I don’t know of anyone who doesn’t watch at least something on their television or stream it on their device at home even if it’s just a couple of times a week. And what with so many ground breaking TV series that have been on over the last ten years or so, I decided that I would start to watch things that perhaps not everyone else was seeing. So let me tell you about a few series that I have watched as Winter ended and Springtime began, and these are ones that I would highly recommend.

Look out for the Trigger sections and Themes that I outline in each section, and also the genres to decide if a series if right for you or not. I also rated each series I watched.

The Rising

When I saw this program advertised on my SKY TV Box I was instantly drawn in by its synopsis. This series left me itching to watch the next episode, and with a cast of people who are mainly British and Irish, you will see some familiar faces, as well as a few rising stars for sure. Superb acting and storytelling that far surpasses some of what is on the tele at the moment, The Rising is a relatively short series that I can recommend to anyone who likes thrillers, murder mystery and the supernatural.

I don’t want to give out any spoilers, that isn’t why I’m writing a review, what I will do is give you no more detail than the synopsis does, and tell you in my own words why I think you should give this one a go.

Neve Kelly is furious that someone has murdered her, for the 8 hours of this incredible series we watch her get angry and scared, before vowing for justice. Neve refuses to be somebody’s victim and she starts to slowly piece together what happened that night. The twists and turns will have you binge watching this show episode after episode wanting to find out who killed her, will the family ever get closure?

If you like a good “whodunit” murder mystery, if you like British Drama, if you enjoy something supernatural and/or ghosts and spirits, then this show will be right up your street. I found myself rooting for the main character after the first episode had finished and I was looking for the clues just like she was. A brilliant and somewhat uplifting drama despite its genre, I was also compelled by several actors and their performances and would recommend this show to anyone.

Themes: Death, Drugs, Drowning, Alcoholism, Murder, Death of a Child, Depression
Genre: Murder Mystery, Thriller, Supernatural Drama
Episodes: 8
Average Episode Time: 1 Hour
Where to Watch: Sky Boxsets or Sky Go
My Rating 5✩

Pretty Little Liars Original Sin

If, like me, you watched the Pretty Little Liars series back in the early 2010’s you’ll know it was a huge deal. I personally loved the show, acting and storyline was fabulous. So when I heard that they were revisiting that area of state with a new series dedicated to the same principle I was intrigued. Set years after the events in Rosewood in a town not too far down the road called Millwood. A group of young women in high school start to become terrorised by a masked figure who calls himself A. Their worlds crumble around them one by one and with tons of references to the original PLL but without trying to out do them, this series had me gripped from start to finish. It’s also been left open to continue on to series two which I really hope they do. I was very impressed by the five young actresses, two of which I had seen before in other shows. They each embodied their characters flawlessly and on screen chemistry of the group was excellent too.

There are plenty of hard hitting themes within PLL, even more so than there were ten years ago in the original series. So if you have suffered trauma and are subjective to trigger warnings, I would like to outline the themes so you can make a decision on whether you should watch this or not. Although some are hard hitting, the show did very well in regards getting justice for people who had been wronged within the storyline, and some lines were done very tactfully as well.

Themes Include;
Teenage Pregnancy, Rape, Blood, Torture,
Death of a Parent, Horror and Gore, Drugs,
Suicide, Bullying, Death, Serial Killer.

If you can get past all those triggers it’s actually a fantastic series. It has even more adult themes compared to the original Pretty Little Liars which made it more hard hitting than just teen drama. Many references to the original and some of its characters too made it very nostalgic watching for me. If you liked the original PLL, high school teen drama, adult drama with them having flashbacks, twists and murder mystery with serial killer vibes then this is the show for you.

Genre: Teen / Young Adult Drama, Serial Killer, Revenge
Episodes: 10
Average Episode Time: 51 mins
Where to Watch: I watched it on BBC1 but it’s still available on BBC iPlayer at the moment.
My Rating 5✩

Why Didn’t They Ask Evans?

I loved this! The Agatha Christie novel adapted by Hugh Laurie, who also stars, so what’s not to love?! Will Poulter and Lucy Boynton have fantastic onscreen chemistry and I thought she was just fantastic with all her mannerisms and quirks! The story was gripping and intriguing and moved on at a pace that you simply couldn’t be bored if you tried. Will Poulter is excellent and I was really rooting for him after only a few minutes of this. I grant that this genre isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but I would suggest giving it a chance. Watch out for lots of guest stars too with the likes of Game of Thrones legend Conleth Hill and the brilliant Emma Thompson as well as Jim Broadbent to name but a few.

Brief Overview
The vicar’s son Bobby (Poulter) is working as a golf caddy on the welsh coast when he discovers a body at the bottom of the cliffs, upon climbing down to the man he speaks his final words to him “Why didn’t they ask Evans?” before passing away. The bond and this question then leads Bobby on an intriguing murder mystery all over the UK. Frankie (Boynton) is Bobby’s childhood socialite friend who agrees to help him on his quest for the truth. Several twists and amazing characters later and the pair finally start to unravel the mystery.

You could watch this in an evening because there are only 3 episodes totally a time of 3 hours. Highly recommend it for anyone aged mid teenage years and above (due to the blood at the cliff and several other serious scenes including a beating, torture, mental illness and the use of guns and a bit of smoking). Check it out, you won’t be disappointed.

Genre: Murder Mystery, Period Drama, Thriller
Episodes: 3
Average Episode Time: 55 mins
Where to Watch: Currently on ITV X.
My Rating 5✩

You and Me

This series caught my eye on an advert one night, and after viewing that it was only 3 episodes I decided it was worth a go. I was pleasantly surprised by excellent acting, brilliant on screen chemistry and a story that sadly a lot of people might be able to relate to. Have a tissue at the ready! (No Spoilers!)

If you’re a fan of an unconventional love story, this will definitely be a show for you. It’s really well cast throughout the families involved with a few famous faces as well! There are several triggering parts of this series including death and cancer and sudden loss, but don’t let that put you off viewing this beautiful story. Me and You taught me that you should never give up hope of finding happiness, to be grateful for all that you have right in this moment and to always seize the day and take that photo, because you don’t know if it could be the last you take of that person. It is a romantic comedy and there were times that I laughed, but also times I cried. It’s beautifully directed though.

Genre: Romantic Comedy, Drama
Episodes: 3
Average Episode Time: 45 mins
Where to Watch: ITV X
My Rating: 4✩

What else am I currently watching?

NCIS Season 19 – the original and in my opinion the best, love this team and all their navy drama and thrilling crime busting shenanigans! Currently airing on Channel 5 USA once a week.

Savage River – murder mystery in a small town called Savage River in rural Victoria (AUS). Miki returns after ten years in prison and all she wants to do is move on with her life. Half the town seem happy for her to do just that, but the other half won’t let her forget the past. As a new murder rocks the town to the core, Miki must clear her name and help find the culprit, uncovering town secrets at every turn. Airing once a week on Channel 5 Star.

I will review these and anything else I end up watching once the seasons have finished.

✩✩✩

Thank you for reading this blog post today, I hope you’ve liked this new content that I’m bringing to the website. If you would love to see more posts like this please leave me a comment letting me know.

Have you already seen any of the programs I have reviewed?

Wishing you a great day and thanks for visiting Severn Wishes Blog.

✩ Sabrina ✩

✩✩✩

Please Note:

✩ Programs were still available to view as of June 5th 2023.
✩✩ All the words are my own including the synopsis’ that I’ve written after viewing the programs.
✩✩✩ I have screenshot the images for reference from BBC, ITVX and IMBD.