Primetime TV Review: “Murder In a Small Town”

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"Murder In A Small Town" on The CW key art

“Murder In A Small Town” on FOX Review by Suzanne 10/7/24

I love the actors in this show. I’m a huge fan of “Smallville,” and I’ve watched all of the shows Kristin Kreuk has starred in since.  I really enjoyed Rossif Sutherland’s work in the Prime show “Three Pines.”  It’s wonderful to see them paired together in this series. They have amazing chemistry together.

This series really reminds me of those Hallmark movies, or series of movies, which usually take place in a small town. The heroine falls for a guy, or her old boyfriend, and sometimes, like in several of the Hallmark movie series, they solve murders together. The heroines, such as Hannah Swensen, Aurora Teagarden, or Ruby Herring, are generally smarter than everyone around them, including the boyfriend.  Now, this series on FOX (based on the Alberg and Cassandra Mysteries, a series of B.C.-set crime novels by L.R. Wright.) is a Canadian show about a detective named Karl Alberg (Sutherland) who’s new to town, and he meets up with the town’s librarian, Cassandra (Kreuk).  The murders are the focus of the show, but their romance is what ties the show together and makes it worth watch.

The small town, in this case, is Gibsons, a small coastal town that most of us in the U.S. have no doubt never heard of. It’s in the area called the Sunshine Coast. It sets a moody tone that you may be familiar with from watching shows like “The Killing” or “True Detective.”  The romance between the two, and the quirky characters, keep the show from getting too dark.

Each episode has a different murder, and the murder is solved within the show’s 42 minutes.  Whether there will be many long-term stories (besides the romance) remains to be seen.  Alberg is aided in his detective work by stalwart policeman Sergeant Sid Sokolowski (Aaron Douglas of “The Watchful Eye”). Guest stars include James Cromwell, Erica Durance, Lucas Bryant, Greyston Holt, Nathan Witte, Stana Katic, and Paula Patton.

I think the stories and characters are worth watching.  Even if you don’t like the show, you may enjoy the beautiful British Columbia scenery.

MORE INFORMATION: Official Site  Trailer

Kristin Kreuk (Cassandra) and Rossif Sutherland (Karl) star in "Murder in a Small Town" (photo from trailer)All new murder mystery series Murder in a Small Town is based on the Edgar Award-winning, nine-book Karl Alberg series by acclaimed novelist L.R. Wright, and stars Rossif Sutherland (Reign, The Handmaid’s Tale) and Kristin Kreuk (Smallville, Beauty and the Beast). Murder in a Small Town follows Karl Alberg (Sutherland), who moves to a quiet, coastal town to soothe a psyche that has been battered by big-city police work. He’ll quickly learn that this gentle paradise has more than its share of secrets and will need to call upon all the skills that made him a world-class detective in solving the murders that, even in this seemingly idyllic setting, continue to wash up on his shore. Kreuk stars as Cassandra Lee, a local librarian who becomes Karl’s muse, foil and romantic interest.

Mya Lowe (My Life with the Walter Boys, Yellowjackets), Savonna Spracklin (Two-Spirit Odyssey, Wildhood), Aaron Douglas (Battlestar Galactica, The Watchful Eye) and Fritzy-Klevans Destine (The Boys, Superman & Lois) recur in the series, which also features special guest stars James Cromwell (Babe, Succession), Stana Katic (Castle, Absentia), Paula Patton (The Perfect Match, Precious) and Noah Reid (Schitt’s Creek).

Murder in a Small Town is produced by Sepia Films in association with FOX Entertainment and Jeff Wachtel’s Future Shack Entertainment. The series is produced in British Columbia with Ian Weir (Arctic Air, Edgemont) serving as head writer/executive producer, Milan Cheylov (24, The Cleaning Lady) executive-producing and directing multiple episodes of the program, and Nick Orchard (Soapbox Productions), Morris Ruskin and Sharon Wisnia (Mojo Global Arts) and Jon Cotton also serving as executive producers.

 

Kristin Kreuk (Cassandra) and Rossif Sutherland (Karl) star in "Murder in a Small Town" (photo from Kreuk's Instagram)

Proofread and Edited by Brenda

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