"Genuinely enjoyable" seaside-set cosy-crime drama with retired detectives is now streaming on ITV

If you're looking for a new cosy-crime drama to watch, then why not check out a seaside-set series with a pair of retired detectives? And if you need convincing any further, you don't have to pay a penny!

Blue Murder Motel is a series hailing from New Zealand, and follows Vanessa 'Vinny' (Michala Banas) and Peter 'Cole' Coleman (Brett Tucker) as they trade a life with the police in Australia for a motel business in a quaint seaside town in New Zealand.

But despite leaving their crime-solving exploits behind, the couple have to use their skills for the good of the local community, as murder seems to have followed them to their idyllic new surroundings.

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After premiering to warm reviews in its native country back in January, the cosy-crime drama came to the UK earlier this month via ITV3, with all eight instalments now available to stream on ITVX.

In addition to Banas and Tucker, the principal cast for the series includes Jayden Daniels, Stephanie Tauevihi and Jaime McDermott, while Susana Lei'ataua and Christopher Stollery appear in supporting roles.

Created by Kate McDermott and Steven Zanoški, Blue Murder Motel has been generally praised by viewers since its debut, with IMDb currently reporting a solid average user score of 6.7/10 from 599 ratings.

"It's light-hearted, funny and a genuinely enjoyable watch. This is cosy-crime for sure that doesn't take itself too seriously... Looking forward to seeing more. A welcome return to captivating Kiwi (and Aussie) story-telling," wrote one user.

"Machala Banas and Brett Tucker two brilliant actors who have such an easy way of working together. I also loved the other quirky characters. The story was engaging and I loved each episode," wrote another viewer, who praised the "cute" setting.

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Another user echoed these sentiments, writing: "Love the retro music, love Michala Banas and Brett Tucker, love the laidback kiwi characters and the kiwi humour, love the beach motel and love the murder mysteries which are light and twisty."

If you want to know about the future of the series, then there's some good news, as it was confirmed earlier this month that the adventures of Vinny and Cole will continue after a second season was greenlit.

Blue Murder Motel is streaming on ITVX.

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Reporter, Digital Spy George is a freelance writer who specialises in Movies and TV. After graduating with a degree in Film Studies and Journalism from De Montfort University, in which he analysed the early works of Richard Linklater for his dissertation, he wrote for several websites for GRV Media.  His film tastes vary from blockbusters like Mission: Impossible and John Wick to international directors such as Paolo Sorrentino and Hirokazu Kore-eda, and has attended both the London and Berlin film festivals.