Starring role: Lucy Lawless (of Xena: Warrior Princess fame) plays the lead character, Alexa Crowe, a fearless and unapologetic investigator.
Show premise: Alexa, a retired police officer, is drawn into solving murders that often stump the police, often finding herself drawn into the cases despite not wanting to be called a “murder woman”.
Supporting cast: Her investigations are aided by her tech-savvy assistant, Madison (played by Ebony Vagulans).
Format: Each episode is a self-contained story with a different murder mystery to solve.
Setting: Filmed in Australia and New Zealand, the show is known for showcasing iconic locations from its production cities.
Tone: The show is described as a “light-hearted” crime drama

Premise: Detective Mike Shepherd is sent to Brokenwood and decides to stay permanently, becoming the senior detective in the small town where he finds a surprising number of murders. He uses his unconventional methods to solve crimes, often clashing with but ultimately complementing his younger, more precise partner, Kristin Sims.
Structure: The series consists of feature-length, self-contained episodes, each focusing on a different murder investigation.
Characters:
Detective Inspector Mike Shepherd: The lead, played by Neill Rea, is an outsider with a love for classic cars and country music.
Detective Kristin Sims: Played by Fern Sutherland, she is the local, by-the-book detective who initially finds Shepherd’s methods baffling but grows to appreciate him.
Dr. Gina Kadinsky: The Russian pathologist, played by Cristina Ionda, is a key member of the team.
Other team members: The team also includes characters like Detective Sam Breen (Nic Sampson) and Detective Constable Daniel Chalmers (Jarod Rawiri).
Tone: The show is a crime drama with elements of black humor, which is often described as “quintessentially Kiwi”. It balances the seriousness of the murders with witty dialogue and quirky characters.
Origin and Production: The series is a New Zealand production, created by Tim Balme.
International Appeal: The Brokenwood Mysteries has achieved international success and has been broadcast in many countries. It is available on streaming services like Acorn TV in some regions, which have the rights to show new seasons.