Staying home has given us an opportunity to use our virtual library, and one of our new favorite discoveries, is Acorn TV.
The streaming service carries series television and movies from the UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Many of Acorn TV’s most popular shows are based on well-loved cozy mysteries– great news for our patrons who can’t get enough amateur sleuths! But there’s also comedy, family drama, historical drama and dark, spooky fare.
So what are AAPLD staff members’ recommendations?
Since I’m craving lighter stories these days, I suggest 800 Words , a New Zealand-set family drama that reminds me of Parenthood, and Northern Exposure, with beaches. When a recently widowed newspaper columnist moves his family to the seaside community where he vacationed as a kid, things don’t go quite as planned. With quirky locals, gorgeous scenery and surfing, it’s a great escape that has both humor and heart.
Youth Services Librarian Jen Jezwinski is loving the Agatha Raisin series, about a high-powered London PR executive who chucks it all for a quiet life in the Cotswolds. Life doesn’t stay quiet for long, as she becomes tangled in a murder mystery and discovers a knack for detecting. Based on M.C. Beaton’s cozy mystery series, (check out the audiobooks on Hoopla), the show has witty banter and great characters. Jen recommends the series for fans of Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series, or Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries.
And speaking of Miss Phryne Fisher, fans of the popular books by Kerry Greenwood, will enjoy the television adaptation, Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, set in 1920s Australia. Adult Services Librarian Kristen McCallum describes it as fun and lighthearted, as the sassy, unconventional heroine faces off with a smitten detective to solve murders. A new movie, Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears, and spinoff series, Ms Fisher’s Modern Murder Mysteries are also available on Acorn.
Kristen also likes Blood, an Irish series which she calls an excellent mix of suspense, family drama, and mystery. “Prodigal daughter Cat Hogan returns home for her mother’s funeral and begins to suspect her father may have had something to do with her death. Absolutely bingeworthy!”
In the mood for something darker? Karin Litwin of Adult Services, suggests you give Loch Ness a try. This mini-series, set in a community near the famous Scottish lake, has a police officer handling her first murder case and it’s a serial killer. “There’s a lot of secrets, some red herrings, and some gross dead bodies but all in all a very entertaining Scottish police procedural. Don’t watch too late at night though.”
Access AcornTV through the AAPLD website.
- Select Virtual Library on our home page.
- Click Videos
- Scroll down to RB Digital to find the link to AcornTV. You’ll need your AAPLD card number to set up an RB Digital account, if you don’t have one already.
Your subscription is good for 7 days. After it ends, the next time you log in, you’ll need to re-enter your card number and password.
Share your favorite AcornTV discoveries with us on Facebook or Twitter. Happy viewing and stay safe!