A cult favourite TV series in Australia, where it is screened in German with subtitles (have you noticed almost all the comments are from Australia), Kommissar Rex is an Austrian show, now in its ninth season.
Try to imagine a German language version of Jim Belushi's K9 movies, with a Viennese backdrop, and you are somewhere in the ball park. A loner male cop paired with a German Shepherd police dog, though Rex veers a little more towards action/mystery than comedy.
The show itself is a little confounding in some respects. It can be rolling along in G-rated family mode, and then they will find a dismembered body in a sewer, or there will be scenes of someone shooting up junk. This doesn't seem to phase Australian viewers but it may mean it will never get a US release (that, and the subtitles.)
Basically there have been three incarnations of Rex. The first four season featured Moretti as Rex's partner. He was good looking, charismatic, and the chemistry was perfect. These trend to be regarded as the classic seasons. A further four seasons followed with another male lead, whereupon the entire cast (including Rex) were replaced and we now have a new male lead who has a female cop love interest. In my opinion this badly interferes with the man-dog chemistry (the male lead should be a confirmed loner/bachelor) - but it's still a likable show even in this incarnation.
Audiences in Australia have been known to become extremely upset if this show is temporarily taken off air. It's a shame it's not available in the US, because it would garner plenty of fans.
