It looks like the EU is going to tighten restrictions on American travelers in the wake of our rising COVID-19 crisis. This is crushing news to those who had big plans to see the French Coast or a reopened Venice. But while TV is no substitute you can at least get some international flavor on this side of the pond. Take a look at some of the selections that will take you away this summer even if you don’t leave the couch.
“SUMMER ESCAPES” COLLECTION June 28-mid July)
- COAST AND COUNTRY: RAILWAY WALKS: Julia Bradbury straps on her backpack to follow the old tracks, overgrown cuttings, and ancient viaducts of Britain’s lost rail empire, through stunning landscapes and urban backstreets.
- OFF THE BEATEN TRACK: Breathtaking, wild, and remote, the far reaches of Wales are seldom seen by outsiders but offer almost every terrain this planet has to offer. Hosted by BBC’s Kate Humble, this series blends travelogue with ecology and cultural insight.
- MONTY DON’S PARADISE GARDENS: In this “heady tour of earthly delights” (The Guardian), BBC presenter Monty Don travels across the Middle East and beyond in search of wondrous walled spaces from Spain and Morocco to Iran and India.
“FOREIGN LANGUAGE THRILLERS” COLLECTION June 28-mid July)
- THE SOMMERDAHL MURDERS (NEW! June 29) is an engaging, blue-sky take on the increasingly-popular Nordic noir genre and is based on the bestselling book franchise by Anne Grue. Set in a picturesque town on the Danish coastline, each episode revolves around an intriguing murder investigation solved by DCI Dan Sommerdahl (Peter Mygind), his partner, as well as his estranged wife. This eight-part series focuses as much on the mysteries as the people who solve them.
- STRAIGHT FORWARD: With stunning scenery and high-stakes action, this gritty international thriller is an adrenaline-filled ride across the globe. When her father is murdered, Danish con-woman Sylvia (Cecilie Stenspil) plots revenge on crime kingpin Ravn (Mark Mitchinson, Dear Murderer). Forced to flee to New Zealand, can she save her family from the other side of the world.
- L’ACCIDENT: In this compelling French mystery, Gabriel Cauvy (Bruno Solo, Blood on the Docks) contends with the sudden death of his wife, Rebecca, in a suspicious car wreck. When the police blame the crash on Rebecca for drunk driving, Gabriel sets out to clear her name, but his search for the truth is more dangerous than he could have imagined. (French with English subtitles.)
