logo
'Brilliant' crime drama is a must-watch for fans of BBC's Death in Paradise

'Brilliant' crime drama is a must-watch for fans of BBC's Death in Paradise

Wales Online11-07-2025
'Brilliant' crime drama is a must-watch for fans of BBC's Death in Paradise
The Australia-set TV drama first landed on screens back in 2022 and stars actors Greta Scacchi and Bryan Brown
If you miss having new episodes of Death in Paradise to look forward to, this Australia-set crime drama could be the perfect replacement.
Darby and Joan first landed on TV screens back in 2022 before returning with a second season in 2024.

The drama stars Greta Scacchi and Bryan Brown, and has proven to be a hit with TV fans.

The series follows retired Australian detective Jack Darby (Bryan) and widowed English nurse, Joan Kirkhope (Greta), as they form an unlikely partnership while searching for answers surrounding her husband's death.
Darby and Joan is currently airing on U&Drama, but is also available to stream on U in the UK.
Darby and Joan first aired in 2022 before returning with a second season in 2024
(Image: Vince Valitutti/AcornTV )
Article continues below
Channel 4 Gogglebox sign up two huge names for final episode of Celebrity series
READ MORE:
The synopsis reads: "Widowed English nurse Joan Kirkhope is on a quest to find answers about her husband's mysterious death, while ex-detective Jack Darby has taken to the open road to escape his past.
"But when they collide in the Australian outback and become drawn into a series of mysteries, this unlikely investigative duo soon realises the most intriguing puzzle they face is each other."
Jolene Anderson also stars in the series. Guest stars in the first season include Heather Mitchell, Anna McGahan, John Waters, Angie Milliken, Caroline Gillmer, and Casey Donovan.

Season two welcomes the likes of Sigrid Thornton, Brett Climo, John Jarratt, Debra Lawrence, and Miriama Smith as guest stars.
Each series consists of eight episodes and was created by Glenys Rowe and Phillip Gwynne, with scenes filmed in Queensland.
The series stars Greta Scacchi and Bryan Brown
(Image: Vince Valitutti/AcornTV )

Fans have praised Darby and Joan on social media, branding it "excellent" and a "pleasure to watch".
"Just finished watching the excellent second season of #DarbyAndJoan on #AcornTV. Likeable characters, fun mysteries, and gorgeous scenery that makes us want to drive the open roads of Australia! Here's hoping there will be another season," one person wrote.
A second TV fan added: "Where is #DarbyAndJoan S3? This little gem could be the #DowntonAbbey of #DownUnder; seriously, not kidding."
Article continues below
Meanwhile, a third viewer wrote: "The ABC's #DarbyAndJoan has a very Death in Paradise vibe to it," while another simply said: "Good acting, great story, just a pleasure to watch."
Darby and Joan is available to watch on Drama on Wednesdays at 8pm, and is available to stream on U.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Australian TV show gets 'derailed' by 'gross' sex debate - as viewers slam the controversial comments made about women on the shock series
Australian TV show gets 'derailed' by 'gross' sex debate - as viewers slam the controversial comments made about women on the shock series

Daily Mail​

time29 minutes ago

  • Daily Mail​

Australian TV show gets 'derailed' by 'gross' sex debate - as viewers slam the controversial comments made about women on the shock series

SBS program The Feed has been slammed by viewers after it was 'derailed' by a 'gross' debate about how many sexual partners a woman should have. The episode, titled Men Debate Masculinity, saw six men weigh in on issues surrounding gender roles, domestic violence, and the male identity. But it quickly devolved within minutes when they were asked if 'having lots of sexual partners is tied to your status as a man'—leaving some viewers disgusted. While most agreed men didn't need many sexual partners to be masculine, some of the panellists were quick to bring up their views on the 'body count' of women. Clayton Harrop, a self-proclaimed hypnotherapist and performance coach, said he believed a woman with a 'high body count' had a 'chink in the armour'. 'I don't like the idea of a super high body count in women if I am completely honest,' he said. 'I personally believe that the lower a woman's body count, the better for her, and her future partner,' he continued. Clayton went on to boast he had 'slept with my share of women' and insisted he doesn't 'look at a woman any less because of it'. However, he confessed he wouldn't want '20 other men to be able to say, "Yeah I have been with her bro."' 'It's a chink in the armour that directly affects every other area of our life,' he said. Dean Wells, who got his controversial start on Married At First Sight in 2018 and is now engaged to Beauty and the Geek star Aimee Woolley, agreed and added he found women who had many sexual partners 'unattractive'. 'I am not going to try and break it down on an intellectual level, but I just find a chick that has been with way too many guys, unattractive,' he said. The episode was around 43 minutes long and saw a myriad other controversial debates between the men. Clayton, Dean and Chris Katelaris represented the conservative side of the panel, known for their inflammatory online posts about gender-related issues. Meanwhile, well-known advocates Tarang Chawla, Mitch Wallis and Jeff Kissubi represented the opposing progressive side of the debate. The episode has garnered significant backlash online, with many slamming SBS for platforming controversial views for 'rage bait'. Women's safety advocate Mia Findlay shared a video that called out the network for failing to host a productive conversation about men's violence and misogyny. 'What was this episode intending to achieve, other than virality, clicks and rage bait?' she asked on Instagram. 'It just underscores the continued lack of seriousness in having informed, effective conversations about men's violence and misogyny in this country.' Other viewers online agreed with her sentiment, with one person writing: 'The rage bait worked. We, women, as the collective, are enraged.' 'These men are so old to be talking about body count. I thought this was high school talk,' said another. 'Men still talking about "body count" as if that matters. It's so gross,' someone else added. 'Knowing that more people will see this type of red pill... regurgitated rhetoric, and believe it to be true. Makes me retract from the world even more,' commented one. 'I saw some of this clip first thing in the morning and it made me feel awful. Stop platforming these men and their... backwards ideas towards women. Do better @thefeedsbs,' yet another said. Tarang, one of the panellists, has since come out to say the debate was often 'derailed' with controversial remarks. 'The space of online coaches, podcasters and men's health advocates has an underbelly that often blames women or says controversial things for clout,' he told on Thursday. 'I didn't go on the panel to debate for entertainment. I went to discuss the realities of masculinity and because my sister, Nikita, was murdered by her partner, and too many men still don't take that seriously. 'If even one man who watched starts to question the culture we've built, then it was worth it for me to be there despite the personal cost.' Tarang became an anti-violence campaigner after his sister Nikita, 23, was horrifically murdered by her husband in a jealous rage in 2015. SBS has since released an official statement addressing the backlash the company has received on the episode. 'Like all our content, The Feed Debate is subject to the SBS Code of Practice, which states that SBS will share a diversity of views and perspectives, and requires our news and current affairs programs to provide balanced and impartial coverage,' the statement said. 'The six panellists who appeared in The Feed's 'Masculinity' debate were informed in advance that the program would be fact-checked and edited to fit The Feed's debate format, and were also told there would be a diverse range of views represented. 'We appreciate the participation of all the panellists who were willing to share their perspectives.'

How The Archers reflects modern farming life
How The Archers reflects modern farming life

BBC News

time29 minutes ago

  • BBC News

How The Archers reflects modern farming life

When the Archers started on 1 January 1951, the worlds of radio and farming were very different to the Second World War, there was an acceptance that the UK needed to produce more food and become more self-sufficient. This was also a period when radio was key in bringing people together during unstable Archers straddled those worlds of agriculture and broadcast, with the drama dreamt up as a creative way to inform farmers about new farming methods while entertaining people too. Within a few years, the BBC programme was winning awards and gaining millions of listeners. Nearly 75 years on, it's estimated that five million people still regularly listen to the latest comings and goings in the team behind the show - recorded at studios in Birmingham - still have a huge commitment to telling real farming stories and reflecting the conversations that really do happen on farms across the UK, thanks to the two agricultural advisors who work on the means that within the storylines the characters are going through, there are also discussions about wider farming issues: Till or no-till? Farming for food production or purely environmental gain? How to diversify and make a success of it?And as the BBC has learned, the same conversations are happening in the real-life Archers village. The real-life Ambridge The fictional setting of The Archers, Ambridge, is based on the Worcestershire village of Inkberrow, with local residents telling the BBC that people visit the village from all over the world because of its connection to the Marion Bleney, who has a 300-acre farm, said: "There's a long history of farming in this area and a great many families are tied up with farming and the land in one way or another."The animals are very important to us, they're very much part of the countryside. What would it be like without them?"While she does not listen to The Archers regularly, she says she likes to know what's happening in Ambridge, and respects the programme-makers' take on the industry."I think they've got their handle on what is going on in farming and the huge difficulty farmers have," she said."So many town people do listen to it and are educated on the way we live." Claire Parker, the director of the Revival Health and Wellbeing Centre in Inkberrow, has lived in the village for seven years, having moved to the rural area from the English capital."Coming from London was quite a big cultural change but I absolutely love it and the strong sense of community here is just incredible," she knows as well as anyone that the farming subject includes not only the industry but the welfare of those who work in it."We do have farmers as patients here," she said, referencing "the level of work they're required to do" and "not only the physical toll it has but the mental toll"."They are a community that rarely take time off. So it's really an honour for us to help support the farming community with improving their physical and mental health."Tom Gretton, who trains race horses, has lived in Inkberrow his whole life and knows how agriculture is embedded in the heart of the village."Agriculture's very important around here and lots of families, generations, have made their living here," he said."As soon as summer's out, the combines are going. Five days out of six a tractor is going past."Everyone around here locally works on the land and what people need to remember is it's 24/7, seven days a week, there's no days off."You're in it because it's a way of life and you appreciate that way of life. "People who are involved in this love it and they're happiest at work on a tractor, on a horse, and while it's not the best paid job in the world, they're doing it because they love it. " Big stories Over the years The Archers has opened up conversations about difficult subjects in rural communities, perhaps most famously in the domestic abuse storyline of Rob and Helen heard in real time how a relationship which seemed healthy to outsiders became controlling and toxic, and how Helen was driven to despair at the hands of her abusive storyline had a huge the Women's Aid and Refuge charities advised the BBC during the episodes. Sandra Horley, chief executive of Refuge, said: "Women listening may realise they are not alone. "I don't think it's too much to say that this storyline has saved lives as women reach out and seek help." Making the show The Archers also makes sure any countryside sounds and references listeners hear are accurate, so when you listen in the height of summer, Ambridge sounds like the height of summer it comes to the recordings, the actors have gone through their lines three or four times in the green room, ironed out any phrasing or movement they need to incorporate, before going into the studio has several different rooms. One is a dead sound room, where any countryside atmosphere is added in by the producers as the actors is also a working kitchen, a studio kitted out like a living room, and a polished wooden floored room with high ceilings which acts as a village hall, church or restaurant. As the actors perform, a woman called Ness, the spot effects guru, weaves around them, adding in lots of the sound effects in real time; the clinking of glasses, the shutting of a gate, or rustling of prop cupboard is in itself like a museum, and every sound you could need can be made from what's in there. Like any live performance, the director guides and informs the actors, suggesting pauses, accentuated deliveries, a focus on particular moments of the while it feels like you're listening to a radio play performed live, all the recording is done about one month before the episode airs. All this care is taken because The Archers team wants to accurately and realistically reflect rural life, and at a time when audiences are becoming increasingly interested in where our food comes team says it feels the weight of that responsibility and expectation, but also as those strands combine, enthusiasm persists decades into the run. As producer Dave Payne said: "It's my dream job." Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.

TV tonight: the shocking finale of Danny Dyer's Bafta-winning comedy
TV tonight: the shocking finale of Danny Dyer's Bafta-winning comedy

The Guardian

time29 minutes ago

  • The Guardian

TV tonight: the shocking finale of Danny Dyer's Bafta-winning comedy

9pm, Sky MaxWhat's the best way to follow up the discovery of a major marital betrayal? A slap-up meal at the carvery! That's where Glen (series creator Ryan Sampson), Kirsty (Harriet Webb) and Lee (Danny Dyer) find themselves in the first episode of this double bill, followed by a revelatory season finale for the unlikely Bafta-winning sitcom. Ellen E Jones 8pm, BBC TwoThe hard work of lifeboat crews continues to be celebrated in this series, as a 10-year-old boy is stranded at sea on his paddleboard in North Berwick, East Lothian. Elsewhere, off the east Kent coast, a yacht with three people on board has got stuck at Goodwin Sands, which is known as 'the ship swallower'. Hollie Richardson 8.30pm, ITV1In Andalucía, the chef meets a 'wine chemist' who explains the sherry vinegar process. Does Kerridge have the patience to make his own? Then, in Cádiz, the chef learns about the area's burgeoning avocado business and gets to work in helping to grow 9pm, BBC TwoThis New Zealand/Ireland-set crime drama moves slowly at times – Aileen and Derry's wander through the woods in this episode may try your patience somewhat – but it's still darkly intriguing. When search-and-rescue teams locate the pair, they think a breakthrough is near. But before long, they have another homicide on their hands. Phil Harrison 9pm, Channel 5It's the last episode of the Michael Palin-narrated nature series, and he's poignantly exploring death and renewal. Not only can decaying trees start new life, astonishingly they can 'walk' and plant new roots, too. HR 9pm, Sky WitnessHere's a seventh season of a straight procedural co-created by Dick Wolf of Law & Order fame. That means pacy storytelling with minimal flair, though the stakes feel big in the new run's opener, as a car bomb on a New York bridge sends the FBI on a trail that leads to an assassination plot with Iranian involvement – and a departure from the cast. Jack Seale

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store