More ‘Murder’ for Lucy Lawless, ‘Ninja’ Finals, ‘Prisoner of Love,’ a French Mystery on HBO
Acorn’s My Life Is Murder relocates from Melbourne to star Lucy Lawless’ native New Zealand. American Ninja Warrior heads to Las Vegas for National Finals. A new relationship series follows couples who won’t let prison walls break their connection. HBO imports a French mystery series that wowed audiences at Sundance. A selective critical checklist of notable Monday TV:
My Life is Murder
Season Premiere
Lucy Lawless solves crimes as retired detective (but hardly retiring) Alexa Crowe in the scenic mystery import, which leaves Melbourne behind for the second season, as Alexa (and Lawless) returns to her Kiwi roots in Auckland, New Zealand. Her first of two cases streaming on premiere week involves a woman who shot a stranger point-blank at Auckland Harbor — but why? In the second, she investigates the death of a surfing champion, which brings her back to beaches she knew as a kid.
American Ninja Warrior
The ninjas moving on to National Finals in Las Vegas face up to eight supersized obstacles. For the first time, they have to make a “Split Decision” between an upper-body obstacle or a risky balance challenge to get a spot in Stage Two.
Prisoner of Love
Series Premiere
Orange is the new valentine color in a relationship series premiering with three episodes (with three more dropping each week until the finale). Chelsea Holmes considers herself a “prison matchmaker,” setting up singles with people behind bars. She knows the drill because she’s fallen for her own inmate, the ruggedly handsome Manuel. The series follows her and four other couples as they discover if they have what it takes to commit to a life sentence together.
Laetitia
Series Premiere
The six-part crime drama, based on actual events, was the first French series ever selected for screening at the Sundance Film Festival back in 2019. It tells the story of the disappearance in western France of 18-year-old Laetitia (Marie Colomb), a mystery that exposes troubling details about her and twin Jessica’s (Sophie Breyer) upbringing. Flashbacks of their childhood play out against the contemporary investigation.
Inside Monday TV:
- Housebroken (9/8c, Fox): Renewed for a second season, the animated comedy about house pets off the leash finds pampered poodle Honey (Lisa Kudrow) having a change of heart after her night out with Coyote (Brian Tyree Henry). But when she and Chief (Nat Faxon) end up in danger, the rest of their animal support group will have to come to their rescue. Followed by the second-season finale of Duncanville (9:30/8:30c), also renewed, with events taking place at the annual Witch Day festival.
- American Dad! (10/9c, TBS): In other animated news, Stan (Seth MacFarlane) turns to son Steve (Scott Grimes) for empathy lessons when he discovers he’s unable to cry.
- Celebrity IOU Joyride (streaming on discovery+): James Marsden (Dead to Me) does a good deed for his brother-in-law and longtime friend Will when he helps restore a vintage 1963 Buick Electra that belonged to Will’s grandmother and which the family was forced to sell.
