British detective dramas seem to be our choice to escape all the angst and silliness that seems to dominate American television today. Our latest find is McDonald & Dodds on Britbox.
It features an “odd couple” pairing as leads. A shy and enigmatic Detective Sergeant Dodds played by Jason Watkins is partnered with a wildly ambitious Detective Chief Inspector McDonald played by Tala Gouveia to solve crimes in the historic city of Bath. The two characters are polar opposites, but they have good chemistry.
McDonald & Dodds balances comedy and drama well. It emphasizes the mystery rather than the gore. The two lead characters are flawed, but likable. You get their motivations and the backstory on each, but it is without the “angst” so many other shows seem to wallow in.
The first season was two 2 hour episodes. In the first episode, The Fall of the House of Crockett, a homeless man is shot in the deserted mansion of one of Bath’s most prominent industrialists, the inventor Max Crockett. Newly arrived Londoner DCI McDonald and long-serving DS Dodds rally together to try and discover the killer. In the second episode, A Wilderness of Mirrors, DCI McDonald and partner, DS Dodds, are called to the Mara Retreat, a private rehabilitation clinic, to investigate the mysterious death of a wealthy patient.
Both episodes were enjoyable. Wife and I both wanted to see more. Saw announcement that ITV has green lighted another season that will be extended to three episodes.
McDonald & Dodds is recommended for your “Watch List”. You can see some of our other watchlist recommendations here.