Three Reasons To Watch Hulu This Weekend

Each Friday I highlight three hidden gems on Hulu and Hulu Plus. Each show fits a couple of criteria: they're great shows and they are also ones that are likely to get missed amongst the thousands of episodes available on the streaming TV and movie service.

Criminal Justice (BBC)

One of the primary differences between police shows in the U.S. and in the U.K. is the pacing. British shows often unfold slowly, with stretches of nothing but ambient sound that would unheard of in an episode of a traditional American procedural.

One example of that difference is the limited run series "Criminal Justice," which aired on the BBC in 2008 and 2009. Each five episode season (or series) follows one person through the criminal justice system, ending with the resolution of the case. Created and written by former barrister Peter Moffat (who also created the British shows "North Square" and "Silk"), each episode of "Criminal Justice" is this carefully constructed puzzle that at first doesn't seem to be leading much of anywhere. But within ten minutes, you're sucked into this complex tale of crime, justice and retribution that quickly propels you into the next episode.

For whatever reason, Hulu doesn't have the first season of the show but it just added season two. The five-episode arc stars Maxine Peake as Juliet Miller, who is accused of stabbing her husband. The case is muddled at the beginning and it only gets more complicated as the season plays out. Juliet was the victim of domestic abuse and there is some thought that might have motivated the stabbing. But even that is called into doubt and her lack of remorse and inability to talk about her marriage make her defense difficult. The case does have a definite conclusion by the end of episode five, but if you're looking for a show that ties up everything into one little moral box, you're going to be disappointed.

Click here to watch "Criminal Justice."

The Poison Tree (ITV)(2012)

Adapted from Erin Kelly's psychological thriller, this two-part miniseries originally aired on the U.K.'s ITV last December. To say the story is odd and unsettling minimizes the strangeness of the story. Matthew Goode plays Rex, a man just released from prison after twelve years for committing a double murder. He's met by his wife and daughter and the three of them try to pick up where they left off before his incarceration. But there are mysterious phone calls, flashbacks to events that may or may not hint at an alternative backstory to the murders and a lot of murky red herrings that manage to thoroughly confuse the viewer.

As a thriller, "The Poison Tree" does a great job of creating a mystery and driving it along relentlessly towards the conclusion. But there are some flaws with the show. Some of the dialogue is painfully awkward and stilted. But overall the show is the perfect creepy companion to a quiet night at home alone. And since it's only two episodes, you're not committing yourself to a weekend of frantic TV viewing.

Click Here to watch "The Poison Tree."

Off Pitch (VH1) (2013)

While it doesn't premiere officially until April 17th, you catch the pilot of the new VH1 reality series "Off Pitch" on VH1 and on Hulu for a limited time. The series focuses on the Grand River Singers, billed as the only "Glee-inspired" adult community chorus in the country. Like all great reality shows, the editing of the episode is designed to both showcase and slightly mock the oh-so serious efforts of this LaCrosse-based chorus as they struggle to build an audience beyond their town of 50,000 or so Wisconsinites. There are arguments over solos and songs and the chorus has the odd and fragile mix of personalities you would expect to see in a medium-sized town community chorus.

"Off Pitch" seems like an odd choice for VH1 and if anything it most closely resembles the tone of the TLC series "Welcome to Myrtle Manor." Even if you don't plan on watching the rest of the season, checking out the premiere is a way to guarantee you'll have a few laughs this weekend.

Click Here to watch "Off Pitch."