Only Murders in the Building

This type of lighthearted and quality comedy and show is hugely lacking in this day and age! I am really enjoying this show so far.. I think it Steve Martin and Martin Short are comedic geniuses and the banter throughout was very natural and fun. I was a bit skeptical at first because of the seemingly odd choice to cast Selena with these two classics, but it totally works! 👏

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!

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.

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.

This show is a joy to watch. It's witty and light-hearted, which is exactly what we need right now. Very reminiscent of Clue.