Watch This While You Wait: The Loch

It’s three months until Outlander comes back. And while Game of Thrones is finally here, what’s a girl to do to keep her sweaty, summertime brain occupied until one of her favorite fandoms makes its glorious return? Why, find a British crime drama of course!

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In some serious desperation for a new show, I stumbled upon the trailer for The Loch (or Loch Ness – iTV calls it one thing, IMDB calls it another – make up your mind, Brits). Sadly, it’s not currently airing on any US networks but it’s available on AcornTV , a streaming service that specializes in shows from across the pond. I ended up signing up for a free trial to see if the $4.99 a month price tag was worth it. After binging on the first three episodes, I’m totally adding this handy little British streaming channel to my fun time budget.

Unfortunately for any monster fans, Nessie does not appear to factor in to this show. The Loch is your basic crime drama. I’m a huge fan of the formula – which British television seems to do incredibly well. Broadchurch is my jam, y’all. While The Loch doesn’t quite live up to Broadchurch standards (no fabulously crotchety David Tennant), it’s still able to hold its own. Plenty of similarities to go around – small town, prickly lead detective from out of town, friendly local law enforcement, murder, suspicious neighbors with mysterious backstories, etc.

The Loch is the perfect summer holdover show while you await your fandom-friendly programming. It’s set in Scotland (score one for the Outlander peeps!) so of course it’s straight up scenery porn. Fort Augustus on Loch Ness stands in for the fictional town of Lochnafoy.

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It’s also a perfect show for playing “hey, look who it is!” – one of my favorite TV pastimes. The Loch stars some familiar faces.

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Actress Siobhan Finneran plays lead detective Lauren Quigley. Downton Abbey’s resident dead-stared sneer is here for the party – but with way better hair. Sadly, there doesn’t seem to be a Thomas reunion in store for this show. Creepy local doctor Simon Marr (played by John Heffernan) is none other than General Lord Thomas of Outlander. Since it’s been 26 years since Outlander has been on TV, I’ll give you a quick reminder.

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The Loch also doesn’t disappoint in presenting an adorable newcomer (and Outlander-perfect named) Murray Fraser. I will admit I totally paused episode one to Google him (always a good sign).

There are very few pictures of him online and interestingly enough, the Google search turned up the entire Outlander cast. Perhaps due to the similarity in names to Jenny Fraser Murray? Oh, Google… you mystery, you. In any case, he’s lovely.

So if you’re looking for a new show to occupy your time, I’d highly recommend giving The Loch a try. There’ve only been 3 episodes so far but I’m definitely hooked. The tricky part is waiting every week for the next episode. Binging has spoiled me forever.

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The Loch (or Loch Ness, depending on who ya’ ask) airs on AcornTV and iTV (for those in the UK) on Sundays.