Remember over Labor Day weekend when Lucy and Scotty spent the weekend at our house. Well Lucy likes to be held a lot and being that stage is soon ending, I held her. We rocked LOTS in the glider. Well a few days before that I finished the series, “The Killing” that I was watching on Netflixs and was in the market for a new series. Being the kids were here and I wanted something a little more kid appropriate than a cop show, I remembered that I had seen an ad in my Facebook feed for a show called “A Place to Call Home”.
Well after a little investigation I found out it was on Acorn TV. Well it was $5 (or something like that) a month for this…while I was in the glider rocking anyway, I decided to check it out. We don’t get DISH or any cable service television besides Netflix so I decided it wouldn’t be terrible for an extra $5. I knew nothing about Acorn television and soon learned they specialize in British television and other foreign shows. Ah…PERFECT. Hubby hates it but I love everything I’ve watched that was British television. So..I got it.
I started watching this…
and I love it. I love it a lot. This is actually Australian television. It was billed as a bit of “Downton Abbey” only in Australia and starts after WWII.
The costuming is wonderful.
I like the story lines.
I am almost done with the last season and have been picking up and working on cross stitch again lately simply so I can watch. Can you believe this??? I like it so much that I ended up buying a Roku for my upstairs television in the sewing room so I can watch while I sew. There are 60 episodes…I’m at about 57 now. I am so hooked.
I remember as a kid watching “Dynasty”. This reminds me a bit of it….only not Crystal and Alexis fighting on the stairs. Remember??
This show actually touches on some serious subjects…Women working, anti-Semitism; women’s health and homophobia.
I love the mix and highly recommend it. While writing this I looked around and am happy to say I couldn’t find a bad review…and as for Acorn TV, I’ve checked out a few other shows and have liked them so far too. I have no regrets at all in signing up.
I am on the hunt for a new show though…this one is sadly coming to an end.
Also on Acorn is Murdoch Mysteries. It follows William Murdoch and crew as they solve crimes around Toronto (and other Canadian places) in the 1910s. Murdoch is always solving crimes with “high tech” gadgets and “groundbreaking” CSI-type ideas. It’s a lot of fun and they interweave famous Canadians and Americans guest stars throughout the 11 seasons. (Season 12 is currently airing in Canada and should come to Acorn soon!)
I also blew through Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries. Phyrne Fisher is a thoroughly modern affluent woman in 1920s Melbourne, Australia. A little who-done-it and a little romance. I thought all three seasons were a lot of fun and have started reading the books!
Shetland is on public television and probably available on the alternative for pay channels. Or, Broadchurch.
I love Murdoch, there is a lightheartedness to it. Shetland is a little more dark. Vera is another one that is very good Ann Cleeves is the author of both Shetland and Vera. I have a few more that I really liked. I will post them when I can unlock the door in my brain.
Foyle’s War, Dr. Blake Mysteries, Inspector Lewis, Midsomer Murders, Rosemary and Thyme
Have you watched Designated Survivor on Netflix? I love it, and am bingeing my way through !!!
If they have it, I can recommend the BBC show “Father Brown”. Takes place in the 50’s in small town England. It is a murder mystery but has lots of humor too! Mary Ann
Father Brown is also on PBS. We watch all the masterpiece shows, Poldark right now and the Durrells in Corfu. If you find the Durrells in Corfu, watch it. It is so funny about a widow who moves her family to Greece from the UK. 3 sons and a daughter who is very plain. One of the sons wrote the books. I will have to check out Acorn.
We watched all of A Place to Call Home on Acorn TV — and, like you, we were sorry that it ended. (Reminded me of Dynasty, too.) I cringed at the costumes — the women wore high heels for nearly everything!! — but the story hooked us. We, too, are casting about for a new series to watch — one episode of Agatha Raisin, so far…. We have seen all of Foyle’s War, Phryne Fisher, and 800 Words.
Look for Dr. Findley on Acorn , takes place in the 1950’s in Scotland , suitable for the whole family. Lots of good viewing on Acorn , well worth the $5.00 cost.
I have never heard of Acorn, now I will have to check it out.
We love AcornTV and British mysteries. Enjoyed watching Foyle’s War (set in WWII), George Gently (set in 1960s England), Inspector Lewis, Midsomer Murders (also on PBS), Broadchurch and Shetland. Also on PBS is Grantchester and Poldark which we both enjoy.
We dumped Direct TV about 18 months ago and don’t regret it all. Can’t get local channels with an antenna so we started watching DVD’s. Discovered Fire TV, tried it and LOVE it. Channels such as Acorn, Britbox, Hallmark, PBS Masterpiece, require a small monthly fee, but you can use it for a month, cancel it and renew whenever you want to. There are so many things to watch on Fire TV that you may not even need the other channels. Check it out on Amazon. All you need is internet, Amazon Prime and your set. No more monthly bills, commercials, or all the political garbage around election time. We also love British, Australian, Canadian TV. The US needs more series like theirs.
I loved A Place to Call Home and also got my best friends hooked on it. Heart Guy is also good. Along with everything else that has been recommended. I also love Midsommer Murders. Not as child friendly thought. Depending on the age of the child. 12+
When we finally got decent Internet here with enough bandwidth we ditched DirecTV and have Rokus on both TVs. We already had Amazon Prime and signed up for Hulu with live TV so we still get all our main channels, only much cheaper. I also signed up for Netflix. I’m having fun catching up on some series and finding new ones. The hubby not so much. He just can’t seem to get the correlation between the remote and the screen. I think it’s the pressing the OK button to make it do what you want that messes him up. Being a computer user it’s second nature for me. Maybe time will help.
love love love A Place to Call Home, another great series with APTCH star Marta Dusseldorf is Janet King, current day, she’s a barrister/prosecuter, also Jack Irish , Loch Ness, Mystery Road. APTCH was supposed to end after season 2 or 3 but everyone loved it so much they kept going. Absolutely loved the ending, kinda made me misty eyed.
I love A Place to Call Home. I get it on my local PBS Station but like you I have enjoyed every British series I have watched I am going to have to check out Acorn.
@Kathleen,
I am hooked on Designated Survivor, too!
Netflix is going to have a Season 3!!
Try Doc Martin on Acorn. British show with a doctor who is almost too tough to love but all the other characters are wonderful.