Annika

I've read a lot of negative reviews, but I think the way it's done is fantastic. How to get to know a character? Have her talk directly to the camera, sharing her innermost thoughts and background. Unusual. Quirky. Whatever - I think it's brilliant.

I decided to watch it because I think Nicola Walker is an amazing actress. I'm staying with it, because I think it's a good show, like the cast, and the writing and the views.

No spoiler - just this - WOW, WHAT A WAY TO END THE FIRST SEASON!!

MORE PLEASE.............

Brilliant and clever! The stories Annika tells are echoed in the script for example bridges means the architecture that is seen and the connections that are made. I love it when everything is not spelled out for me but allows me to interpret and construct from the material which gives depth to the drama unfolding. The humour used by Annika is also enjoyable and different. The themes are explained in the stories and echoed when the crime is solved. I think many have not understood what is being used like analogies and figures of speech. The other detectives are portrayed well by the actors and provide a mix of characters to help solve each of the crimes. The setting is a bonus with great scenery. It is worth at least an eight because compared to other police procedurals it has depth and layers of meaning.

First, to address some of the repeated complaints in other reviews - this show is based on a radio show set in Norway that also featured Nicola Walker and the breaking of the fourth wall that has upset so many is an attempt to preserve the conversational atmosphere of the podcast. For what it's worth, Scotland does indeed have a marine investigation unit tasked with investigating homicides on or in bodies of water, so no, that's not ludicrous at all, it is literally a thing.

Annika is a light, character driven show in which each episode has a different murder for the team to solve. I really enjoy Annika's reflections on literature and her dry humor as she discusses what is happening with the audience, and Walker does an astonishingly good job with the delivery as always. She's great but this may be some of her best work, as she really gets to have fun with the character. Her interactions with McGann are particularly strong as he makes an awesome straight man for her awkward character. We pretty much focus on her life and her daughter, so some of the supporting cast doesn't necessarily get the screen time they deserve.

Truly don't get why this is being rated so low. OK, so a dead body in or around the water every week is perhaps a little unlikely, but some of the little quips and dialogue is both clever and witty. Nicola Walker is excellent, the brief monologues to camera are a brave and interesting way of linking things together. Perhaps people gave up on this too early or reality TV, Mrs Brown's Boys or Hawaii 5-0 is more their idea of quality entertainment? Haters have to hate I guess. Personally, I'm hoping a second series will be forthcoming.

It took me an episode to get into this series. The draw was always Nicola Walker but the writer has her breaking the 4th wall (which is stage speak for talking directly to the audience) which I found off-putting at first, and the tone of the series is rather stripped down and sterile. But, the humour, the disarming frankness of our heroine, the relationship between mom and daughter, the episodic crimes and, of course, the brilliant work of Nicola, soon won me round. Inevitably, I found myself chuckling at the final one liners her character addresses to the camera as the episode ends. I give this series a 7 (good) out of 10. {Crime Dramedy}