Private Eyes

Jason Priestley who will forever be identified with Beverly Hills 90210 as all American Brandon Walsh for several seasons has changed his famous zip code to a native Canadian postal code. His name certainly guarantees a bit of box office attraction for his new Canadian series Private Eyes.

I did a bit of a double take when I saw he was born in 1969 making him as I write this 49 years old. Granted he was no teen when he was playing one, but I have to say he looks pretty good for his age. We should all age so well.

Priestley whom I remember on a long ago interview said he was a hockey player as a kid plays an ex-hockey player and is now trying to reinvent himself as a private detective. He works for Cindy Simpson who took over her dad's detective agency and he's come in as an operative.

The series has a Remington Steele like quality to it with the chemistry between Priestley and Simpson. Hopefully it will have as long a run as Remington Steele did.

The trolls are at it again. How is it that something can come along, remind us of something else and immediately it gets panned as unoriginal? There is nothing new under the sun. This quote itself is nearly 3000 years old. It was true then and it's true now. Yes, this show reminded me of Moonlighting with a dash of Castle as the remade man who considers a different career. However, it dares to consider than just "bringing the killer to justice". There have been resolutions to stories that I didn't see coming or consider to be regular justice. Remember, these guys are PRIVATE EYES, not cops. Justice doesn't have to include iron bars. I like the chemistry between the leads and having Jason Priestly raise a blind daughter whilst having his own dad around for a foil keeps him grounded. Not to mention that, for once, here is a show with wide appeal that is made in Canada that doesn't pretend to be somewhere else. I've enjoyed the tour of her cities and countryside without it being purported to be "somewhere in the US". Yes, Private Eyes does draw from ingredients we're familiar with, but then some of the greatest cocktails are made from stuff we never consider combining before. Give it a taste!

At first glance I really liked the show. It reminds me of Castle, the story about a father and a crime solving duo. The story lines are smooth and the comedy is natural. The most important thing here is that while it is being compared to classic shows, it has a present twist. From a personal point of few, this feels fresh to me and that's why I like it. I hope this as long run. After Castle ended, I had nothing of this genre to watch! A comedy, crime series helps in reviving my mood. Its not about the art, the originality nor the clichés for me, its about the successful characterisation which transcends the realm of the 2 dimensional television and plays out as a reality in my head. I'm giving 8/10 for just that. The show has managed to reach out to me and I would like to show my appreciation.

I didn't think I was interested after the pilot episode. It seemed too gimmicky and redundant. Yeah, yet another pair of ill-suited, mismatched detectives "forced" to work together blah blah... But, I'm glad I watched a couple of more episodes. They made some right turns in the development of the characters and their relationships. I appreciated they toned down the macho animosity and even turned the Shade/Maz dynamic into a sort of reluctant buddy kind of thing. I'm really tired of all the hatred and competitiveness in everything you see these days. This show takes me back to the last century (I can't believe I'm old enough to say that!) and PI shows like Harry O, Rockford and Magnum (the REAL one). Lighthearted humor and a little escape from reality in a relaxing manner is a welcome change from all the explosions and shootouts and car crashes and helicopter crashes and plane crashes and military invasions and, well... you get it. Oh, did I mention all the shouting and backstabbing and assaulting and battering of the "reality" shows? Thanks for "Private Eyes". I'm glad it's still on.

Addendum: The way I rate shows... I don't usually review anything less than a 7 because 6 would be a failing grade and I won't waste my time watching it. I'm old; I don't know how much time I've got left. Since I probably turned it off before getting even halfway through, it wouldn't be fair to rate or review it. 7 is watchable but I may go a while between episodes since, though somewhat entertaining, there are other shows more interesting or compelling. 8 would be a regular in my lineup. 9 is a must see and probably bingeable. 10 is just the epitome of superbity and headed for my all-time favorites list. I'm adding this to my reviews because it seems there are a lot of binary reactions to pretty much everything these days. I am not a like/unlike kind of guy. I see a lot of grays so if I give something a 10 it doesn't mean the only alternative is a 1.

My husband and I really enjoy this .show. Funny, Witty and serious. Just thought you'd like to know😄 We love that the show is filmed here in Toronto Canada. Jason Priestly is one of my favorite actors. I was excited when I heard he was back filming again. We love the premise of the show. It has been a while since it has aired, so I hope this is a new season. Friday nights will be something to look forward to once again😄