Annika
BBC iPlayer
Scottish TV tries to do another Scandi noir import but without the bother of finding a source novel…
Based on the slightly unlikely premise that any murder which takes place on, or the victim is find in water is to be investigated by a dedicated unit (the actress playing the snarky boss later recycled exactly the same role in ‘Department Q’) . If you can get past that then I for one really enjoyed this. We have a nicely diverse team of four always ready with the quips and a lead detective who breaks the fourth wall to talk to camera, offering glimpses into her own head along with tidbits from literature and legend that seem to fit the case. Oh, and she is Norwegian (hence the Scandi connection).
You can argue that this is a bit formulaic (soggy body, obvious suspect, misdirection and there’s always a chase scene) but it is all handled with plenty of charm and doesn’t take itself too seriously (Annika herself shouts in exasperation “Why do they always run?!”). Everything is neatly tied up at the end of the 50 minute episode and there’s just enough family back story to link each episode with an on-going arc. I probably don’t watch enough soap-operas because I honestly didn’t see the final reveal coming!
Will be bingeing season 2 soon…