My new favorite TV series. Its not new, except to me. Its on its 7th season. I watched reruns on the ID channel then decided to watch all 6 seasons on ID Go. I did it on PC not smartphone because a) I don't care for video on tiny screens and B) videos drain the smart phone battery too much). It runs Wendesday nights. 8PM central. However its off this week. Fifth episode of the current season will be air in October.
Joe Kenda retired from the Colorado Springs, CO police department in 1996 after having solved 387 homicides, with a 92% success rate. He's still haunted by the ones he was not able to solve.
The series alternates between the real Joe Kenda talking about the case (or cases) of the episode and reenactments of the investigation featuring former sheriff's deputy turned model turned actor Carl Marino playing the younger Lt Kenda.
Other people involved in the investigations also appear to give their take on the investigations, mostly police officers and a retired reporter.
The real Joe Kenda does not pull punches. According to him you are most likely to be murdered at 1:21 AM on a Wednesday. And the best ways to avoid being murdered area:
1 do not buy, sell or take drugs or associate with people who do (in fact most gun related murders involve drugs)
2 do not be coming out of bars at closely time because "nothing good happen after midnight" (that's one of his favorite quotes)
3 try to marry well. Do not marry a psychopath.
Joe Kenda's catch phrase is "My my my".
Other lines: "Crazy boyfrend did you say? oh, I like crazy boyfriends" (as a suspect he means)
"If you're gonna lie to me, you should at least have the decency to be good at it"
"Not only are you the worst liar I've ever seen, you also have the IQ of a turnip".
And when told a suspect was an a-hole "well, I'm certainly looking for one of those".
"I get a report on my way to a crime scene that people are running from [that] crime scene, well, people running from crimes scenes interest me."
"I think about all the things I've done. All the things I've seen and can not unsee." He's seen murder with ever object imaginable except a nuclear device. Guns only used in about 40% of murders (60% of suicides).
He says doing this show is therapeutic as was writing his book which is coming out this week.
Joe Kenda on doing the show