The odd couple are a fair cop

private eyes (universal)

STANDARD TV police shows such as The Bill and NYPD Blue were solid fare, I’m sure, but they never grabbed me.

Throw an unlikely partner into the mix, on the other hand, and I’ll tune in religiously.

TV from across the Atlantic likes nothing more than odd couple crime-solving teams.

Take Medium, for example, where a supposed psychic teams up with a crime investigation team. Or Bones – a forensic pathologist solves murders with an FBI agent. Castle – a crime novelist partners a New York detective. White Collar – a convicted counterfeiter and art thief helps a special FBI unit catch other white collar criminals. And so on.

So how could I resist the latest in these weird crimefighting mash-ups, Private Eyes, where a retired ice hockey player turned agent teams up with a private detective to solve murders?

It sounded so ridiculous, I had to watch it.

This one is from Canada and stars ex-teen idol Jason Priestley of Beverly Hills 90210 fame.

He still has that cheekychappy persona and has decent chemistry with his co-star Cindy Sampson (how long before their characters are in a relationship?).

The first episode was set in the hockey world, so there was at least an attempt at plausibility for why he would team with her.

How they justify him going into full-time P.I. work should be interesting – and I’ll be tuning in to find out, no matter how daft it is.

shades of blue (sky living)

This drama about corrupt cops was supposed to be a vehicle for Jennifer Lopez.

Instead, wild-eyed co-star Ray Liotta has, with each passing episode, stolen the show, chewing up the scenery and spitting it out with venom.

Roll on the second series.