Durham County

I have read many of the reviews but I seem to be the only viewer who found it almost impossible to understand much of what the characters were saying. Much guesswork on my part. They just seem to mumble. A very depressing series.

The plot of Durham County is one of those that will leave you scratching your head in confusion and frustration at times. It has a very quirky, off beat sense to it and it's hard to compare against a benchmark. At times it feels as though the writers of Twin Peaks got together on a lazy Sunday afternoon, put their heads together and came up with the plot for Durham County.

One thing about the series is that it's weird and puzzling and you can see that right from the first minute. Thankfully there are only 6 episodes because by the end of the last episode I was ready to punch my sofa cushion in frustration.

There are ups and downs to the series and it leans slightly more towards the downside a little. The upside is that it is short and for the most part does not succumb to anything typical. That makes it unique. There are no good guys here- just bad, badder and worse. The writers blur the lines neatly between the heroes and the villains, leaving it up to the viewer to decide if the character is good or bad. Acting is quite good by all the principal characters, helping to bring out a variety of emotions from the viewer's point. The downside is that the ending is not satisfying enough and leaves you wondering if it was worth watching in the first place. The plot does stumble around a bit and could have used some tightening.

All in all it starts out well but starts to lag in the third episode onwards leading to a disappointing finish.

This show combines the best of British and American drama but with a distinctive Canadian flavor which clinches the deal. The actors are not pin ups but play their parts with genuine emotion.

Cinematography is spot on and the scripts and re-enactments done with chilling realism.Music selection is appropriate and the sound quality is superior to most network shows.

The only negative point if you can call it that will be the relatively short season for Series one which will rely on the overall market appeal in North America as to its continuation next season.

Not to be missed!

I'm a guy who loves his creepy dramas and this is by far my favorite so far. It has so many elements working on so many different levels, but it's all presented so simply. It reminds me a lot of the show Dexter but more story driven and a little simpler intellectually. After watching thousands of episodes of CSI, I would have thought I was more than desensitized to anything T.V. could throw at me, but the entire first episode gave me chills. It's a bit grotesque and bloody but it's not unnecessarily so like most horror movies and crime dramas. It's a great back and forth chess match of a show, and you'll feel guilty for having such a good time with it.

And it's not just the violence itself. The characters set up the scenes easily and they develop themselves beautifully, the scenery and environments are great and they set up the atmosphere of impending doom, the effects cut the monotony and still makes you feel crazy. So great! Hurray! We can finally be shocked by murder again!

Durham County is a fantastic show. I can't wait for it each week to find out what's going to happen to Ray, Mike and the rest of the characters. The cinematography is brilliant, acting phenomenal, and directing amazing.

Right from the black and white with splashes of red opening shots, through each episode and to the final credits, I'm riveted by this show. It rivals some of the best TV dramatic series out there: Six Feet Under, the Sopranos, etc.

Kudos to the producers for getting this top-notch show on the air. Looking forward to the next season.

Marianne