Anna-detektiv

I was absolutely blown away about how good the programme actually was. The set and costumes are brilliant and the characters develop as the episodes progress. It has a genuine naive atmosphere to it which I think was in keeping to the time. It is warm humoured without being over the top and I am not a romance fan at all but I really love the blossoming love affair and respect that Yakov and Anna have for each other. It truly is worth a watch. Best thing I've watched for a long time :)

An interesting experience. My first foray into Russian TV, experienced hardcore, and I'm quite enjoying it (Russian speaking - a completely new language for me - with English subtitles that are sometimes awkward and in need of editing). The period costumes are beautiful, the set seems to be a well used location that reuses buildings and interiors as various and different places, as the script dictates, so it gives the filming a low budget feel. The acting of the titled lead was a little rough at the beginning, but she quickly got better as the series progressed, and she simply exudes charm and youthful beauty that is quite captivating for all who encounter her. The supporting performances were solid if striking a bit of a comedic tone and at times is very stylized and melodramatic which is reminiscent of the parlour dramas of the period it is depicting. The premise of a young woman who speaks to the dead to solve crimes (the obsession with Spiritualism in the 19th Century is well documented) matched by a seasoned (and romantically attractive) detective who comes to similar conclusions by astute investigative procedures, is rather unique and I liked it. At the centre of these mysteries is a romance which very much pulls the work together. I had the honour of entering the information for TVDb and subsequently TRAKT (sorry, I had no artwork) which brought to my attention what a Herculean endeavour this series must have been to perform, produce and broadcast. There were 56 episodes in this first series, all done in 2016, and broadcast, every week, sometimes twice a week and once with three unique episodes in a single week! Compare that to British series that have 4 to 10 episodes a year, or American network series that have 24 episodes. It must have been a completely exhausting (which might explain my next statement). There is a rumour of a second season coming out in 2018 (November) which would be welcomed by it's fans as the 56th episode very much layed the groundwork for new directions and some resolutions (we hope). Let's hope Amazon Prime carries it! I give the series a 7 (good) out of 10, and look forward to more ANNA-DETEKTIV, even if it takes a week to binge, as it did for Season One. {Mystery Romance Spiritualism}

This is just a fantastic series. Richly developed characters. Great dialog. Beautifully shot. The character Anna steals your heart from the first episode as she tries to solve the many mysteries she encounters, and as she develops into a strong-willed woman while, trying to keep her optimism and innocence in tact. This is a great murder mystery series with a compelling love story at its heart.

Subtitles can be a challenge but I enjoyed storyline enough to buy the season 1 from Amazon Prime video. Hopefully there will be a season 2

I'm obsessed with this show. This is a mystery murder-of-the-week show, but it's really about the relationship between the two main characters - Anna, a young woman who sees ghosts/spirits, and Yakov, the police detective. I also liked all of the other regular characters - Anna's family, the detective's assistant, the neighbor, the newspaper reporter, the police chief, etc. I don't know much about 19th century Russian life, but the show very effectively conveys a sense of a previous era. Also, I love Anna's beautiful dresses. She seems to have at least one new one each episode. I've watched all 56 episodes... more than once.

There are flaws, but I am so captivated by the good parts of this series that I don't care.