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Art, Britain, two detectives that not only get along well but respect each other, travel all over Britain teaching indirectly the audience about various real antiquities, artifacts and cultural heritage, even wine, while solving head-scratching crimes, until the final few minutes of each episodes.
Britain has another sleuthing duo, but this is the first time, art is the leading subject. If you enjoyed L’Art du Crime (petit plaisir #269), I am confident you will enjoy Art Detectives. The original series premiered on AcornTV this past June, sharing with viewers six episodes with DI Mick Palmer (Stephen Moyer) and DC Shazia Malik (Nina Singh) who head up the smallest department in the London Metropolitan police – the Heritage Crime Unit.
DI Palmer comes from a family, specifically being raised by a father (played by Larry Lamb) who was an art forger. Determined to prevent scams such as his father perpetuated, DI Palmer heads up the Heritage Crime Unit. And as you will see throughout the entire first season, putting his father’s wrongs to bed plays the second mystery to be solved on top of each episode’s individual mysteries.
I found Moyer’s character incredibly likable and relatable, even aspirational – he is passionate about his job, lives a quiet, yet thoughtful life in London in a flat that consists of collected art and artifacts, and begins each day with a hot cuppa (ends and throughout his day enjoys tea too!) as he enjoys his classical music or plays his piano. He is trying to heal his own demons with his infamous father’s ill-deeds, and his young DC, Shazia Malik provides a helpful balance with no drama, all business, yet curiosity and genuine interest in the art they are investigating while providing a touch of British humor.
DI Moyer, while once married and now with an adult daughter who he talks about but whom doesn’t enter any of the plot lines yet, is beginning a new romance with an antiquities’ expert played by Sarah Alexander, Rosa Conaghan. This romance is only just beginning, but no doubt will have more of a focus in season two. Which I am happy to say is happening. They are currently in production for season 2, so look for it sometime next year.
In the meantime, enjoy the first season, three episodes keep us in London, while the others take us out into the countryside to beautiful estates or locales. Have a look at the trailer below and watch it now on AcornTV.
~Watch the trailer of Art Detectives below:
Art Detectives is the Petit Plaisir of episode #407 of The Simple Sophisticate podcast, The Joys of Living Alone: By Choice or Circumstance
~Explore more British-Inspired posts here
~Explore all of TSLL’s Petits Plaisirs here.
