I don't know why people are comparing this to Midsomer Murders. It is not trying to be anything other than what it is. I love the characters especially the lead and his sidekick. The thing that I really enjoy about this show is that each episode shows an aspect that is typically Kiwi. Golfing, Hunting, and Wine are part of everyday life in New Zealand , so I think this makes Brokenwood Mysteries quite unique. I even prefer it to Top of the Lake which tended to be a little out there at times. Yes, the plot is generally straightforward and not mind bending, but it doesn't need to be. I just liked the Kiwi slant and was really impressed with the acting and cinematography. We are a small country, and I think it was a job well done. Maybe I feel like this because I am an expat living abroad, so this reminds me of home and makes me rather sentimental. Anyway, I loved every moment of it.
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lindyasher26 October 2014
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jocajosh7 December 2014I quite enjoyed this little romp in the countryside - not an intellectual pursuit (you can usually work out "whodunit" about halfway through) but still fun. I saw a review saying it was derivative and unoriginal and they disliked the overtly individualistic detective - well yes, he does seem to be a little "try hard" but what do you want - a guy in a nice suit and Ford Focus? How boring would that be - I think some people miss the idea of "entertainment". So good stories, interesting characters, beautiful scenery and enough to keep you entertained for 90 minutes. I hope they make more with perhaps a little more oomph but not so much that it looses it's quaint country feel. I'd give it a B with a comment of "could do a little better". But well done anyway - enjoy
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bgarrettnz12 October 2014At first I was skeptical of Brokenwood mysteries. I enjoy murder mysteries, I'm quite fussy. Yes it seems to have some similarities with Midsommer murders, however this show has a distinctively kiwi feel to it. The writers and actors have managed to incorporate a good amount of humor without overshadowing the mysteries. I thought it might put me off as there are a lot of ex shortland street actors in this show, it hasn't.
Worth a watch if you enjoy murder mysteries. This show is a breath of fresh air for NZ TV, amongst some very stale offerings. A worthy recipient of NZ on air funding. I hope this show will be a good spring board for emerging actors. Great choice of characters and actors.
Midsommer murders can sometimes get confusing and require a lot of concentration to follow. The 3 episodes I have seen on Brokenwood have been very well put together, kept me guessing and taken me along for the ride with out loosing me on the way.
I have read some scathing unfair reviews online. I have talked to several people of various ages who have had nothing but positive comments about this show. I am keen to see more of this show and really hope there will be many more seasons. I would like to see it get a good following overseas also. -
yooniverse1 August 2022I stumbled across this series just out of curiosity and for some exposure to New Zealand and its culture. What I got was a quirky light-hearted show that combines solving murder mysteries with a dose of humor, and none of the dark, disturbing plots and atmosphere that most shows today seem to favor.
Acting is excellent. I particularly love Gina and her interaction with Mike, and others. She steals the show with her one liners. It's also has a great format that introduces many recurring characters from previous episodes to truly give the feeling that you're watching stories that take place in a community, not just a series of unrelated stories that could take place anywhere.
As a foreign viewer, I don't recognize any of the actors. In most of these crime solving procedural shows I watch in the US, the murderer is always the guest star with the top billing, usually a recognizable face, and that spoils the mystery. In Brokenwood, it's more difficult to pick out the murderer, so extra entertaining for me.
It's nice to watch a wholesome show like this once in a while, without all the gun violence. And being a long-running show, you can be invested in it without being disappointed.
As Gina would say, in Russia, they would not like this show. They do not like humor. And not enough people die. -
fossicle11 August 2015I enjoyed the first season of Brokenwood. No, it does not have big name actors, a big budget, heavy sex and swearing but it keeps your interest and is entertaining.
If you want all the hype, hoopla and jabberwocky of US based shows this is not for you.
I agree that some of the acting in the first episode was below par but it picked up in future episodes.
Some of it is hokey and there is also quite a bit of subtle humour from DI Mike Shepherd which can easily pass by the viewer. No, he is not suave, sophisticated and debonair but I like the character.
The episodes are up and down so you must be a patient viewer. In season 1 I enjoyed 2 of the 4 episodes. The first and last episodes in my opinion were below par.
I also liked the quirky country music in the background. It is a bit different from the norm.
I watched it on DVD so I could use the captions to help understand some of the kiwi accent (eg the "chicks" in the mail).
Try it out and see if you like the show. Don't try to compare it to some of the pommie shows just take it on its own merits.
POSTSCRIPT I am now into the third season of this series and each season is better than its predecessor. I have now upped my rating of the show to a 8.25 from a 7. The only real criticism I have about season 3 is the new background music they used. It is not as good as the music in the first two seasons. -
PetalumaCA17 February 2017Nicely produced, lighthearted detective murder show from New Zealand. The principal actors are really good and funny and the plots, although uneven from show to show, are usually very engaging. They run out of top acting talent pretty quickly as you move down the credits, but the show has a charm and look that carries it along. Great scenery and, for us Northern Hemisphere viewers, a fun look into how folks in the Antipodes do it.
The photography, in particular, is really nice and gives the show a great sense of place. The two principal actors, Neill Rea and Fern Sutherland, are very good and the supporting cast, if a bit one dimension, are fun to watch as well.
A fun 90 minutes of engaging Kiwi cops. -
The first episode had some bad acting in minor roles, but this production has significant merit, I hope it continues. Neill Rea does a brilliant job with Shepard and is well supported by Fern and Pana. In drawing comparisons with other detective series, it is astronomically higher than 'Midsomer', and probably on a par with 'Lewis'. The writing is good, and we look forward to more. We have watched the first four episodes now, and we have been truly hooked in the normal detective 'who dunnit' dynamic. Brokenwood doesn't do anything new, but it doesn't have to, you don't have to fight against a genre to create entertaining television. Some nice engaging stories with a bit of intelligence and a local flavour are well needed on our screens.
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daggersineyes6 January 2016Good lord I'm glad I didn't read that one horrible review before giving this show a chance. I really can't work out why that person has such a bee in their bonnet (using polite language there LOL) over what is really a very nicely put together series that has many great qualities. It certainly does not deserve the pasting that person gave it, or that ridiculously low rating. Their "review" feels like there's some grudge or sour grapes going on that are nothing to do with the quality of the show.
Anyway, no it's not a riveting intense drama with horrific forensic details, or sordid tales of police corruption and what not. It's a light crime series with an emphasis on small town characters & unique kiwi lifestyle. I'd liken it more to that show about the cop in Scotland (cant remember the name off hand) or possibly a little like Heartbeat rather than comparing it to Midsommer murders or - heaven forbid!! the appalling Murder She wrote!
It's not going to win any drama awards and it has a few issues with some of the minor actors and occasionally awkward scripting, but this is fun and interesting and worth the price of admission (ie free) even if only for the talents of Pana Hema Taylor. -
michael-144-51728527 October 2014Really enjoyed seeing a program in NZ that wasn't trying to portray either Auckland as "Little Sydney" all glam and international or South Auckland as "Little Harlem", for the 1.5mil that live in Auckland, there are stories from the other 3 million outside of the city.
The settings were real without LOTR CGI, the characters were not over the top, the stories had their twists and turns without relying on overnight DNA tests.
Similar to other cop shows, probably, different and standing on its own, yes it does that too.
Really though, how many police shows are all that unique nowadays anyway (CSI and NCIS franchises) or the formulaic UK shows: Two unusual surnames for the title, a male/female lead, one of the two has some disturbing past that troubles them.......doesn't make them bad watching.
It's perfectly fine to watch TV for entertainment and not to be educated or enlightened, that's what real life is for. Brokenwood does that from an NZ viewpoint with a bit of brain engagement and if you don't think this sort of thing happens, you haven't read the papers for 40 years. -
ygwerin118 September 2021I first located this show on the Drama TV channel here in the UK quite by chance and decided to check it out.
As TV detective shows go I like it for what I see in it and not in comparison, with any other available television detective series.
For me its a good balance of central police characters and, different from the usual locations and scenery. The Mysteries are not especially mysterious but they do fit the locale, and blend with the other ingredients to make the whole.
I wouldn't call this programme either must see or compulsive viewing, but it's also definitely not wouldn't touch it with a proverbial barge pole.
Of all the episodes made of this programme I haven't seen that many of them at all, so this review is more of a general overview.
I will have to watch a few more episodes of the show to get any, kind of deeper feel and appreciation for more subtle nuances.
Browsing through the reviews I am surprised by someone, apparently confusing New Zealand with Australia.
I also cannot understand why anyone should have any problems with what any of the characters are saying, and I have no need for subtitles. -
sgoody-272868 March 2017Came across this well done series from the "you may like " section and was pleasantly entertained. The show built the characters quickly and the result was a wonderful mix of personalities with a nice mix of serious and humour ,especially from Fern and Neill. The Medical Examiner is like someone everyone knows, and the banter between all the cast is the strongest part of the show.
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lesepstein20 September 2022Some other reviews here have compared "The Brokenwood Mysteries" to "Midsomer Mysteries" and I agree there are similarities. Ultimately though, for a variety of reasons I find Brokenwood much more enjoyable. I've seen a lot of mystery series and read many (but not all) of the reviews here and am surprised none that I've read noted the most unique thing about Brokenwood that sets it apart from Midsomer and every other mystery series I've seen. While most other mystery series usually have one or two leading characters usually a Detective Inspector and his/her partner and a few other regular characters, such as a medical examiner, perhaps a spouse of the lead, etc., Brokenwood is the only series I've ever seen that has a whole host of recurring characters most of whom have nothing to do with Law Enforcement. Indeed, many start out as suspects in one episode and then show up in other episodes, sometimes as witnesses or suspects again in a different case, or for some other reason. The most notable is Frankie 'Frodo' Oades who is a suspect in his first appearance, then just happens to be closely involved in some others, even a suspect once or twice again. But there are lots of other. Jared, who is a suspect in the first episode, then helps Detectve Mike Shepherd start his grape growing enterprise and they become good friends. Or gay Reverend Greene, who is a suspect in two of the several episodes he appears in. Or Ray, the owner of the local watering hole, who for some unfathomable reason opens a Pizzeria, seemingly leaving his difficult sister to run the more profitable Bar. Then there's the town gossip, Mrs. Marlowe, whose information sometimes helps the detectives, sometimes leaves them perplexed. Perplexed is a good word to describe many of the detectives reactions to what they hear or see. This especially true of Fern Sutherland's Det. Sims. This just scratches the surface of the many recurring characters and suspects. Brokenwood must be very small town indeed.
For a mystery series this show is very lighthearted, but where else do the most hilarious lines come from the pathologist, in this case Russian Gina Kadinsky (played perfectly by American actress Cristina Serban Ionda) who has an unrequited crush on lead Detective Mike Shepherd. Neill Rea who plays oft married Shepherd anchors the show with a no-nonsense approach that belies the often quirkiness that surrounds him. I saw the first season on Prime's "shows to sample" last month (August 2022) and was so hooked I had to subscribe to Acorn to see the next seven seasons. I've now seen all the 36 episodes so far made (don't know iif they'll be more) and enjoyed them immensely. If you like British mysteries you/will probably love this New Zealand mystery series. -
gpeevers6 May 2019The Brokenwood Mysteries is an entertaining detective series set in New Zealand that has considerable similarities to Midsomer Murders which is set in Britain and also quite good, the two series are rightly compared but Brokenwood is also a uniquely New Zealand series.
Both series have the small community/rural settings which provides a great backdrop and an assortment of unique and eccentric characters. They also have if not a light heartened tone then certainly a less grim tone than is normal when dealing with murders, and the detectives aren't the brilliant Sherlock Holmes types but take a more workmanlike like approach. This allows for lots of interviews and interrogations with the many suspects.
Both make interesting use of music as well. Midsommer is known for its eerie Theremin theme music which sets an interesting mood, while Brokenwood employs country music largely from New Zealand which is the preference of the lead character Mike Shepherd.
Amongst those things that set Brokenwood apart are the unique culture and landscape of New Zealand and certainly the unique humor. Another thing that Brokenwood does differently and I quite enjoy is the number of regularly recurring background and supporting characters, witnesses or suspects from one episode might come back any number of times in later episodes as regular inhabitants to populate the community -
natecurrier3 December 2021Easy to follow, classic PG mystery, pretty fun. If you like a challenge or like to be kept in suspense this isn't for you, but the main characters are solid. If you're bad at Clue you'll love it, if you're good, you can figure the killer out quite early, but it still doesn't suck.
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tcwaterford20 March 2022I have given The Broken Wood Mysteries a 9 out of 10.
For me this is extremely rare, it's not often something catches my attention and keeps it, as well as Broken Wood does.
The main Actors in this excellent series, Neill Rea (plays Mike Shepherd) and Fern Sutherland (plays Kristin Simms) have a wonderful Father - Daughter type relationship, which is not only quite charming but also is really wonderful to see.
Despite working in close quarters, as indeed Police officers would do in real life. There is no suggestion of an improper relationship between the two.
It's Reassuring in a way, as today so many TV series actually live on and many survive only, on the sexual suggestion regardless of age gap.
Below, I happened upon a comment which alleges that this show is misogynist, because of a rather light hearted few scenes in the first series. You see, Mike Shepherd and another detective politely refuse coffee, when Simms offers to make some for all three.
Apparently, it's now a Sin to refuse a cup of coffee from a colleague, IF that colleague happens to be female!
It's refreshing, dare I say, decent family viewing. It however, does not take itself absolutely serious, there are often comedic, if not comedy cringe incidents between Mike Shepherd and the Russian M. E. Gina KADINSKY (played by Cristina Serbian Ionda).
Mike is the Love interest of M. E. Gina, which results in both indearing, touching and cringe worthy moments which induce bouts of laughter. I won't go further to avoid spoilers.
Rea is an exceptional Actor, who is comfortable dealing one moment with Simms and the very next with M. E. Gina, sometimes both at the same time. How he manages to play the senior / Father figure with Simms and immediately turn on the comedic role with M. E. Gina is hard to explain, yet he does it extremely well!.
I would be in stitches of laughter or sincerely stern, absolutely certainly and without doubt, at exactly the wrong time, each time.
It works, in fact it works extremely well!. It deserves much more recognition that it has so far, but as is often the case, it's after such a great series ends when admiration of the Actors skills comes to light.
I find little to criticise about The Broken Wood Mysteries, except perhaps, the seasons are way too short and each season, has far too few episodes!.
There are Very Few TV Series where one complains about too few episodes, for sure!.
BUT the Broken Wood Mysteries in my humble opinion, Is That Good!.
To Conclude, Wonderful Trio of exceptionally good Actors!, Delightful Script Writing (quality writing), wonderful Scenery which shows delightfully the beauty of New Zealand.
ALL IN ALL, A very deserved 9 out of 10. -
de320618 December 2016I like this show because it isn't the shoot 'em up, everyone is having an affair with someone on the Force type of show, like almost all US cop shows are nowadays.
Every other episode isn't about some terrorist plot (in fact none, so far).
It DOES bear comparing to Midsommer, in the sense that it doesn't take itself too seriously. Good mysteries, without the ridiculous twists and turns. I like the shows where at the end, you can say "yep, that's the bad guy, and looking back, it makes sense how they got there and why he/she did it"
I detest the ones where I end up instead with "WTF?"
It's better than the new Midsommer, with what's his face and what's his name, but I think not as good as the old Midsommers, and not up there with Lewis either. Much better than the old Morse though.
But I like it, and I'm a huge copper show fan (except US ones, though I live here).
Foyle, Lewis, Midsommer, Gently, Frost, Vera
I hope they keep it running. A unique setting, well acted, well written. -
/refers to Series 1 and 2/
Being an admirer of British and Scandinavian crime dramas, from time to time, I "look around" to realise what is going on regarding related field in other countries. As far I can recall, The Brokenwood Mysteries is my first watch of series coming from and depicting New Zealand - a country so far away, but with lots of interest and praise.
In spite of evident similarities and benchmarks with particularly UK series, I liked The Brokenwood Mysteries from the beginning: realistic characters, beautiful landscape, often black humour making you giggle... True, in and "old" fashion, one episode is dedicated to a single case and a small township in a safe country cannot be a venue of frequent felonies, but the story, characters and environment is so pleasing (at least to me residing tens of thousand miles away) that I just followed all the 8 cases continuously, often "forgetting" the commonness of the case or its solution/ending. Besides, the viewers can obtain additional information about wines, rugby and other areas or branches as each case deals basically with a certain activity.
So, all in all, I liked the series and might recommend it to our local TV stations to be screened. But I am sure that NZ and neighbouring viewers might have their reservations on the series and its originality... -
wmmacleod9 November 2017As with many other highly entertaining titles to have come out from the brilliant minds of our mates from Australia and New Zealand, this one stands out for several reasons.
Firstly, the ensemble cast meshes together so perfectly that when they start finishing each others sentences as scripted, it comes across as genuine and believable. Secondly, the writing and stories are unique enough and so rich in detail that they come across as completely authentic. Lastly, the mysteries themselves are just complicated enough to keep you guessing and second guessing all the way to the end. I thought I was pretty clever when I correctly identified the killer in the first episode. Yet, now thru season 4, I've yet to be able to finger the culprit even once more.
If you like a great mystery, well written with lots of twists and turns as well as colorful characters populating a simply stunning locale, I can confidently recommend you visit the quirky world of Brokenwood. -
sterlingenterprisesinc23 April 2023This years (season 9) of BrokenWood has lost something to the extent it doesn't even feel like the same show we've come to love. The mysteries, the music, the plots and the overall feel have changed dramatically. My wife and I have been watching this show since day one and really enjoyed the good mysteries, quirky style, even the country music loving detective (we aren't big country fans either -it's just a nice twist on the main character) and we loved the New Zealand backdrop. If it keeps going the way it has this season with too much emphasis on casting the correct "type" of characters, following the correct agenda and not enough energy put into good mystery writing we will have to find another show to fill the void left by it. It will be sad and missed. But the return of the show this year in the first episode has already made us feel as though we've lost BrokenWood. It's almost as if we are all living in the USSR these days and there is political officer in every organization telling people what boxes to check regardless of need in the show.
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This series is set in the fictitious town of Brokenwood, in New Zealand. Each episode features a separate case which will be investigated by Senior Sergeant Mike Shepherd assisted by Detective Kristin Sims and DC Sam Breen. Since it is set in one fairly small town a few other local characters turn up regularly.
At first glance the cases do feel a bit 'Midsomer Murders' as they tend to involve a victim involved in a specific activity that might be connected to their death; for example a skydiver, a winemaker and a honey producer to give just three examples; however the way the stories are told avoids some of that series' silliness. The cast and characters are solid; most notably Neill Rea as the country music loving S Sgt Shepherd and Fern Sutherland as Kristen Sims. Cristina Ionda is also notable as Dr Gina Kadinsky; she tends to only play a small role in each episode but it always funny as she tells the others how things are different in her native Russia.
I came to this series rather late... the first episode of season five and was disappointed that there were only four episodes in each season; however I enjoyed it so much I went straight back to the first episode and quickly caught up with the first four seasons... now I'm hoping there will be a sixth. The stories were a lot of fun and it made a refreshing change to have a detective series where very little was made of the characters' private lives; we know Mike has been married a few times before and one case involves an ex of Kristen's but things never get 'soapy'. Overall a fun murder mystery series set in a country that is simultaneously familiar and different; at least for UK viewers. -
pbellarbutus3 April 2017Just watched the first episode of Brokenwood and nearly turned it off in the first few minutes, fearing it was going to turn into needless violence, foul language and sex, like Top of the Lake, where the only good thing was the scenery. But no, I was pleasantly surprised, the lead actors were excellent and supporting cast very good in my opinion. Had no problem with the plot or the 'ho-hum' Auckland scenery. (I'm a Central Otago native)
So I look forward to future episodes of this refreshing NZ 'whodunnit', which for me rates better than Midsomer, definitely better than Death in Paradise, but perhaps not quite as good as Lewis, Frost, or the Swedish version of Wallander. Well done NZ! -
WE subscribe to Acorn.TV (heartily recommended) -- so we get to stream all these great (mostly Brit or part of the emmpahr {empire}) episodes or mini-series. Neill Rea is 'Mike', a chubby new chief detective in this quaint area of NZ. He is ably-assisted by 'Kristin', played by a very pretty Fern Sutherland, who seems strictly business, but may, one day, have designs on Mike, who, like Jeff Goldblum in Jurassic Park, is always on the lookout for a future Mrs. Ex. Meantime, Mike is strictly business also, diligently hunting through clues to find the perpetrator of a fresh murder each week.
Another quirky character is the grim Russian Medical Examiner, Gina, played with reserve by Cristina Serban Ionda, who apparently, is American, but sounds like a sardonic medical official from somewhere in the Russian steppes. Whatever Mike was thinking happened to the victim never did, according to her. She might have romantic designs on Mike one day, too, if she ever warms up to the average water temperature in Wisconsin in December.
Always mysterious, always entertaining, always keeping you guessing. A fine series, with quality episodes each season. No nudity or cursing. -
gmomm-5605230 July 2022Have watched the previous seven seasons and really like them all. Was eager to see more and started watching Season 8 a couple of weeks ago. So far, this does not stack up to the previous episodes. There is really something missing, and I'm not sure what. It's as if the writers got amnesia and forgot who these people are. The stories are lame. Maybe they were before, but I didn't notice because there was good banter amongst them all. I miss Mrs. Marlowe and her cheese rolls and informational hints that led them to the next clue. Chalmers is good, but I miss seeing Breen. What happened to Jared and Kahu?
I agree with another reviewer. What Happened? I haven't seen episode 3, but not sure I even want to bother.
Seven stars for the previous seasons. This year, not so much. -
jdagostino17 March 2020So...I adore UK police procedurals. Faves right now are Endeavour, Grantchester, Shetland, Broadchurch, Line of Duty. They're all so well done. This show is.....not. It's SO boring. I have watched through season 3, hoping it will get better. It hasn't. Not willing to waste any more time on it when there are other show which are so much better. I haven't been able to give a darn about any of the characters, they are all so dull. No one has any personality, and I have been able to figure out whodunit halfway through each show, so not much originality. I think it would be much better without the cringy terrible background music playing happily and jauntily in the background while showing us murdered people and crime scenes...it is very off-putting and makes the show even more hokey than it already is, which seems impossible. I do like Breen; his sarcasm and facial expressions are the only good thing I can say about this boring, embarrassing show. Sorry fans, I just do not get it. I see I am outnumbered here!
Update: since posting this I have been binge-watching Vera, which is SO much better than this show. Also, how the heck does Jared end up being involved in every single blessed case? Is he under a special contract which allows him to be an integral part of everything that happens? The guy who plays him is just not that good of an actor. Well neither is anyone else so he fits in, I suppose. -
Hubby and I love this show! The cast is perfect and the mysteries are enjoyable. It's lighthearted which is something we appreciate. As Americans, we have to turn on the closed captioning to understand everything they say, but that's OK. We love visiting New Zealand by watching the show. Please send more and quickly -- hubby is going through Brokenwood withdrawal!