By Nina Heyn

Long dark evenings are perfect for cozying up with a hot mug in front of a screen, so in winter I went on the lookout for some intelligent mystery and action tales. After trawling through dozens of TV series on half a dozen platforms, I found a few that are a bit more challenging than the typical, tired cop show about a serial killer or one more show about a drug war in a big city. Not surprisingly, most of these series are from overseas, where censorship limitations (requiring less violence) and state funding (script competitions) encourage quality filmmaking. Two of my selections I have recommended before, but they have since then added a third season, and they are both outstanding, especially the blockbuster of the streaming world—Slow Horses. Two action shows—Alex Rider and Percy Jackson—were conceived with teenage audiences in mind, but they are based on high-quality writings and can encourage younger audiences to think about such values as friendship, loyalty, and resourcefulness while still being entertaining for any audience. So, here is a short list of smart action shows for winter screen surfing.

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