Vienna Blood & Other Period Detective Series

Most of my recent posts has been about modern detective dramas but in this post, I'm going to write about period detective dramas with emphasis on a particular British-Austrian series, Vienna Blood. Of course there has been a plethora of period detective dramas recently but this series happens to stand out for me from the rest despite its mediocre reviews. The fact that it has been renewed for a fourth season further validates my belief that this series has garnered quite a viewership and that many (like myself) has found this series to be highly entertaining. If you prefer period detective dramas with strong female leads then I would recommend instead Alibi's Miss Scarlet and The Duke. Vienna Blood is a detective drama filmed in Vienna, Austria and set in the early 1900s. The series is based on the Liebermann novels by Frank Tallis and concerns Max Lieberman (British actor, Matthew Beard), a young doctor and student of Sigmund Freud (the term psychiatrist has not been coined yet), who tries to assist an older Police Detective Oskar Rheinhardt (Austrian actor, Juergen Maurer) by providing psychological insights to solve numerous complex murders. Similarly in The Alienist (2018 limited series from TNT which lasted two seasons), we have the character of Dr Lazlo Kreizler (Daniel Bruhl), a psychiatrist (alienists is the term used for psychiatrists in this series) who teams up with the police commissioner's secretary, a newspaper illustrator and two other NYPD detectives (twin brothers that are equivalent to modern crime scene forensic experts) to track down a serial killer who is murdering street children. Both doctors here act as precursors to modern day criminal profilers. However, the similarities between both series ends here. While Vienna Blood has a more light and humorous feel to it, the later has a more serious and darker tone. In addition to this, all episodes in both seasons of The Alienist (which consist of 10 and 8 episodes) have a continuing story arc while each season of Vienna Blood (first shown on the BBC in 2019) contains three 90 minute episodes which feature different and unrelated crime or murder cases making them similar to stand alone TV movies. However, the episodes are split into six shorter 45 minute episodes when they were aired in the US.

So, what makes this series appealing to me? Of course there are many more high profile period detective dramas on TV out there who has earned better critical acclaim but for those who like their period detective dramas unpretentious, in a lighter vein and entertaining, this series might just be your thing. Despite not being as 'stuffy' as other period detective dramas, Vienna Blood does not lack substance evidenced by the diverse and often complicated cases presented in each episode. The combination of the different range of cases explored and the unlikely partnership between Max, an idealistic, refined and intellectual young man, and Oskar, a man who is often gruff, obstinate and impulsive (but truly a softie), makes this series always interesting to the viewer. The carefully written  backstories of both the lead characters and supporting characters that are interwoven in the narrative of the story also lends an added dimension to the characters and the story as a whole unlike in some series, where backstories are added just as an after thought or a filler. During the course of the three seasons, we also get to witness the progression of Max and Oskar's relationship from uncomfortable partners to friends and Oskar's skepticism to eventual trust of Max's methods. Another thing that is a great feature of this series is the overall lush and authentic look of the series (faithful to how Vienna would look like in the early 1900s). The major contributing factor could be that the series was mainly filmed in many famous landmarks across Vienna but the exceptional sets and costumes are also worth mentioning here. 

Last thoughts, if you prefer your period detective dramas to be entertaining but still clever enough to pose a challenge to the amateur sleuth in you, then Vienna Blood might just be your next series. To avoid disappointment, approach this series with no pre-conceived expectations and enjoy the series for what it truly is, just wholesome fun. After all, the fact that the series has been renewed for a fourth season means it must be doing something right. 

Addendum (28th April 2024) : Fans of the series Miss Scarlet and The Duke should take note that in season 5, the series will simply be titled Miss Scarlet following the departure of actor Stuart Martin who plays Inspector William 'The Duke' Wellington. Instead, he will be replaced by Kate Phillips' new co-star Tom Durant-Pritchard. Below is the video of Kate Phillips introducing Tom to the viewers courtesy of PBS Masterpiece. 

Trailer courtesy of the BBC

Video courtesy of PBS Masterpiece

For those who are interested, all three seasons of the series Vienna Blood is available on DVD from Amazon (US) and via streaming on Amazon Prime courtesy of PBS Masterpiece. Here are the links below. 

Vienna Blood DVD Amazon US  (paid link)

   

Vienna Blood Streaming Amazon Prime (paid link)