Zlociny Velké Prahy

Prague is one of the most beautiful cities I've ever visited and I always enjoy a good mystery so I viewed the entire first season of Prague Mysteries in short order and with great interest. The stunning old city of Prague glows gem-like as three police officers (Hynek Budik and his two assistants, Rudy and Novacek) investigate suspicious deaths in all sorts of venues around the perimeter which is their jurisdiction. Prague was bitterly cold in springtime when I visited but most of these episodes were filmed in warm weather. Of the 10 mysteries I viewed, 8 were resolved satisfactorily but two left me unconvinced. Overall, the show resembles the PBS series about Hercule Poirot in its retro appeal - nattily dressed investigators, stunning architecture, quaint telephones, vintage transportation - and the puddles and muck of farmland where some of the incidents take them. The one drawback of the Prague series is, for me, the excessive amount of viewing time lavished on the soap-opera lives of the women connected with the officers. Having read and watched numerous fictional murder mysteries, in my opinion the best focus on unmarried invesigators who dabble in useful hobbies. In the Prague series, the only activity these men engage in, apart from card-playing at The Club or downing drinks after work, is maintaining active sex lives, married or not. I would have rated the series higher but these distractions dampened my enthusiasm for the show, particularly the shocking scene of a grown man sitting in bed with a very young girl.

This is a great series. It is well-done. I wish they would make similar in America. The Prague series is a detective series, leading it by detective Hynek. He is a great character and does superb acting. All the cases are interesting and great to try to figure out. They always have a twist. All other characters are great actors. The cinematography is also great. I enjoyed the scenery, the old homes and towns. There is nothing not to like about this series, except that is not in English. But I didn't mind having the captions. I wish they would continue the series. I has us hooked to it. We need more!

I caught all 8 episodes on Tubi recently and was thoroughly amazed at the amount of 1920's detail allotted to the scenery: the oil lamps, automobiles, telephones, architecture, playing cards, heated asthma inhaler, weapons, food, clothing, farms, etc. Being a foodie, I definitely would've liked to have known what they ate at home and the restaurants.

I didn't mind the drama of the daughters of the head detective; it was necessary for continuity. Being it was a period series, and with me being a detail freak, I often had to pause at times to Google references of things that were mentioned, such as the head detective's wife losing her countess title and what that entailed, the anarchist posters being plastered all over the place, the infrequent references to how things would've been different before Czechoslovakia became a republic, etc.

I do wish the series didn't make the young police apprentice seem to be a buffoon at times, but I suppose that may have been intentional for comedic relief from an otherwise dreary series. All in all, a worthy series and worth anyone's time if even for the eye candy alone.

Seeing this Czech crime series set in the early 20th-century is both mildly interesting and refreshingly different compared to most shows of this genre. The acting is fairly solid but not worthy of any awards. The details of the period, the scenery and dialogue are quite authentic and give a good insight into this part of Eastern Europe at that time. There are some characters that are very believable yet others that miss the boat. I do find the housekeeper to be both well portrayed and amusing as she goes about her many duties for the commissar. Being originally from Vienna, I can appreciate the buildings and cuisine as being very similar and can 'feel' and recognize the inner city life they portray. The various crimes are sometimes a bit too obvious and others more unpredictable. Overall a kind of mix of occasionally excellent stories and other times very unbelievable ones. The main complaint I have is this overwhelming focus on smoking. It is either a very important detail in many scenarios, almost everyone indulges in this (and other 'vices'), or it takes up so much camera time that you lose interest in what's being said or done. It's at least worth watching but not worth a high rating.

Found this series through an Amazon prime suggestion--probably due to purchases of The Illusionist and Vienna Blood. Very much enjoyed the portrayal of power dynamics in the post-WW1 Central European setting. Visually beautiful, architectural details perfect, and carefully chosen costumes. Having to utilize captioning is well worth the effort to enjoy character development and sense of socio-cultural tension. I hope that more artists from Central Europe can find exposure and success in the global digital streaming market. Nicely paced, no gratuitous violence. Thank you for this dramatic and visual treat.