Zen encores!

Remember how much I loved the three-part Zen series on Masterpiece Mystery last year? No (WHERE WERE YOU)? Well, you're in luck because PBS will be encoring the all-too-short-lived show starting June 10th (check local listings, PBS will most likely stream the episodes online, and the DVDs are available -- LOTS OF OPTIONS!). :)

What does an honest cop do when his bosses are on the side of the lawbreakers? Outwitting prosecutors, politicians, mobsters and run-of-the-mill kidnappers and killers, Detective Aurelio Zen brings justice to modern-day Italy, whether the authorities want it or not, on Zen, a trio of spellbinding cases based on the bestselling novels of by British crime writer Michael Dibdin, airing on Masterpiece July 17-31, 2011.

Rufus Sewell (Middlemarch) stars as Zen, a Roman police detective hailing from Venice, where "Zen" is a local shortening of the name Zeno. Separated from his wife and living with his mother, he is too frazzled by his job to think about romance. That is, until he meets Tania Moretti (Caterina Murino), his chief's new secretary.

Three encore episodes airing in 2012, Vendetta (June 10), Cabal (June 17) and Ratking (June 24), showcase an international cast including Ed Stoppard (Upstairs Downstairs), Ben Miles (The Forsyte Saga), Stanley Townsend (Sherlock) and Greg Wise (Return to Cranford).

I still find it incredibly depressing that the BBC canceled this series after only three episodes. But if you're in need of a Rufus Sewell fix this is about the best thing going. *wink* Here are the links to my episode reviews:

• Vendetta
• Cabal
• Ratking

I also put together a massive series review for Femnista's Nov/Dec 2011 "Favorite Sleuths" issue -- you can read that issue here -- my article is on pages 18-19.