The thrill of the chase. The allure of the mystery. The catharsis of seeing the bad guy caught. There are so many reasons we love watching murder mysteries, crime dramas, and police procedurals. Luckily, there’s always plenty to pick from, which is just perfect considering we’re in for a long weekend as well as incoming cold weather (whenever winter decides to finally rear its frosty head). Let’s kick off with a few local picks.
Reyka
If you missed the exciting second season of Reyka, you can still catch up on all eight episodes on DStv Stream. Kim Engelbrecht returns to the title role and is on the track of a new killer, dubbed the Lover’s Lane Killer. Other familiar faces return to the fold, including Iain Glen, Anna-Mart van der Merwe, and Gerald Steyn. New faces include Samkelo Ndlovu as Reyka’s new partner Ayanda, and Pallance Dladla as Ayanda’s boyfriend Zwelethu. The second season keeps us in KwaZulu-Natal but moves the mystery from the cane fields to the harbour.
White Lies
Filling Reyka’s timeslot on Thursdays at 20:00 is this new crime drama. Taking place in Cape Town, it hits the ground running with a brutal murder in an idyllic suburb. Edie Hansen is not only the woman trying to solve the murder, she’s also the victim’s sister. Taking on the role of Edie is Natalie Dormer. Her foil comes in the form of Detective Forty Bell, played by Brendon Daniels. These two are great together and we can’t wait to see their dynamic unfold. If you missed the first episode, catch up on DStv Stream.
Catch Me a Killer
Last, but not least, of the SA entries is also fronted by a woman. However, this is a true crime series, following forensic psychologist and police profiler Micki Pistorius. She was the first profiler in the South African Police Service, helping identify and interrogate many serial killers. She wrote an autobiography about the cases she worked on called Catch Me a Killer, which is the inspiration for the series. The series is available on Showmax with new episodes landing every Wednesday.
Found
Also on Showmax is this new crime show that follows Gabi Mosely, a former kidnapping victim turned recovery specialist. Mosely focuses on finding missing people, especially those whose cases have been forgotten or ignored. She’s played by Shanola Hampton, whom fans will recognise as Veronica Fisher from Shameless. New episodes land on Tuesdays.
Alert: Missing Persons Unit
This show also focuses on missing people and is already coming back with a second season. The first season is available on Showmax, if you want to binge before season 2 starts on M-Net on Friday 29 March at 20:00. It stars Scott Caan – who honed his crime-solving skills on ten seasons of Hawaii-Five 0 – as a detective working in the missing persons unit (MPU) of the Philadelphia Police Department. He is driven by the fact that his own son went missing and works with his ex-wife, played by Dania Ramirez, who is the captain of the MPU.
True Detective: Night Country
After a five-year absence, the anthology series is back! This time the setting is Alaska, in a fictional town called Ennis. It stars Jodie Foster and Kali Reis as two detectives investigating the chilling disappearance of eight men. True Detective: Night Country ranks as the highest-rated season in the drama’s history. Little surprise then that it’s been renewed for a fifth season. The fourth season starts on M-Net on Wednesday 13 March at 21:00.
FBI triple bills
Another welcome return is the triple whammy of FBI shows: FBI season 6, FBI: International season 3, and FBI Most Wanted season 5. Starting on Tuesday 19 March, the three shows will air back-to-back on M-Net, from 19:00. Fun fact: the FBI franchise is one of the highest-performing procedurals on M-Net.
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Feature image: Charlotte Hope as Micki Pistorius in Catch Me a Killer.