike Shepherd (Neill Rea), who is a bit quirky. He talks to the dead bodies, always using kind words to reassure the dead. Along with his more serious partner Detective Kristin Sims (Fern Sutherland) and by-the-book Detective Constable Daniel Chalmers (Jarod Rawiri), this little group manages to ingeniously put the pieces together to find the killers. To say they are a well-oiled machine is an understatement.

A fun character is pathologist Dr. Gina Kadinsky (Cristina Serban Ionda), who has a major crush on Shepherd. She tries everything to get close to him. And then there is Frodo (Karl Willetts), who manages a coffee stand and adds plenty of fun to the show. He is desperately needed as Sims’ coffee at the station is atrocious. It’s a running joke at the office with Sims none the wiser.

Another cute aspect is the fact that Shepherd drives a 1971 Holden Kingswood, which doesn’t have much power, but this is a guy who holds onto the past and enjoys country music and his beloved car. In one episode, this beloved car is stolen and viewers finally understand why it is so important to the man.

Even though the stories are filled with drama, the characters all add some lighthearted moments, which makes this a fun series.

Image supplied, Acorn TV

There are six episodes in the season, each giving viewers an interesting story with compelling characters. The fictional town of Brokenwood is filmed in the area around Auckland. There are rumors there will be another season, but that has not been confirmed.

“Murdoch Mysteries” is now on its 18th season. That in itself is a milestone and proves the fanbase is loyal. Marking its 300th episode, there are 22 episodes in this season.

Detective William Murdoch (Yannick Bisson) is a beloved character along with his wife, Dr. Julia Ogden (Helene Joy). Inspector Thomas Brackenreid (Thomas Craig); his wife, Margaret (Arwen Humphreys); Constable George Crabtree (Jonny Harris) and his wife, Effie (Clare McConnell); Constable Henry Higgins (Lachlan Murdoch); Detective Llewellyn Watts (Daniel Maslany); and Chief Coroner Violet Hart (Chanice Banton) return for this historic season, which brings in Paul Sun-Hyung Lee as the new inspector taking over for Brackenreid.

The season also has Julia living abroad with their daughter. William, however, manages to spend some time overseas, uniting the couple on screen and adding some interesting storylines with compelling drama.

What has made this a memorable series is the historic people and events that have been woven into the stories as well as the inventions that Murdoch concocts. This season does not have as many historical characters as in the past, but there are some, as well as real events from history.

Although not confirmed, there have been rumors the Canadian series will run 20 seasons, leading up to the beginning of World War I. Season 19 has definitely been confirmed.

Both “The Brokenwood Mysteries” and “Murdoch Mysteries” are worth checking out if you have not seen them. They can both be streamed on Acorn TV.