The older I get, the more I like a little softness to my TV detective watching. That is not to say I didn’t like ENDEAVOUR for instance. That strayed onto the darker edges of a scandi noir TV styling and alot away from the American styled easy perp walk that is favoured for those weekday watches. HARRY WILD is far more the latter than the former. It sees literature professor Harriet “Harry” Wild (Jane Seymour, yes former Bond girl and TV Doc) struggling to adjust to her recent retirement. She wants to start a detective agency. Sounds sensible. After being mugged its more maybe than yes. While recuperating at the home of her son, Charlie (Kevin Ryan), she gets a little more keen. He is a senior detective in the Dublin police and Harry glances at some of his case files. One file in particular sparks her interest. With a trusted teen sidekick called Fergus (Rohan Nedd), she sets out to investigate.

The key to a good murder mystery series is all here. Good lead. Conflict. Solid sidekick. A little hook to suggest originality. The last of these is the literature angle. With mentions of Russian greats and Bard plays aplenty. However the series is not original nor is it optimal television watching. It is functional. Serviceable. Clever in places. Good chemistry between Nedd and Seymour. Stories that bundle up nicely. This is all good. Then it still lacks a little something. Never feels like it lifts out of third gear. Never tries to be anything more. Maybe that is its best trait?