The world is seemingly experiencing a heightened interest in comforting crime dramas, with Daniel Craig’s movie ‘Knives Out’ making waves at the box office and ‘Death In Paradise’ gaining significant viewership on BBC One. A comparable spectacle is the Dublin-based show ‘Harry Wild’, which features Jane Seymour and airs on RTÉ One. After receiving positive reviews in the US on the Acorn digital platform, this series has made a successful return to Irish television.
While one may picture a chaotic blend of cantankerous old women, intoxicated police officers, and macabrely suppressed clerics in a series like ‘Harry Wild’, the reality is quite different. Jane Seymour, an esteemed British actress and former Bond Girl, portrays an English academic turned private detective, navigating the mysteries of modern-day Dublin in her retirement.
‘Harry Wild’ refuses to over-emphasise its Irish setting, thereby steering clear of the absurdities it could have easily descended into. In this light-hearted series, Seymour captivates with her performance, reminiscent of a modern Miss Marple set in Dublin 4.
The cast is further bolstered by the inclusion of Amy Huberman, who plays Seymour’s wearied daughter-in-law Orla proficiently, opting for more serious roles over comedic ones. Also adding depth are Rohan Nedd and Samantha Mumba playing Harry’s assistant, Fergus, and his somewhat distant mum, respectively.
The crux of any compelling crime drama lies in its thrilling plotlines, and ‘Harry Wild’ is no exception. As is typical, a murder initiates the latest episode’s storyline, where a police superintendent (Ray Tiernan) is shot, with his estranged spouse found clutching the murder weapon over his lifeless body. Here, our protagonist surrounds herself with personal ties to the victim, an old beloved acquaintance and her police officer son Charlie’s (Kevin Ryan) mentor.
In a recent conversation, Seymour credited two aspects for the considerable success and dedicated US fanbase of Harry Wild. The first component is featuring an elderly woman in the main role. Seymour pointed out the uniqueness of this step, noting that this lively, independent woman in her later years who decided to switch gears from being an academic to becoming a detective, is a character that has rarely been portrayed before.
The second aspect she mentioned was its modern-day Irish setting. Seymour noted that while we’ve seen plenty of Ireland in films, we often view it portrayed as England or as it was in the past, not as the Ireland of today.
The easy-to-follow plot is straightforward with no surprises; the victim’s wife is innocent and the real culprit is a corrupt cop working for a jailed gangster. All of this is wrapped up in the guise of a midweek drama featuring Jane Seymour as an upper-class, Dublin-based detective, a perfect way for viewers to wind down in the middle of the week. While the show may not be groundbreaking, its simplicity draws in audiences, making it a perceived improvement over most current Irish dramas.