Murder in a Small Town

Despite its hokeyness, “Murder in a Small Town” is entertaining. Its cozy rhythm is why shows like Netflix’s “Virgin River” are such hits. Tension, both sexual and otherwise, between Cassandra and Karl will entice viewers to continue tuning in if only to see how their relationship blossoms.

There are enough ingredients in both the cast and the setting to make for a pretty good small-town drama, and the nebulously Canadian backdrop is a refreshing change from all of the shows that have tried to cast that country as America. The comparatively sunny tone helps, too, though there is a feeling of not wanting to get too dark even as it alludes to, say, histories of domestic abuse.

Of course, it’s impossible, to a frustrating degree, to judge if the Karl Alberg mysteries is a well-structured and formatted season of television because we were only allowed to see a single episode, and therefore we’re reluctant to recommend the series beyond this single entertaining hour of drama. If head writer and executive producer Ian Weir makes the series as actor-focused as the slight but charming first episode, then audiences who want to solve crimes and switch their brain off should be thrilled.

The FOX original will likely become more of an evening comfort watch to tune in to. It has a pair easy to root for (with beloved actors playing the love interests), an understanding cop, and a setting that is lighthearted with occasional strokes of darkness when crime knocks on its door.

Dull crime procedural.