I read Carless' review... I would disagree ... This is a great series, first of all if we were to watch period inspired TV shows with script based upon language and slang of the times... Well I am afraid most of our entertainment TV and movies would have to be re-written! I reference Victoria, Father Brown, George Gently, Downtown Abby... and many others... All shows depicting a specific period but written for today... Now for the show itself, if you actually pay attention in EVERY show there is a character or subject that is fact based... check google! Not unlike Murdoch Mysteries, you can find similar trends. We actually enjoy this series, the main characters are all women, so for some viewers, they will not or cannot appreciate any woman as the main character... This is another great Canadian production, great costume, great sets, and great stories. At the end of the day this is after all just entertainment, so maybe spend less time nit picking and more time just relaxing and enjoy the show for what it is, entertainment!
96 Reviews
Miss Fisher it aint
lornagracevibert1 February 2018
I tuned in with real hopes for this series, having been a great fan of Miss Fisher and Murdoch Mysteries, but two episodes in I'm wondering whether to continue recording and watching it. It's the heroine... Just irritating and not convincing as an actress, sorry. Maybe if there was someone with more charisma and oomph playing the main lead we might be in for a treat, but at the moment I'm hard pressed to carry on. Reading other reviews it doesn't seem that it does improve, but I'll persevere for a bit and live in hope. I understand that the interracial friendships, which presumably would've been incredibly difficult in the era are good for the show, and I can suspend disbelief for these as I do on Murdoch, which at least does show some discrimination and problems for women, but the main character really does lack any get up and go, and some of the other actors also seem a bit wooden.
light and fun needs time to find its feet.
bd-allen18 December 2017
Miss Fishers' murder mysteries is a favourite of mine so I wanted to check this out too. A little disappointed. Costumes and set design are fine but the lead actress plays it with very little emotion and delivers her lines like she's not emotionally connected to the role. It is early days and that sometimes it takes a while for a an actor to know her character and I hope this happens.
It does have potential and the supporting cast are quite fun. Not being familiar totally with the era I'm not sure of the historical accuracy but I can put that aside if it gets a little more gritty while still having a bit of fun.
I do enjoy the banter between the characters so will keep watching.
It does have potential and the supporting cast are quite fun. Not being familiar totally with the era I'm not sure of the historical accuracy but I can put that aside if it gets a little more gritty while still having a bit of fun.
I do enjoy the banter between the characters so will keep watching.
Thoroughly enjoyable...
timothy-price-794-5813281 February 2018
Stylish Private Detective series, carried very amiably by a charming cast, in a light, Castle type 'not too serious' way, set in the 1920's with fun music, and excellent attractive settings, and with excellent costumes too - overall very much enjoyed, I hope it extends to further (and longer) series, which given the longevity of it's 'set earlier' stablemate, Murdoch, it really should. And good to see the main protagonists all Female....
Thoroughly Modern Woman with subtle power
interoctave24 December 2017
I am so delighted to find this series by accident. Frankie breaks every rule for women in the 1920s and most of society rules. e.g. black women partner and maybe lover. Never afraid of anything. I love every story.
The minute I found them I started recording. They are like great cosy mysterious and the most fun part if the really unusual women characters who are always the heroines.
Any one who likes period mysterious, women detectives who are not afraid, and not deal with the gore and violence--- with good writing and stories, will enjoy.
The minute I found them I started recording. They are like great cosy mysterious and the most fun part if the really unusual women characters who are always the heroines.
Any one who likes period mysterious, women detectives who are not afraid, and not deal with the gore and violence--- with good writing and stories, will enjoy.
Interesting Light Fare
Cilica25 October 2020
To the reviewer - American version of Miss Fisher's Murder Mystery! - Oh please Canada is Canadian as Canada is. Some of the writing is quite fun, realistic no. A black well dressed women follows people and investigates. Not going to happen in the 1920 Toronto, CA. With the frivolity of the scripts comes no deep mysteries and a brush of 'old girls network'. I quite like the series regardless of writer's soft touches to reality.
Would be grande if Frankie could actually drive a motorcycle. This show is an artistic version of mysteries having brightly coloured, great fashionable clothing, fun characters and a bit of a chase in storytelling. I think longevity comes with added story layers, and more depth in the characters. For now, I enjoy an all women cast!!
Would be grande if Frankie could actually drive a motorcycle. This show is an artistic version of mysteries having brightly coloured, great fashionable clothing, fun characters and a bit of a chase in storytelling. I think longevity comes with added story layers, and more depth in the characters. For now, I enjoy an all women cast!!
What are you thinking??
leklocker20 February 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Wonderful show that I fully enjoyed. What were you thinking leaving the last episode with so many questions and cliff hangers, especially when show was cancelled.? Hope you will do what they did with the Miss Fisher series and have a stand alone that finishes out the story. Love the series and characters, hated the ending.
Entertaining...but don't look for historical accuracy and they're a bit pushy reflecting today's societal norms and problems
dragonflyblue-821947 September 2021
If you are looking for something lighthearted that you don't have to think to hard to follow then this is spot on. The music and clothes and scenery are fun. However the acting of the main character, Frankie, is lacking most of the time. Her detective partner, Trudy, is a bit better and improves a bit through the series. Loved the secondary characters of Mary and Flo...they improve the acting level immensely and have a great repartee with the rest of the cast...I think a show with just the two of them would be a lovely bit of fun. A few things that bothered me was the lack of historical accuracy...both in the modern language used by many of the characters and the costumes worn by Frankie. The other characters costumes while perhaps not totally accurate for the period at least aren't glaringly modern like those that Frankie wears most of the time. There was also a glaring pushiness with "girl power" and interracial relationships which while I'm all for these in a modern setting, they are inaccurate for the 1920s. I think it would be better to teach people the way things really were and learn from them, rather than rewrite history to reflect where we are today (or at least where we would like things to be). Mary and Flo's work situations reflect these historical struggles better than the other two characters. Again, if you are looking for a bit of fun this fits the bill if you are able to suspend your disbelief a bit.
Season 1 Out of Order?!
charlesrobbinspersonal18 July 2020
The acting seems out of order. It's like episode 3 or 4 was supposed to be before episode 1. Still a fun Canadian show to watch. Toronto is becoming my favorite town north of the border.
Anyway a fun light period show. Mysteries abound at every turn. 😊
Anyway a fun light period show. Mysteries abound at every turn. 😊
Fun, interesting and well acted
iancrockford-9630927 May 2018
Let's start from the beginning this is a fairly good attempt at a female led series. In time with a few changes this could be as good as Murdoch Mysteries are. Sitting in the same sort of tv. Between serious drama and comedy. The production is excellent, sets and custumes take the viewer back to the 1920's. Not a slick as Miss Fishers Mysteries but a good start.
Modern people with modern attitudes living in the 1920's....
s32761696 November 2019
Frankie Drake in an important respect, is the antithesis of its obvious point of comparison, The Murdoch Mysteries. One to a reasonable degree, reflects the attitudes of the era. The other, Frankie Drake, transports modern people with modern attitudes, back in time, to the 1920's.
If I did not know better, I would have assumed it was a fancy dress party for hip, culturally and ethically "aware", upper crust, Toronto gentry. Suffice to say the whole thing is horribly unconvincing.
Taking this modernist stance makes it hard if not impossible to craft characters with any depth. The resulting caricatures are, unsurprisingly, shallow and uninteresting.
By contrast, the sets are excellent, the stories have, in some instances, a sound premise but the overall tone is so off, this series simply left me cold. 5/10.
If I did not know better, I would have assumed it was a fancy dress party for hip, culturally and ethically "aware", upper crust, Toronto gentry. Suffice to say the whole thing is horribly unconvincing.
Taking this modernist stance makes it hard if not impossible to craft characters with any depth. The resulting caricatures are, unsurprisingly, shallow and uninteresting.
By contrast, the sets are excellent, the stories have, in some instances, a sound premise but the overall tone is so off, this series simply left me cold. 5/10.
I Admit I'm Biased
tedphx20 November 2020
I love Lauren Lee Smith.
I see people have criticized every aspect of this series and all of that criticism misses the mark. The whole series is an anachronism. No, you wouldn't see and hear many of the things in this series if you lived in the twenties, most specifically, the women themselves. It's a fantasy, a pleasing, one that never fails to bring a smile to my face, and whenever Wendy Crewson makes an appearance, the series exceeds it's already delightful celebration of what women would have been if they'd been liberated sooner.
As for Ms.Smith, If you've seen her in The Listener, it's impossible not to like her forever. For some reason, they seem to have actually chosen to de-glamorize her as Frankie Drake... but they failed. She still shines.
A broader question: why are Canadian series generally much better produced and so much more intelligent than what's produced in America?
I see people have criticized every aspect of this series and all of that criticism misses the mark. The whole series is an anachronism. No, you wouldn't see and hear many of the things in this series if you lived in the twenties, most specifically, the women themselves. It's a fantasy, a pleasing, one that never fails to bring a smile to my face, and whenever Wendy Crewson makes an appearance, the series exceeds it's already delightful celebration of what women would have been if they'd been liberated sooner.
As for Ms.Smith, If you've seen her in The Listener, it's impossible not to like her forever. For some reason, they seem to have actually chosen to de-glamorize her as Frankie Drake... but they failed. She still shines.
A broader question: why are Canadian series generally much better produced and so much more intelligent than what's produced in America?
American version of Miss Fisher's Murder Mystery!
boringplanet1016 September 2018
Reminds me a lot of Miss Fisher's Murder Mystery! It's a G version of it. I do love the show, I love the era it's set in. Still trying to figure out when new episodes come out, as there are no dates on each episodes. I hope the show continues on for at least 5 years or so. I think Miss Fisher's Murder Mystery only lasted for 2-3 seasons.
After 9 episodes, still simply uninteresting.
joecbelland30 January 2018
I expected Frankie Drake Mysteries to be at least somewhat similar in terms of writing and acting to Murdoch Mysteries (which I enjoy), but perhaps with plots that were somewhat more concentrated on just the murder mystery (Miss Fischer anyone?) without the somewhat stretched science stuff in Murdoch. Unfortunately, it doesn't come close.
The main character is the first problem that comes to mind. She not only doesn't exhibit any real passion for the part, but she is one of the most irritating characters I can remember watching in series TV. She can't go through even a short scene without multiple head twitching and body twitching, usually accompanied by some kind of smile that is supposed to - I guess - be somewhat endearing. It's all simply distracting, irritating and doesn't add anything to the viewing experience. The plots & writing are next - simple, not even close to believable, and lacking any real suspense or action.
And I finally figured out why the series lacks overall appeal, believability and some character tension. It's set in the 1920's. It's supposed to be showing women starting to assert themselves, which is a decent theme for the series. BUT.... In doing so they have basically populated the series with ONLY women. That's about as unrealistic a characterization of 1920's society that you can imagine. Murdoch does it right - men seem to be in charge but very strong women - wives, girlfriends, reporters, female private detectives, doctors, etc., are very prominent throughout and realistically portray the reality of the times as well as how strong women did, in fact, find ways to assert themselves, employ their talents, etc. Frankie Drake pretends men didn't exist in their little enterprise. No wonder there's no tension.
I kept watching hoping to see improvement. False optimism, it turns out.
The main character is the first problem that comes to mind. She not only doesn't exhibit any real passion for the part, but she is one of the most irritating characters I can remember watching in series TV. She can't go through even a short scene without multiple head twitching and body twitching, usually accompanied by some kind of smile that is supposed to - I guess - be somewhat endearing. It's all simply distracting, irritating and doesn't add anything to the viewing experience. The plots & writing are next - simple, not even close to believable, and lacking any real suspense or action.
And I finally figured out why the series lacks overall appeal, believability and some character tension. It's set in the 1920's. It's supposed to be showing women starting to assert themselves, which is a decent theme for the series. BUT.... In doing so they have basically populated the series with ONLY women. That's about as unrealistic a characterization of 1920's society that you can imagine. Murdoch does it right - men seem to be in charge but very strong women - wives, girlfriends, reporters, female private detectives, doctors, etc., are very prominent throughout and realistically portray the reality of the times as well as how strong women did, in fact, find ways to assert themselves, employ their talents, etc. Frankie Drake pretends men didn't exist in their little enterprise. No wonder there's no tension.
I kept watching hoping to see improvement. False optimism, it turns out.
a good idea, but they could have done so much better
jazfro10 November 2017
I read the synopsis on IMDb, and I thought this could be a worthy Canadian answer to the very successful and enjoyable Australian series Miss Fischer's -same premise of a female private detective in the 1920s. Unfortunately, Frankie ain't no Phryne. The main character lacks the drive and personality one would expect from a female detective in an 1920s male dominated environment. Indeed, aside from very soft references to prohibition and slavery (in that order) the series appears to ignore the social references and culture of the times, and the aforementioned 1920s female detective appears to glide through unencumbered, except for the very soft and predictable love interest from the local news hack. Hardly believable, and only suitable for a kid's series. It's a shame, the period locations, sets and costumes were enjoyable, and the supporting cast was OK. But if the script and the main character are not up to scratch, then you can only produce a mediocre piece. CBC wasted their money on this one. Don't waste your time.
women as a main charatcer
joe-7729315 January 2018
I was reading the one review that says most people won't like Frankie Drake due to women as the main character. I feel that anyone is the part is good and written well can be a good lead character. I also like this show and wish I coule record it to watch later cause it comes on to late for me. I have to get to work at 330 to 4am in the morning. I am waitng for this series to be able to be streamed in the usa or through a streaming service i use. Take care and writers write well it will do well. Thanks Joe
A Lesser Miss Fisher
kam5728 September 2018
So many aspects of this show are blatant copies of Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries.It is set in the 1920's, has a main female lead who solves crimes and who adores men. She dresses with flair, indulges herself in all pleasures, has a friend in the police force, has several quirky off- siders,(though female in this case) has no time for racism, can fight, is able to traverse various social levels, is beautiful, spirited and charming, has a keen intellect and can turn her hand to almost anything. The main difference is that the lead actress just doesn't quite gel. I liked her in a previous show I saw her in, but she is just too modern in her intonation, movements and mannerisms. I wanted to love this show but it is a pale copy and needs a lot more individuality.
Great program!
ginakos-6425612 September 2018
Whenever I read reviews that compare a program to another series, or the book that it was based on, or historical accuracy, I feel that they aren't watching and enjoying the show, but trying to find fault with it. I loved Miss Fisher Mysteries but I didn't expect this to be identical. That said, I am enjoying watching the program and I find it very entertaining.
Nice cast and good costumes
klouzal-wa11 August 2019
It's a nice cast and involves two women in a detective agency as opposed to private citizens. They work with a female Morality Officer who wants to a police woman/detective and a female coroner.
The period costumes are just great for those of you who like to see historical fashions.
The period costumes are just great for those of you who like to see historical fashions.
An entertaining, light-hearted mystery series from Canada
Emberweave10 May 2020
I'm very glad I gave this show a chance because it's a lot of fun. I was concerned about other reviews saying it's not as good as The Murdoch Mysteries because I found the Murdoch episodes I watched to be painfully bad, but this show is much better. And comparisons to Miss Fisher Mysteries are unfair. Yes, they're both women in the 1920s solving mysteries, but the similarities end there. It's like saying Albert Campion is derivative of Lord Peter Wimsey because they're both male detectives in the 1930s.
It did take a few episodes for everything to click, but right from the start the actresses were engaging and interesting. Frankie is the calm center around which some lively characters spin. At times Lauren Lee Smith seems to underplay the part, but when Nora arrives, it makes for a stark and entertaining contrast in personalities. The writing gets better with each episode and I think the highlight of the first series is the episode with the WWI soldiers home and the gas masks. The final episode of the first series explores how Frankie and Trudy met and it was a lot of fun.
My only complaint is when they try to add real historic figures into the narrative. The guy who played Hemingway was terrible and boring and added nothing to the story. He should stick to print modeling. And the episode with Mack Sennett would have been better if it were a Mack Sennett type instead. The real-life figures hamper the ability to tell the stories creatively. Otherwise, the plots are enjoyable fun and a good way to spend some time in Corona lockdown. I would also like to point out to some reviewers who seem to want to mainly slag off American television. If you're going to be a bigot, at least get your target right. This show is CANADIAN, not American.
Frankie Drake is an amusing mystery series set in the past and I look forward to PBS airing series two and three.
It did take a few episodes for everything to click, but right from the start the actresses were engaging and interesting. Frankie is the calm center around which some lively characters spin. At times Lauren Lee Smith seems to underplay the part, but when Nora arrives, it makes for a stark and entertaining contrast in personalities. The writing gets better with each episode and I think the highlight of the first series is the episode with the WWI soldiers home and the gas masks. The final episode of the first series explores how Frankie and Trudy met and it was a lot of fun.
My only complaint is when they try to add real historic figures into the narrative. The guy who played Hemingway was terrible and boring and added nothing to the story. He should stick to print modeling. And the episode with Mack Sennett would have been better if it were a Mack Sennett type instead. The real-life figures hamper the ability to tell the stories creatively. Otherwise, the plots are enjoyable fun and a good way to spend some time in Corona lockdown. I would also like to point out to some reviewers who seem to want to mainly slag off American television. If you're going to be a bigot, at least get your target right. This show is CANADIAN, not American.
Frankie Drake is an amusing mystery series set in the past and I look forward to PBS airing series two and three.
Dreadfully played, but still enjoyable
zomboide13 November 2017
It's a comfort, cozy period mystery show, nothing challenging, a really light pastime. The period (Toronto, the '20s) is spectacular, even though not always precise, and the overall tone of the series is witty and funny, with a foreseeable love interest (the always winsome Steve Lund) and some quirky character. The first case is a bit clumsy, it's a start, is needed to show the characters, the relationship and the world they will move, but is still weak for the most. The worst part, however, is the cast. While some of the supporting are good (as Chantel Riley), the main cast remain uninspired, with the eponymous character that turns out to be bland at least. The Australian Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries has the same premise, a woman detective in the 20's, Melbourne this time, but with the right lead actress (Lauren Lee Smith is not Essie Davis, that's for sure), it stands as fairly superior. Still enjoyable, as I said.
The lead actress is the problem
ramiestudio10 October 2018
Every successful mysteries has casted a lead, either female or male, who can carry the show, surprise the audience and is a character one wants to spend time with (once a week and more). Unfortunately, this does not happen in this series, I'd rather hangout with the supporting cast anyday, leaving Frankie to man-the-phone! According to interveiws Director Cal Coons chose the lead actress, leaving her in the role as he left the show before Season 2 began shooting. A star each for the talented three supporting cast members who carry the series along with the guest cast members.
Gets Better with Time
sdowen-5979320 January 2019
The chemistry was off in the first 4 episodes. If you give Frankie Drake a chance it eventually hits it's stride.
It's fun, less serious than it's sister series, Murdoch Mystery's. They've done a great job capturing life in Toronto in the 20's.
It's fast paced and silly at times, but that's the writers intention. The story arcs are a little predictable but not a big deal.
Overall Frankie Drake is a fun show to watch as long as you're willing to give it a chance.
It's fun, less serious than it's sister series, Murdoch Mystery's. They've done a great job capturing life in Toronto in the 20's.
It's fast paced and silly at times, but that's the writers intention. The story arcs are a little predictable but not a big deal.
Overall Frankie Drake is a fun show to watch as long as you're willing to give it a chance.
Enjoy the show
debbyosbourn7 July 2021
Flat characters, boring cases.
vacio-4332319 June 2018
After having watched the television series Fisher's Murder Mysteries, I wanted to see another series of similar themes, but I found a rather boring series, with characters without charisma, and some cases that did not interest me.
Even the character, the policeman Mary Shaw, who is the same as in the series Houdini and Doyle, who represented a police, intelligent, determined and with great emotional depth, in Frankie Drake Mysteries, is a flat and ridiculous character.
It's a shame, I'm still staying with Fisher's Murder Mysteries, it's a thousand times better.
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