I’ve been making a nuisance of myself around Rialto Channel of late. A perk of this job is viewing films and shows before they screen on the channel, and for better or worse this has led to an obsession with Swedish crime drama Wallander. I find myself ringing people far too busy to talk to me, begging for the next installment of this riveting series. 

I’m a secret murder-mystery fan; while I’m a literary snob, ignoring murder-mystery books sitting on the best-seller lists for years, I can watch them for hours, weekends even. They’re a luxury I save for television, and my latest fixation, Wallander, kicks off on Wednesday 5th February, 8.30pm.

Wallander is the original Swedish television series, adapted from Henning Mankell’s Wallander novels, and stars Krister Henriksson as Wallander, a world weary, disillusioned, chain-smoking policeman who likes to do things his own way. 

A series of car bombs and violent murders keep everyone guessing in the first feature-length episode, followed by the mysterious death of a young boy in episode 2. Both episodes are smartly paced and have numerous storylines and disturbing undercurrents. There’s also something very appealing about Wallander’s old school approach to solving mysteries, while his screwed up personal life adds another dimension. 



The latest other cult crime drama worth catching is Irish series Love/Hate, which has just kicked off on Rialto Channel, screening on Monday evenings, 8.30pm. 

Set in the criminal underworld of Dublin and its surrounding countryside, where most of the bodies are buried, series 3 of Love/Hate continues to follow the professional and personal lives of competing Dublin gangs. 

If you loved The Sopranos and The Wire, this award-winning Irish television show will appeal as another crime drama that pushes boundaries. Director David Caffrey shows the gritty reality of his characters volatile lives, capturing the drug addiction, squalor and violence of organised crime and the psychological effect it has on the families involved. 

Critics think the series just keeps getting better, and with eight Irish Film and Television Awards it’s one of the most watched shows in Ireland. 



This series begins with gangland boss Nidge (Tom Vaughan-Lawlor) struggling to keep his gang under control. When one of his men is accidentally kneecapped, his right-hand man Darren (Robert Sheehan) can’t help but retaliate, beginning a series of events with horrific consequences for the rest of the gang. 

Shot beautifully in HD, Love/Hate has you holding your breath at times, but thankfully Caffrey knows when to lighten the mood with a touch of humour – mostly at Nidge’s expense. Watching Nidge struggle to retain both his power and his nerve is a reminder that maybe our own family and work colleagues aren’t so bad after all! 

Series 4 of Love/Hate will follow Series 3 in March - so best to jump onto this crazy, dangerous and intense Irish bandwagon immediately.