Angelus2 Aurelio Zen is a detective in Italy who is extremely good at solving crimes, however; this talent gains him the attention of the people higher up the food chain, who have plans for the detective.I must say I was swayed by the beautiful scenery that appeared on the promos and then I found myself laughing at the blunders of Aurelio Zen, a man who is too honest for his own good, he has a beautiful secretary using him (supposedly), an angry boss who takes everything out on him, senior bosses who scheme their nefarious plans with poor Zen at the center and a mother who wants him to get back together with his ex wife. Oh and he's taken up smoking again! The three episodes are intertwined with a mystery as well as the trials and tribulations of Zen's life, at times the mystery tends to lose emphasis but Rufus Sewell does a wonderful job in keeping the viewer entertained. Plus there is the beautiful Caterina Murino who plays Zen's love.Unfortunately I've just heard this show is no more...Which is a shame because all the other detectives on television are exactly the same, dull. But Zen is different, he's suave,sexy, intelligent and mundane.

Tweekums After the success of the BBC version of the Swedish police drama 'Wallander' it appears that they decided to make another police show set on the continent, this time trading Scandinavia for the warmth of Italy. Set in Rome this series follows three cases for Detective Aurelio Zen. It quickly becomes apparent that he is one of the few honest cops but that doesn't stop politicians leaning on him to solve cases that serve them whether or not justice prevails. Zen isn't perfect though; he is having an illicit affair with a woman he works with for starters. The stories themselves are gripping and there are plenty of suspects for Zen and the viewer to wonder who did it.This series is very different to Wallander, he isn't full of angst or suffering family problems; he just gets on with the job while enjoying life and being dressed in a very sharp suit; Rufus Sewell is great in the role. The series is filmed in a way that conveys the heat of the setting so that even though most of the actors speak with English accents nobody would think they were meant to be British. The decision not to have non-Italian cast members speaking in mock Italian accents was wise; ever since 'Allo 'Allo false foreign accents have seemed humorous rather than clever. It is just a pity that the series was only three episodes long; I hope it will be successful enough to warrant further series in the future.

scovazze I'm Italian, so I was curious to see the show because it claimed to portray "real" Italy, not the oh-it's-so-lovely-in-Tuscany crap. Pretty accurate. I won't go into the detective plots, which are average at best and full of implausibilities (also, the reality of Italy in 2010, with Berlusconi in charge and all that it implies, surpasses any fiction... :-/ ); I won't complain if a guy throws himself from a balcony of a prostitute in full daylight and it doesn't make the news or cause a new investigation: the show thrives on visuals, on quirky dialogue and on its actors. And Rome itself looks like the most beautiful place in the known universe - which it basically is. Some scenes are so lovingly shot in golden light that you nearly feel the heat in those narrow alleys, in the eternal Italian early Summer that Zen probably inhabits.Rufus Sewell is absolutely Italian, totally rocking the suit-and-sunglasses look (if you think he looks pretentious walking around like that, try walking through central Rome any day; guys like that are a dime a dozen here). He also nails the body language - in CABAL, the face he makes when Arianna tells him she is "a lady of the night" is really "in a different language" compared to how British actors would ever react, and the scenes with his Mom (who by the way is a French actress but nobody apparently noticed the different accent) perfectly express the way Italians feel forever 12 when under the scrutiny of their Mamma. I didn't mind that each character spoke in their own accent, it doesn't distract much; however Caterina Murino is really unintelligible, heck, I have much less of an accent and I'm not even in showbiz. However she just needs to be there, look beautiful and wear improbable garish blouses (THOSE are really fictional, no Italian woman in an official environment like a police department would wear them; definitely some male fantasy of what a desirable Mediterranean woman must look like). She doesn't seem to have much personality yet, we'll see if it gets better later. I wonder what is the point of Francesco Quinn's character, but I also guess they're just introducing him for the next stories. Zen (yes it's a real Venetian name, it sounds more like Tzenn) is no hero and is actually often rather "sfigato", which is a refreshing change from all those heroic American cops or the tortured musings of a Wallander. It will be really funny when this show - a co-production - gets dubbed into Italian and shown on our TV. People will find all kinds of faults with it. But you see? I'm being really Italian! I already see the worst-case scenario! People like me are the kind of world Zen lives in, and he's perfect in it.

gotmyorangecrush I have to say, I have really been taken by surprise by this series. I really enjoyed the first episode but, it was the 2nd episode, Cabal, that really got me hooked. First and foremost I absolutely love the extended running time. At 1:30 minutes, without commercials, its literally double the average running time for drama's and ultimately it gives the show the ability to be far more character driven. I honestly don't think I have ever seen a series before that had this kind of running time and ultimately I think it speaks to the kind of show its trying to be.Zen is really a throwback to old school TV. No funky cinematography, no shaky cameras, no funky camera angles, no high tech police gadgetry etc. In fact, I don't think I even remember seeing a single computer. Cell phones are about as high tech as this show has gotten thus far. The locations are simply stunning and that is no surprise given that it takes place in Rome. I openly admit that was initially one of the things that I was most excited about as I absolutely love Rome. Its hands down one of my favorite cities in the world and its a perfect setting for this series, especially with the approach that they have taken.Of course if your going to have a show in Rome then fashion simply must play a role and the show certainly doesn't disappoint in this regard. The wardrobe choices are impeccable especially in regards to Rufus Sewell's suits. He looks outstanding in practically every scene. Then you have Caterina Murino and she looks absolutely fabulous as well. Her outfits are classy and while there is definitely a very sexy edge to her look, its not overtly sexy. She just looks stunning and they look absolutely dynamite together.As for the stories, thus far its definitely been one of the weaker aspects of the show but they have still been entertaining and in regards to story, the 2nd episode was definitely an improvement over the first episode. I love the whole Cabal storyline and hopefully it will be a reoccurring theme with this show. It fits perfectly with the shows setting in Rome and while these types of detective shows always have different stories with each episode, there is usually a main storyline that takes place alongside the solving of individual cases. I think The Cabal would be a great choice in this regard.Overall I have really enjoyed the first 2 episodes and cant wait for more. This show is just such a breath of fresh air compared to the usual detective riff raff that is practically everywhere you look. Hopefully Zen can pull in enough viewers as it would be a real shame to see this show end prematurely.Definitely a solid 9 out of 10 thus far.