Staying Fit
Brenda Blethyn stars as Detective Chief Inspector Vera Stanhope in "Vera."
ITV
After watching a great mystery, I often tell my husband we'll never have the couch time to cope with the rising tsunami of good streaming content. Well, that has changed! Here are nine thrilling series and where to binge them.
Vera
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Crusty and guarded with an extra helping of hard-won wisdom and a dash of Peter Falk's Columbo, DCI Vera Stanhope (double Oscar-nominee Brenda Blethyn, 74) attacks her picturesque rural Northumberland mysteries like a terrier with a bone. With 10 seasons, there's plenty of bludgeoning, grudges, buried secrets and plain old jealous spouses in this twisty, female-driven series created by Raven Black novelist Ann Cleeves, 65.
Watch it on: Amazon, Britbox, You Tube, Google Play, iTunes
Captain Marleau
In a kookier Columbo vein, this delightful, France-set, three-season mystery follows the eccentric titular crime fighter as she uncovers shady spa deals, murder by beer, warring siblings and the usual unusual suspects. Corinne Masiero, 56, plays the tall, jocular, trooper hat-wearing investigator, who always has “one last question” that drives to the heart of the mystery. Despite the violence, Marleau always finds a way to get her joie de vivre on — no mopey Wallander moments for her. Great plots, strangely charming detective, beautiful scenery: This is a keeper that's a little off the beaten path. And French legend Gérard Depardieu guest stars in Episode 1.
Watch it on: MHZ Choice, Amazon
Petro Domenigg/Endor Productions/MR Film
Vienna Blood
This British-Austrian pairing of struggling police detective Oskar Rheinhardt (Jürgen Maurer, 53) and Freud-leaning Jewish medical student Max Liebermann (Matthew Beard) rejiggers the classic Sherlock/Dr. Watson format. The turn-of-the-19th-century Viennese psychological thriller is rich with historical details, meticulous costume design and period rooms suitable for the Met. Dark secrets rip open as the two men bond over corpses, despite their social and religious differences.
Watch it on: PBS Masterpiece, available on Amazon.
Grantchester
Before Fleabag claimed the hot priest title for Andrew Scott, Masterpiece Mystery! had this wonderful rural series. James Norton stars as Sidney Chambers, a very hot Anglican vicar constantly warm under his clerical collar. When he's not tending his flock or penning a sermon — or flirting with his married ex — he tracks down 1950s criminals with grumpy local detective Geordie Keating (Robson Green, 55, star of another hidden gem you must discover, Touching Evil). A charming mystery, it gets the chemistry just right, and as it moves through time, the ensemble expands organically. You'll be thoroughly hooked.
Watch it on: Amazon, Vudu, YouTube, Google Play, iTunes
Bernard Walsh/BBC AMERICA
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