Deadloch

Despite a start that was a little shaky at times Deadloch always had the bones of a good story and some good story telling - a tribute to a great script by Kate McCartney and Kate McLennan, two of the funniest women I've seen on TV in many years, with wit and tongue as sharp as a tack. And make no mistake, the tongue is in full stride here, so if you are word squeamish - hahah - get over yourself - there is some brilliant banter and dialogue from two of the best at razor sharp spiteful and insightful barbs.

My only criticism is probably about the direction of Madeline Sami's character Eddie - the cop from Darwin. Unfortunately this part is over-played in the first few episodes and jolts well beyond what was needed - we get it, she's rough as guts, now move on. Thankfully this gradually wound back - presumably as dictated by the story arc - and eventually the energy was more finely judged and didn't jar.

Kate Box is brilliant in the lead as Dulcie an ex-bigtown cop on a tree change with her massive pain-in-the-butt partner Cath - Alicia Gardiner. Cath manages to embody everything that is annoying and aggravating with tree change feminist chic - a self absorbed air-head of epic proportions.

Under all the human drama - and there's plenty of it - is a very satisfying and tightly controlled murder mystery - well worthy of an international audience. Also worth mentioning that the only cultural cringe evident is from self aware story telling as opposed to self deluded narcissism.

Suffice to say this is a rollicking good yarn once it gets going with plenty to keep viewers interested and on the hook. A great comedy-drama-mystery well deserving of an 8.

We found this one by chance and had low expectations going in. We were pleasantly surprised by this quirky and rather engaging series that keeps you guessing. At times we even laughed out loud. For those giving negative reviews, my only advice is to lighten up! This isn't trying to be high art or high drama.

The backdrop alone is worth your time if you want to see a bit of Tasmania. Love the accents and the way the Darwin detective does evolve over the course of the series. We have watched five of the eight episodes and we plan to watch till the very end because we have enjoyed spending time in this boondocks of a town, Dead Loch.

I have to be honest...after the first 2 episodes I was ready to give up...the characters were more like caricatures, totally over the top, unbelievable and annoying!

But...it gets better, it really does.

Once someone on set managed to convince everyone to tone it down a bit, the drama and pace really ramps up, and now I'm hanging, waiting impatiently for the next episode to drop.

I'm at episode 6 now, and have to wait a week for the next instalment!

Always a good sign if you wish it could be binged!

It's a shame that they went in too hard at the beginning, as I know from chatting with others, that many viewers switched off, so that possibly explains the relatively low rating, but if you're willing to stick with it, you won't regret it!

I'm doing this review after the 3rd episode, but I must say I'm looking forward to the rest. I confess watching for Kate Box, who, in my opinion, is one of those rare actresses who always plays her roles perfectly. I'd also recommend Wentworth (even if she only comes towards the end, as the whole series is a masterpiece) and Rake. From the reviews, I understand that it's not for everyone. The most important thing for this series is to take it for what it is: a comedy. I made the mistake, it seems like many others, of believing it was a drama with comic elements, and I have to say that the first few minutes consisted of arduous viewing. It was only after the sequence of police cars dramatically heading in one direction before turning around to continue their journey just as dramatically, that I changed my view of the series. Indeed, the characters are practically all caricatures: the wife of the main character, usually a man but still, who is bored to death and spends her time worrying about whether her wife has eaten properly; the teenagers who wander around finding all sorts of corpses and clues; the coroner and his music that tires everyone; the younger polices who can't tell their left from their right, and so on. In short, Deadloch pokes fun at the clichés of police intrigues- because is it really true that only women poison...? - and serves us a humorous series in which we can still look for a culprit.

Yes, a breath of fresh air - an Australian show that should offend pretty much everyone. Deadlock is a comedy/parody that skewers police procedurals, forensic scientists, small town life, arts festivals, food culture, straight life, alternative life...the list goes on. And with all that there is a pretty reasonable murder mystery. For overseas viewers the lead detective is from Darwin - Australian Deep North like American Deep South - so she is not overacting. The use of swear words is the most clever I have seen. Not like most streaming shows where f... is used because the writers are on strike and no-one can think of anything else to say. Worth having the subtitles on to see how clever. The acting is excellent and really accentuates the characters foibles - a must watch show. Anyone for a jar of "olive tamponade"?