User reviews

I have been hugely impressed by Vienna Murders, three episodes of absorbing, exciting, and hugely enjoyable drama.

This show was bound to draw comparisons with Sherlock, given the associations that's understandable, but that is no bad thing, Sherlock in its heyday was thrilling viewing, this had the same vibe.

Think Murder Rooms crossed with Sherlock to get an idea of the tone. The actual crimes are very dark and macabre, the crime fighting duo are superb, the pair play off one another incredibly well, and are well supported by all.

Production values are superb, it has a lavish, big budget feel, the first episode in particular looks incredible.

I loved all three, but perhaps favoured the second one, it was a wonderful story, but the other two were excellent also.

A shame we only had three, but I understand why, it's obvious that these cost a lot to make, and took a long time. Well worth it though, I just hope we get some more in the future.

Gripping and utterly entertaining. 9/10

First of all Vienna Blood based on the novels by Frank Tallis (no me neither) and developed for TV by Sherlock's Steve Thompson, is beautifully filmed, the whole production oozes quality from the costumes, script to acting. Maybe the lack of big name stars in the lead roles prevented the BBC from giving this show a more prominent slot on on BBC one. Which is a shame as the show has all the same qualities that made Sherlock such a successful worldwide hit. Set in Vienna at the start of the 20th century our dynamic duo played by Mathew Beard and Jurgan Maurer one an old school detective, his partner a student of Sigmund Freud plays a budding criminal psychologist and between them set out to solve a series of murders with the stunning backdrop of Vienna.

One minor criticism however in episode one we our exposed to a couple of graphic sex scenes. Which did not bother me but we're they really necessary? 8/10

Not for the unsophisticated block-buster fans or the action movie addicts. This superb, refreshingly different, historical who-done-it series takes a little bit of work to fully enjoy. It's not popcorn and candy cuisine, and it requires a degree of digesting.

It is quietly funny in places and very disturbing in others, the crumbling Empire and undertones of Nazism and not so much the gore are what I found to be the bits that left an aftertaste .

The main characters are very accessible. believable and quietly colourful. The casting, acting, directing, styling, cinematography, and for the most part the story lines were of a very high quality.

I am hooked, please sir can I have some more?

ADDENDUM: On reading some of the critical reviews, I felt I should add a further note to my very brief review in order to help place the series in a little sharper relief. One of the complaints I read was that the story lines were rather too simple, another complained that the series was slow moving.

The prime value for me in this excellent series is in enjoying the texture of the work. It is best not to view and to try to apprehend a grand master painting in the same way as one might set about enjoying a Mickey Mouse cartoon.

I loved the care taken with settings, camera angles, lighting, the colour balance etc. I loved the way both the visuals and story details were gradually unfolded and the characters allowed to evolve. My wish was rather to have some more time to explore the places, the times, and to get to know a little more of the intriguing characters.

Caveat emptor - If you want candy floss - look elsewhere.

First to say, it's not Sherlock & Watson. It's more of a team player effort. Of course, Both main characters, Lieberman and the inspector, have to come together from very diametrical positions of how a case should be solved. The term of 'profiler' is used, and I'm quite sure that's for the audience only, and wasn't known then. But they may have had a similiar name for a killer's extrapolated personality. Acting is really very good, and Mathew Beard is just optimal for Liebermann, exploring new methods of deduction and investigation. Very high production values, meticulously catching the flair of the young 20th century during the short time when Vienna was the capital of a huge empire, where the Jews tried to find their place by assimilating themselves. There is always some dry humor present, which makes the show a very pleasant watch. Directing by Robert Dornhelm in the first episode is great. Tension is built very well until the case is solved in a nice finale. Of course Vienna is the third main Character, as it is shown in most of it's remaining Glory from the old days. There are some small references to the famous 'Third Man', or I thought to recognise them. In this first episode most of the secondary characters did not get much attention, but I hope this will change in later episodes. I hope the coming episodes are equally high in quality to the first one.

I loved the setting in Vienna which highlighted the beautiful architecture which was a setting that held and supported the characters incredibly well. Each episode was a slow burner composed of many layers which, little by little, kept the viewer captivated and drawn deeper into each episode as it unfolded. I loved each of the three storylines and really warmed to the two main characters.

I sincerely hope that there will be further episodes?

I really enjoyed the first episode of this new BBC1 one detective series. Bringing a young doctor who has studied Freud to help the detective solve a bizarre string of murders makes for an exciting beginning! I didn't know any of the actors but the wonderful cast and settings around Vienna circa 1900 made for an excellent production. Can't wait to see the rest of this compelling series.

Sure, this one has a lot of thanks to do to Sherlock Holmes, but that is also in the book series, that this series is based on. Good atmosphere, stunning environments. If you love periodic detective dramas, this one could also be for you.

Yes this is a Holmes type mystery and cannot be totally historically accurate, but as entertainment it is hard to beat.

Only seen the 1 episode but the plot was better than most of the cut and paste whodunits. Anyone enjoying murder mysteries will enjoy this, also deeper than the ave with side plots that will develop. Will be watching ep 2

Absolutely loved this series. The characters were played fantastically , the sets, costumes etc were great. I love a period drama but I was was fully involved with these characters and the stories and hope more are filmed.

Set in 1900s Vienna , the English Jew Max Liebermann (Maatthew Beard) , is a student of Sigmund Freud . Max comes into contact with police commissioner Rheinhardt (Jürgen Maurer) and he helps him in the investigation of a series of macabre killings around the grand cafes and opera houses of 1900s Vienna. Both of whom become involved into twisted cases including hypnosis , electro-shocks , strange mediums, weird rituals , brothels , a suspicious garrison and a youthful military academy where happens a murder . Along the way , Max is engaged to a beautiful young (Luise von Finckh) , but things go wrong when he falls for an enigmatic scientist Amelia Lydgate (Jessica De Gouw) , forensic expert with a neurotic past and she's working at the Viennese Museum .

It is set in Vienna at the time it was a hot bed of philosophy , reason , science , art and a blending of cultures . However , a strong clash of cultures happens at times , along with appearance of great historical figures as Freud , Mahler , while traditional and progresist ideas collide in the city's grand cafes , conventions and opera houses . Lush settings and colorful cinematography from Vienna , and of course , adding the famous Ferris Wheel that appears at a episode and formerly immortalized by Carol Reed in The Third Man with Orson Welles and Joseph Cotten . Stars doctor Liebermann/Matthew Beard and Oskar Rheinhardt/Jürgen Maurer , a Detective Inspector struggling with a rare case , as the young doctor student agrees to help him investigate a series of sinister and disturbing murders . Matthew Beard gives an acceptable acting as Max Liebermann , a brilliant young medicine student and follower of famed psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud , while Jürgen Maurer is nice as Oskar Rheinhardt , a stubborn detective with a sad past due to an unfortunate death . Set design is of first rate , the series is very atmospheric , the elegant and luxurious streets of Vienna are very well designed and with a lot of people walking here and there .

This intriguing and suspenseful period piece is formed by 6 episodes in two seasons , they're titled : The Last Seance , The Queeen of the Night , The Lost Child , The Melancholy Countess , The Devil's Kiss , Darkness rising . The first episode deals with a beautiful young medium is found dead in mysterious circumstances, Dr Max Liebermann, is called upon by Inspector Oskar Rheinhardt of the Vienna Police to assist in the search for the killer. The second one concerns Max's engagement party that is interrupted by news of a grotesque series of murders in Vienna's slums. Third one regards Max's nephew suffers a breakdown after the drowning of a fellow cadet at a military academy. The police department refute suspicions but Max shows Oskar a pattern of violence and believes that they're looking at a murder investigation. Fourth one deals with a depressed Hungarian Countess drowns in the bath of her luxury hotel suite it looks like suicide and intense scrutiny falls on her psychoanalyst, Max Liebermann. The fourth chapter about a beggar finds a mutilated corpse in Vienna's slum quarter and the secret services warn Oskar that the investigation is not the concern of the Leopoldstadt police , however, when Oskar receives anonymous messages relating to the murder, he can't resist delving further.

Well crafted mysteries. Acting is above par. Interesting scenery. Story of the main characters are well written with interesting sidebar stories. Nothing to complain about.

Warning - there are some minor spoilers as I can't discuss the series without giving examples which necessarily must refer to the story.

The very bad: Anachronisms and outright falsehoods about medical treatment.

The anachronism: ECT wasn't performed until 1938. Okay, forgivable, but:

The series seems to have done 'research' for ECT based on "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest." Yet ECT is still used today, albeit with anaesthesia and muscle relaxants. It is a relatively safe and often beneficial last-resort treatment for severe depression, among other forms of mental illness.

The hero might have pointed out pain or the risk of broken bones, not just lectured his prof about cruelty. The intent was not to be cruel and there WERE conditions that responded to treatment.

In other words, if the standards of the public and this series towards ECT were applied toward surgery. nobody would have surgery today solely because in the past, surgery was done without anaesthesia (and also muscle relaxants.)

The quite bad:

The ending. Oh, dear. The villain was almost camp in his clunky dialogue, written with a great deal of condescension towards the audience (we need not just hints or allusions, a virtual two by four has to be applied to our heads.)

The characters: doctor character and his med school prof - oh please, the latter is absurdly stupid and backward, and his student, Liebermann, so insufferably smug and perfect and superior, I am almost starting to side with the prof.

Liebermann copping a stare at a patient when she is being undressed by nurses wasn't a foreshadow of a love story, it was creepy and made him unlikable.

The good.

Okay, so why the six. Because there is enough to make me want to see a second episode, it's a great premise, Vienna is an atmospheric city, and the period is an interesting time to examine. But yours truly has a short fuse and it is lit.

Positives: Set, props, clothing, locations. Negatives: Immediately struck me as an unimaginative, really unreal Sherlock/Holmes knockoff. The sleuthing throughout our two crimes seemed more writer's imagination than a realistic portrayal of observation & problem solving. Formula subplot #1 was the all-too-often dissonance between our detective & his dept. cohorts (an often used cheap tension subplot hook). Formula subplot #2 was a shaky romance to provide additional tension. Actor selection (based on looks?) was poor; acting & dialogue - not inspiring, just tepidly bland. Crime scenes seemed very staged - bodies w/a spattering of not-real blood; lying in some posed position. Misdirections too obvious.

Very good and fresh crime-solving drama set in Vienna on the eve of the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian empire. Damned by a patronising and sneering review in the Observer, it is most enthraling.

Vienna Blood

Season 1 & 2

I loved this series of three murder investigations. Straightforward linear stories set in a sumptuous set, with brilliant direction and a lightness of touch on the delivery of what could have been a clunky script.

This was totally gripping!

The show rested entirely on the believable relationship between Dr Max and Inspector Reinhardt, and this was comprehensively realised by really quite brilliant underplayed acting and deadpan delivery.

There were smatterings of Sherlock Holmes and Ripper Street but this drama held it own with its own style and panache. Continuity was confirmed with several overarching story lines and we had strong ensemble performances. This was certainly not a cheap production, what incredible detail, the stylist deserves an award. Oh to be an extra on this set lol.

Matthew (cheek-bones) Beard is certainly a tremendous talent as is Jurgen Murer.

I would confirm without hesitation another couple of series and advertise this shows brilliance widely.

Season 2

Hit the ground with a bang, a strychnine poisoning, a hotel lothario, a countess, self-flagellation and plenty of Freudian interrogation.

This show just has everything with the chemistry between Max and Oskar at the heart of it. It was a team act of the first order, totally believable acting with a clever, humorous and nuanced script.

This show had real depth and kept us guessing as the investigation unfolded.

It was quite a shock that we had a change of actress playing Amelia, and then playing it so differently, however we must all embrace change.

A travel guide to Vienna could not do a better job displaying the sumptuous, decadent and luxuriate Biedermeier style of the fin-de-siecle. I want one of those strudels now!

The source material and screenplay from this has a lightness of touch that plays with the viewer like an Agatha Christie, it really is the best thing I have seen for years.

Series 3

Two things placed this drama on a pedestal of excellence.

An overload of ravishing but fading Biedermeier interiors from the 1850's slowing morphing to the secession period around the Fin de siècle before arriving at full on art nouveau. This highly stylistic setting created a profundity to the often obvious or banal storylines, it really was a triumph in spades.

The brilliant banter, warmth and familiarity of Max and Oskar, the acting all round was stupendous!

I did enjoy the applied Freud despite this being shoe-horned in to practically explain almost everything. I shall never look at a staircase the same way ever again!

Series 4

What a treat this was, an epic story over two episodes. Perhaps one of the best things I've seen this year. If I was churlish I wanted more Max, dream sequences injected the Freud but not the humour, so it was quite a bit more series than usual. However this franchise is a winning formula of epic proportions. Roll on series 5.

It's a 10 outta 10 from me, meaning unmissable!

I love this series, as others noted it's similar to a Sherlock Holmes. I LOVE mystery movies or shows but it is very hard to find any new decent ones. I've watched all the classics and have gone through any decent new series such as Father Brown, but they are few and far between. I am so glad I found this show... I just hope they keep it going. Everytime I get hooked to a new good show the series is not renewed.

I like that this show also gives a glimpse into the start of psychotherapy which would lead to forensic psychology. I know it's not historically 100% accurate but it makes you think what is was like.

I'd say this is one of Masterpieces hits. I hope they put more old fashioned mysteries such as this.

My local PBS station is featuring this show. It makes great use of old Vienna, and technically it looks good. The actors are appealing. The psychology angle is interesting.

The negative is that the story repeats the current tendency of many shows of over-explaining things that don't add to the viewer's experience and rushing into coincidences to make up the plot in the time allotted. Some of the dialogue is filler and speechifying; though I like the actors, the script is only intermittently asking them to provide a multilayered performance, and it's rarely asking that of the guest actors at all. The stories could use thinning out of a scene or two to give more room to accomplish characterization and exposition at the same time.

Related to that---maybe it's just the episodes I've seen, but I find the Jewish identity of the main character and his family to be more signboarding than well integrated into the story.

One episode in and this has been brilliant viewing , excellent acting,writing and production ,only downside the bbc put it on bbc2 to hide it as they cannot make decent tv , better on Saturday bbc 4 or sunday 9pm peak time instead of that bbc production of the war of the worlds rubbish.

This show had a lot going for it and the character relationships made sense. Then...out of the blue they recast the very intricate and fascinatingly reserved, Miss Lydgate. Jessica de Gouw. Was superb! She was older than Max but that was the fascination. She has a history...a reserved behavior that keeps us guessing. She's also beautiful and beguiling. The recast is very sweet, I'm sure, but the entire dynamic of the main characters has been blown!! She's skittish, young and frankly, uninteresting. In short, the character is boring and irritating. This was a blunder extrordinaire! That particular "beat" has gone! Destroyed by someone's stupidity and poor judgment that undermined the quality of the story!

This was as good, or even better, than anything I have seen in the genre for a long time. Never mind all the Sherlock comparisons, this was above all that. You don't have to like a character for them to be good. And, believe me, the acting was way better than many of the comparisons cited by some critics. Strong characters. Convincing set-ups. Credible plots and all this set against a background of the rising pan-European anti-semitism which culminated in the Nazis. Very pertinent to our own experience of a new rise of the Right across the globe. Timely, powerful and entertaining. So why only three????

Was quite enjoying the sub-Sherlock tale, but that roof top chase, oh dear - glad he got his hat though.

Stop with all the comparisons with Sherlock Holmes. Just enjoy the subtle burgeoning relationship between a freudian psychiatrist and a working class policeman set in the beautiful city of Vienna.

Vienna blood introduces the turn of the century Vienna, with its working class, the latest in the arts and science, courtship rituals, and the delicate relationship amongst the Jewish community and the aristocrats of Vienna, and all with an under current hint of what will happen to Europe in the first half of the century. All this is new and not found in Sherlock stories.

One of my favorite scenes is the viewing of Klimt's artwork by the protagonist and his girlfriend. Imagine the effect of this type of artwork in that era and that population. But it serves as a great metaphor for what was happening in Vienna at this time.

Well it's had money spent on it, looks good and why not 1900s Vienna? Interesting period that the first episode made something of, mostly quite obvious anti-Semitism. Plot and characters OK, not more. Throughout, I couldn't help thinking how derivative of Holmes and Watson it all felt.

It was very easy. Who is the character woke people would like the least? TADA. Your murderer ladies and gents. Or rather Herr and Fraulein or whatever. I just get so, so, so, so-so tired of the drag. Yes, the more or less wealthy straight white people did it. Patriarchy. Blah blah. It not that I disagree with the agenda even I just get so bored of it. PLEASE Just ONCE, can't the killer be the poor serving woman. Or the immigrant stableboy? Just ONE TIME? Would it really be so difficult? You know marginalized people kill all the time. They are humans like anyone else. They can be jealous, or crazy, or greedy, or anything else.