Over the past two weeks, I’ve binged two seasons of a delightfully fresh and fun britcom that I found on Netflix.  Detectorists is the story of two hobbyist metal detectorists (don’t call them metal detectors… those are the machines!) in a small rural community in England.  By times, laugh-out-loud funny,  and by others lovingly tender and sweet, it is a true tour de force put together by writer/director/star Mackenzie Crook.  While the two seasons on Netflix ares only 6 episodes in length each, they are all of high quality.

While Crook is probably best known as Ragetti in the Pirates of the Caribbean series (or as Gareth in the original version of The Office), he displays a true talent both in front of, and behind the camera.  His costar, Toby Jones, displays his already well-known acting talents. (You may have seen him in The Mist, Captain America, Tinker Tailor Solider Spy, Wayward Pines or many other places, not to mention being the voice of Dobby in the Harry Potter franchise) Both men are able to bounce between soft, dramatic moments to typical British humour with ease.

As an aside, thanks to the show, I have now also become a fan of musician Johnny Flynn.  His theme song for the show is simply beautiful.  Take a listen to it below.  I look forward to getting to better know his music.

While the third, and final, season has just aired on BBC4 in the UK, it has not yet made it’s way to Netflix here in Canada.  I’m quite looking forward to seeing how the story progresses and where it leads.  Regardless of the outcome, I am ever so grateful to have found this gem of a television series.  If you’re a fan of British comedies, good writing, lighthearted TV or just a fan of good quality television in general, do yourself a favour and check out Detectorists.

What other hidden gems have you discovered over the years?  Let me know what I should watch next!