Family Practice Mysteries: Coming Home

I've been watching these Hallmark Murder Mysteries series for many years and try to go into each and every one of them with an open mind. Sure, they're low budget, shot in BC, with a mid-level stable of competent Canadian and American actors, and written by screenwriters with a background of churning out simple, paint by numbers scripts that are never profoundly clever (I know who the killer is and why they did it 20 minutes into each movie)...

But what really irritates me, as of late, is how Upper Middle Class, White and privileged the characters all are. Leads & supporting all have fabulous jobs and live in 3 million dollar homes, with granite kitchen islands, glorious bay windows, 4 bedrooms/5 baths and a back yard you can play football in. Their cars all cost $60k+ and their clothes are effortlessly classy. Frankly, I just want to bash their faces in!

Look, it's fine to watch aspirational characters onscreen, getting into trouble and solving crimes. But I've been a TV writer & producer for many years and very much want my characters -- all still clever, talented and determined -- to live in 2 bedroom rental apartments, work as a waitress, janitor or retail clerk, and get their clothes & home decor at Walmart! Audiences can RELATE to those people and not hate/resent them for living a lifestyle they will never, ever have.