This excellent crime comedy drama series from Sweden is at the top of the list because it was the pick of the crop for me this month. It has action aplenty, comedy, romance and it will definitely hold your attention. The story follows technical news-producer Arthur who goes on a first date with true-crime enthusiast Mille. They are involuntarily caught in the centre of a chaos, involving murder and sabotage. To survive, they must take matters into their own hands. I’ve seen unfavourable critiques of this one, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. But then I am a Nordic Noir fan.

This is a comedic version of the life of Lady Jane Grey. It is not historically accurate, and it’s not meant to be. The standout for me is Anna Chancellor as Jane’s ambitious mother, Lady Frances Grey. She is superb. When she sells Jane’s hand to the highest bidder, Jane is dismayed to discover that her dreaded husband-to-be, Guildford Dudley, is an infuriatingly attractive stranger with a dark secret; one that has the potential to get them both killed. Not to mention the fact that there are greater conspiracies afoot, like a plot to murder her cousin, King Edward, and throw the entire kingdom into chaos. This is a witty story full of romance, adventure, and fantasy. Rob Brydon is in his usual hilarious form as Lord Dudley. Very entertaining.

The second season of this excellent series has landed on Prime. It is based on J. R. R. Tolkien’s history of Middle-earth, primarily material from the novel The Lord of the Rings. Set thousands of years before the novel in the Second Age of Middle-earth, the season depicts the rise of the Dark Lord Sauron and the creation of more Rings of Power. It’s an opportunity to go back to Season 1. Hours and hours of viewing for all the hobbits out there.

There were controversial allegations surrounding this crime drama towards the end of the series. Despite that, this is a great production where a tense police investigation into a tight-knit Manchester community explores whether it is ever possible to observe the lives of others with true objectivity and zero effect. When a teacher goes missing, DC Martin Young sets up surveillance equipment in the home or single mum Zoe Sturges, who also begins her own amateur investigation. There’s a good twist to this one, but patience will be required as the plot unfolds.

As you can imagine, the scenery is the star of this crime drama filmed on location in Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain. The action centres around British detective Miranda Blake who is forced into a collaboration with German detective Max Winter, clashing over how to police the Spanish island of Mallorca, with their personal tensions also coming into the mix. This is not fantastic, but it is quite enjoyable viewing, even though some of the plots will be familiar to crime drama enthusiasts.

As those who watch a copious amount of crime drama will know there are a lot of murders allegedly taking places at the seaside in the UK. Presented by journalist and true crime author Geoffrey Wansell, this documentary series examines strange murders recorded at famous seaside resorts. An interesting look at some of the strange murders taking place by the sea.

This is truly excellent viewing. Actor Will Sharpe writes, directs and stars in this quirky black comedy, which follows the dysfunctional members of the Flowers family who are struggling to hold themselves together. The talented Olivia Colman stars as Deborah who is wrestling with her husband’s inner demons. The Flowers family and their self-inflicted crises are surrounded by odd neighbours, who add further headaches and heartache to an already fractious situation. Highly entertaining.

Transparent won eight Emmy Awards. The story revolves around the Pfefferman family where father Mort has a secret that he really wants to tell his three adult children, who are so self-absorbed they don’t see that something has changed for their divorced, girlfriendless dad. Even when he invites them all to dinner to share his news, somehow the conversation becomes about them. Eventually the dysfunctional family finds one secret after another being exposed. The story draws on themes from series creator Joey Soloway’s own father coming out as a trans parent.

I must say that one of my reasons for watching this comedy crime drama is that it is set in the beautiful seaside city of Brighton. Having recently viewed the excellent John Simm drama Grace, it was lovely to be back by the sea. There is a talented ensemble cast attached to this one, with an exhilarating ride through the challenges of front-line policing in a show packed with dramatic incidents and quirky characters. The Brits do quirky extremely well. Plus, there is the underlying tension between various members of the team.