Only Murders in the Building

When the initial episodes of 'Only Murders in the Building' started raking in 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, I must confess that I was skeptical that Steve Martin and co could keep up the quirky fun nature of this comedy-thriller series till the last episode.

But Martin Short, Selena Gomez and him form an unlikely yet rambunctious trio who keep us hooked and entertained till the very last episode of this brilliantly written, infectiously funny series.

Steve Martin and a fantastic Martin Short star as a pair of geriatric has-been performers who run into a young gild (Gomez) who also happens to be a fellow murder podcast fanatic. How this rag-tag trio come together to solve a strange murder that takes place in their apartment forms the rest of this story.

Although some comedy-investigative series' have had huge fan bases like Monk (2002-09) and Psych (2006-14) this genre has always been a tightrope walk that most creators shy away from.

Finding humor in the most unlikeliest of places and filled with unexpected twists and turns and a host of delectable supporting characters, it is no surprise that Steve Martin was also one of the creative geniuses behind the writing of this work.

Leaving us on a tantalizing knife-edge with a cliffhanger climax, I cannot wait for Season 2. Well worth the 100% Rotten Tomatoes rating. An immensely bingeable, suspenseful, laugh riot!

Highly recommended!

Season 1 (9/10) When this series came my girlfriend wasn't especially interested. I'm a huge fan of comedy mysteries and loved Steve Martin when I was young, but her enthusiasm for either is mild.

But after five minutes I had to stop and make her watch it, because we are New Yorkers and this series nails New York in five minutes. The weird relationships with by-passers, the artsy types, the justified paranoia, it was all there and immediately hilarious.

The series is about a trio of murder-podcast fanatics who bond over an actual murder in their luxury apartment building. Soon they are investigating and podcasting. But they are also each keeping secrets from one another in a wonderful mysteries-in-a-mystery structure. Everyone has secrets, the series says, and digging deep is fascinating exercise.

The cast is terrific. Martin is low-key funny, Short, who I am generally lukewarm towards, is very funny as a flamboyant theater director, and Selena Gomez more than holds her own as a hilariously snarky temporary tenant.

This show has been a hot-ticket item as far as I know - certainly my friends (and fellow New Yorkers) love it - so I was shocked to see how many user reviews just hate this show, or only find it mediocre, to the point where they insist all favorable reviews are paid for. This response is inexplicable to me. The show is amazing. When a new episode dropped we watched it immediately. It's just so, so, so, so good.

Ignore the naysayers, this is a must watch.

Other seasons: Season 2 (8/10): A shade weaker than the first season, but still excellent.

Season 3 (6/10): What the hell happened? Season 3 had Steve Martin playing his character as a complete idiot and after 2 great seasons, Selena Gomez turned lackluster - more glum and less snarkily witty. And when the mystery was solved, oh my God these were the most nonsensical motives you could come up with.

Sure, there were still good moments, good guest stars, surprisingly enjoyable songs. But OMG.

Season 4 (9 stars) Much to my relief, season 4 was a return to form - Martin was no longer an idiot and Gomez's delightful snark was fully restored.

There are some fun celebrity guest stars - particularly funny is Eva Longoria playing herself as a really awful person - the mystery is solid and keeps you guessing, the plot twists are satisfying, and it's all extremely funny. Probably the second best season after the first one.

I was actually surprised by how much I liked Only Murders in the Building. There's a reason that both seasons have been nominated and won so many awards. The cast (Selena Gomez, Steve Martin, Martin Short) and writing is what makes this show so special. Martin and Short play off one another like the legends they are and Gomez is a lot better actress than I expected. The three of them are just so likable and easy to root for in this series. This show was so good and every episode is so entertaining that I binged both seasons over the course of a weekend. It's a murder mystery show that has plenty of twists, turns and laughs. I'm looking forward to season 3 coming out soon. Season 3 should be the best yet with Paul Rudd and Meryl Streep added to the cast. Can't wait!

So I just finished watching Only Murders in the Building and have to say I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. I originally had no intent on watching because it looked like a show aimed for people 60+ years old. I was wrong. After seeing all the great reviews and all the award nominations for both seasons I finally gave in and watched it. It's a funny who dun it kind of show. It's about three strangers who all love true crime podcasts and then all of a sudden find themselves making one of their own from a murder in their own building. These three (Selena Gomez, Steve Martin and Martin Short) start to put together the clues to find the murderer. The series has something for everyone. If you're looking for a show to just have a good time with and keep you entertained then give this a try. It's just a fun show that you can binge over a few days.

Some barely plausible characters end up starting a podcast on a murder that happens in the tower block they live in.

I loved the characters and I thought the casting was excellent - I had never heard of Selena Gomez but I loved her in this.

It is very light going with a scattering of jokes and mild drama.

There is the odd speciality episode like the one without any spoken dialogue.

Other reviewers have stated that, although alright, this is not as great as people make out.

Technically they are absolutely right - it isn't ground shattering stuff.

But as a fan of the likes of "Monk", "Jonathan Creek", "Rizzoli & Isles" it feels like there has not been anything new in the same vein for quite a while.

This is good, honest, light, sleuthy fun and the smile on my face as I watched every episode justifies my 9 star rating alone.

*EDIT SEASON 2* Season 2 starts of very shaky with some clumsy attempts at humour that don't land and Amy Schumer stomping through the middle of the plot like a bull at a tea party.

But by episode 3 it is all back on track Well done!