Anyone planning on giving PBS's new show Zen a try when it starts 7/17?

[Little Star]

It is about a modern day italian police detective in Rome, Italy named Aurelio Zeno. I'm gonna give it a chance.

Here is a link:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/zen/index.html

[Kind of Blue]

1. I wasn't planning to but have the DVR

setup for "Poirot." But instead it was "Zen" and was ticked off by the English accents in Italy. Was about to delete, then something about the character made we watch and I was hooked. I really look forward to the next one. Good sleuthing!

[Little Star]

2. Good to hear! .....

I caught the first episode on my DVR a few days ago but haven't watched it yet. I have to wait until my hubby has time to watch with me. Who knows, maybe I'll cheat and take a peek, LOL.

[Little Star]

3. Dang! Last night we sat down to watch ZEN and....

were enjoying it. Then after about the first 20 minutes our dang electricity went out!!!!!! That was enough to tick us off! LOL! We think we are going to like it and will try to find a time where we can both have time to sit and try again.

It seems to be really good and I have high hopes! I'll update my thoughts when I finally get to see one whole episode.

ps: ZEN is hot!

[Kind of Blue]

4. Oh, I'm sorry, Little Star!

But I'm glad you're gonna update when you watch. I didn't what to reveal too much other than getting used to Italians in Italy speaking with British accents. Nothing like a detective caught between personal rocks and hard places :D Like, how is he gonna get out of those???

Yes, I do like Zen's style. It's funny because I saw him in a smallish part early last week in The Tourist with Johnny Depp and remembered liking but I wasn't sure why. The only other things I've seen him in, The Holiday, Bless the Child and The Illusionist, he's always the bad guy. So it's good to see he's not being type cast.

[catchnrelease]

5. I just caught it online

Really liked it. The Zen character is kind of understated and not mr super detective.

It was odd with the English accents in Italy, but I'd rather they be obvious about that, versus trying to do an Italian accent and blowing it. Have been a Rufus Sewell fan for ages, so that's a big benefit too. Will definitely watch the rest of the series.

[Kind of Blue]

7. LOLOLOL...

Better to look on the bright side, blowing the accent would have reealy ticked me off!

Your description is perfect. He truly is his name.

[Little Star]

6. Well, we finally got to watch the first episode and......

we really enjoyed it! I give it a big recommend! It was very well done.

[Kind of Blue]

8. Seems like it's going to be a good one.

Just read the synopsis about investigating the death of a disgraced aristocrat and once again "balancing demands of superiors."

[Little Star]

9. I know we will be watching, it was that good!

They only show three episodes Vendetta, Cabal and Ratking on the web page. I hope there will be more than that.

I must say they drive like maniacs in Italy! LOL

[Kind of Blue]

10. Ratking: Fantastic last episode!

I'm sorry there will be no more Zen. I hope BBC changes its mind. It was a cool summer treat. And more Rufus Sewell, please!

[Little Star]

11. We haven't watched the last two episodes yet. Have them..

on DVR. Just waiting to find the time to watch. I loved episode one!

[Kind of Blue]

12. You're in for a treat with Episode 3.

I found out recently that it was actually the first book in the series that won some awards. It's interesting that they saved it for last.

[catchnrelease]

13. Really the end? (mini spoiler if you haven't seen last episode)

I was hoping that it was just the end for now and more episodes would come next season. I really enjoyed all 3, so I'm with you and hope BBC makes a few more. (Seemed like they left it open with his girlfriend going off to figure out her life. I kind of expected it would come back with her torn between her love for Zen and guilt over the ex-husband, who might be impaired....) Were there more books written?

[Kind of Blue]

14. Yeah, 11 of them and Ratking is first.

I misstated before, it was only one award but good enough to keep Michael Dibdin writing for years. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00x9x43

You know, you're right! They really did leave it hanging with his girlfriend. Besides the English accents, I really had to get use to the girlfriend aspect - thought it was a little distracting. But in the end, it turned out to be touching, mature and fun. And I loved just watching and all of sudden being swept away by the Coliseum and other incredible Roman architecture. The show was so well done :applause:

[Little Star]

15. Sad news!!!!!

Your Final Moment of Zen: Ratking
Leslie Gilbert Elman

“Ratking,” the final episode of Zen on Masterpiece Mystery has aired, and as you may have heard, there are no plans to continue the series. Commence whimpering if you feel like it.

We bid farewell to Rufus Sewell, who played detective Aurelio Zen with such flair. (Continue whimpering.) If all goes as planned, we will see him again in June, 2012, when he appears in Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (yes, really), a feature film based on the novel by Seth Grahame-Smith.

No Armani in that wardrobe.

It’s been interesting to follow the reaction to Zen, starting with coverage in the British press when the series aired in January, 2011, and was promptly cancelled in February, 2011. Viewership in the U.K. was strong, but apparently not strong enough. By the time Zen arrived here on PBS, the decision had already been made: love it or hate it, three episodes were all we were going to get.

http://www.criminalelement.com/blogs/2011/08/your-final-moment-of-zen-ratking

[Kind of Blue]

17. Thanks for the link, Little Star.

*sigh* I think I'll do what Elman is doing, going to get the book Ratking to find out what I'm missing, since it was the first book and the last but the best of 3 episodes IMHO.

[catchnrelease]

18. Thanks I think

Thanks for letting us know so we won't be looking for more episodes. Too bad.

:cry:

[Little Star]

16. Well, at least I have the last two episodes still on DVR to watch!!!

DANG!!!