We’ve been watching this Spanish mini-series called Gran Hotel set in a gorgeous seaside town in Spain in the early 1900’s in a fancy hotel. It’s part Downton Abbey, part Upstairs Downstairs, and part Poirot Mysteries. There’s murder, sweet romance, forbidden love, intrigue, and several beautiful Spanish men. I’ll warn you, this show is like video crack, you’ll have to plan your day around your binges.
Our other binge favorite (we’ve seen the entire set, they’re supposed to be making a feature length movie for the next part, but we shall see) is called The Miss Fisher Mysteries. This one is about a gorgeous woman of means (we’re still not sure where she acquired her fortune) ends up doing some amateur sleuthing to figure out a potential crime in her own circumstances. Turns out she’s good at it. Real good, much to the chagrin of the local police authorities. But the Inspector keeps on running into her (Phryne Fisher) literally, and figuratively, when he and his assistant are out solving crimes for pay. At first he’s confounded by her, but then he realizes that she could be his greatest asset in more ways than one, but our poor Inspector, although he is quite manly and brave and smart, is also rather shy and reserved (and married). But wherever a murder is about to be, or has already been committed, Phryne and her lady’s maid, Dot, always seem to be in the wrong place at the right time, or is it the other way round? Either way, the Lady Detective and the Handsome Inspector always end up on the same path, but coming in from different directions. Is it fate, or luck, or something stronger? Only time will tell. In the meantime, there’s a whole cast of supporting characters with lots of interesting stuff going on behind the scenes. This show is set in Melbourne Australia, starting in the 1920’s so there are fabulous clothes to be seen, especially on Phryne, even if she’s scaling the side of a building in the rain (in heels), or perusing a speakeasy, or entertaining gentleman friends (of whom she’s got a lot). This show is a cross between Sherlock Holmes and Moonlighting, only with better clothes. Again, plan your day accordingly, you will be staying in.