Hudson & Rex (2019– ) User Reviews

Family themed mystery series void of shirtless heroes, T&A, foul language, and infused with (wo)man's best friend "Rex".

[Ed-Shullivan · 7/10 · 14 May 2019]

Nobody said that all hour long TV detective series had to be filmed in California, Chicago and/or New York, and not everyone wants to see shirtless lead detectives (Aka) Steve McGarret from Hawaii Five-O, or hot looking and young detective babes like Kensi Blye from NCIS: Los Angeles. Hudson & Rex provides an alternative to the high testosterone fueled smash/crash/blow 'em all up and make the arrest in the last two minute cookie cutter crime series.

Detective Charlie Hudson (John Reardon) is partnered with his loyal German Shepard dog Rex who adds a lot of family interest to the story lines because most TV viewers are also animal lovers. The scenery in Newfoundland Canada also adds to the value of the weekly storylines and is a perfect backdrop for Hudson & Rex to entertain their viewers each week whilst solving much more simpler crimes than the other big budget crime TV series tailored more for fighting ISIS terrorists, and/or major drug cartels.

Sit back, relax and just enjoy how Hudson & Rex work together to solve crimes in the blue collar province Newfoundland, Canada. A respectable 7 out of 10 rating.

Canada does it again: A truly wonderful entertainment.

[havokseye · 8/10 · 22 August 2019]

As an 'arrogant American', I want to weigh in because I love Canadian television programming, almost as much if not more than my own country's fare. I'm sick of constant gun/drug violence, constant sexualization and objectification, and pointless sensationalism. The overpowering dramatic soundtracks and formulaic, predictable storylines are aggravating.

Cut to Canadian programs, specifically those filmed and produced by Canadian companies, including Hudson & Rex. Y'all rock! Background music isn't unobtrusive. Episodes aren't needlessly bloody. Storyline and scripts are rooted in reality. Medical conditions aren't always the rare and unheard of that makes worry worts turn into hypochondriacs. Conversations are actual conversations and not laced in fifty million undertones. And one thing that I love more than anything else about Canadian productions over American: you make it a point to highlight the racism against indigenous peoples and treat the people like people instead of acting like there isn't a systemic problem or painting it as though all Natives are criminals. American television rarely talks about it and when they do, it's treatment is the same as any other non-white culture. Mexicans all work for cartels, Chinese/Japanese work for the Triad/Yakuza, Blacks are all in gangs, and Natives are all lazy drunks. What-the-hell-ever.

Animal shows are typically gimmicky, and every character treats the animal like a child, speaking in sing-songy baby voices. Hudson & Rex is different. I don't talk to my dog like she's a baby. I talk to her like she's a member of my family. We have conversations, even if they're one-sided, and for once we have characters on tv treating the animal as another character in the show. Rex is really a cop to them, because he is. Hudson talks to him the way he would talk to a human partner. Asking questions, awaiting responses, using full sentences, reserving single words for commands related to police work. Stay, easy, find, search. Police dogs are trained with simple one to two word commands that a human officer could bark out quickly, pardon the pun, and when Hudson uses that tone and those commands, Rex responds appropriately. The only gimmick here is the way the camera zooms in on Rex when he is the one detecting a clue. But it's no different than when cameras zoomed in on Charlie from Numb3rs, Dr. Murphy from The Good Doctor, Dylan Reinhart from Instinct. The actor is just canine instead of human.

Reality isn't constant sensationalism and this show highlights the fact that ordinary can be entertaining, relaxing, and a much needed respite from the jaw-dropping special effects of Hollywood style productions.

Then again, I'm just a farm girl hick who has no use for the glitz and the glam and am happy that Canada provides me with entertainment that is closer to what exists in my own world rather than fantasy and lights. What could I possibly know about the entertainment business? I mean, besides what actually entertains me?

Gets better in the 2nd half of the first season

[jk-692-236394 · 7/10 · 27 July 2019]

This is getting better as it goes. I feel like people/networks/studios do not give series a chance anymore. Yes it is a little corny, and the acting is a bit wooden sometimes, but I still like it. I do agree I wish the show would embrace it's location and people more. So many Canadian shows barely acknowledge they are in Canada.

Embrace where you are shooting and from. They all seem to have no accents, unless someone slips, ( like ahboot, for about). I am American. I watch shows from all around the world and I enjoy it. This show is rated G, the dog is great and the plots remind me of old Murder She Wrote, or Rockford Files. That type of murder mystery. There is always a market for that kind of show.

The show is practically 100% Canadian actors. Update- They have embraced being in Canada. The show has improved, and I enjoy it. I am glad it has been renewed for Series 6! Good job.

That didn't suck!

[nospamboz · 27 March 2019]

Long, long time Kommisar Rex fan here. The first episode was a nice tribute to the original show. Sure, it's not the best written (or acted) drama, but neither was the original. It was fun, though, and entertaining enough for my taste. I'm also an old Republic of Doyle fan (as well as Little Dog), so I like playing the find-the-filming-location-on-Google-Maps game. (Hint: MUN) Like I said, it didn't suck. I'll be watching.

Refreshing change from the blood and gore!

[keaymvideo · 8/10 · 1 April 2019]

In all due respect to the negative comments posted here,I found it refreshing to watch a "clean" detective show that wasn't filled with blood, gore, excessive loud gunfire for superficial effect. We should be supportive of Newfoundland content and give the show an opportunity to grow and characters to develop. I watched the Littlest Hobo as child. With the exception of the German Sheppard the synopsis is different. It was based, if memory serves, on a dog who befriends and ex-convict attempting to live a better life.

I don't believe the intent was to produce the series about Newfoundland and/or have the characters speak with a NL accent. A lot of Frontier was filmed here and those characters didn't have a NL accent. There's one thing I don't understanding about NL'rs. Why are we often so critical of our own businesses. I recall quite some rime ago a neighbor went for a pack of cigarettes and instead of supporting the local corner store just down the street, he drove over a kl away to an Irving station (he also paid more). His comment "No way am I going to give Mr. ------- my money.

This has nothing to do with the H&R series. I just wanted to make a point :).

Hit and miss per episode, sometimes very cheesy, beautiful setting

[jimdbs · 6/10 · 19 March 2023]

As the title says, some episodes work well, some are quite bad, many are mixed.

The show switches between light hearted, slightly humorous, and fun to very dark and serious. I think it's more enjoyable the former way and with Hudson and Rex acting more like buddies. When it gets overly serious, dark, and dramatic, it's harder to watch.

A consistent issue is bad acting (or bad dialogue and direction) and some of the characters being too serious. The lead actor, or his character, is pretty good though and his dialogue and emotions have more range compared to other characters.

Another issue is how Rex saves the day at the end of nearly every episode. In most cases, it is very hard to believe to the point it's comical and I laugh. I get that's a key part of the show, but maybe it'd work better if the scenes were more like Rex helping, not on his own taking down the guilty person.

Small annoyance, but they reuse stock footage of the outside of the police station and it becomes noticeable after a few episodes. It's another part of the show that is unintentionally funny. How hard would it be for them to record more footage of the outside of that police station? At least get one without people walking in it and it wouldn't be so obvious.

What inspired me to write this review now was the most recent episode (half of 2 parter), which was pretty bad aside from Rex on his own in the woods encountering different dangers and obstacles, which was fun. It had the negative aspects I mentioned above turned to the max, very unbelievable situation, overly dramatic, cheesy dialogue, plus the main character is barely in it and they have some new characters doing the work. It's obvious the intent was to try something different and make the episode stand out in that way but it was not executed well.

we liked it, terrific Newfoundland coastal scenery

[iljones · 10/10 · 27 March 2019]

Watchable if you like dogs and police detectives

our dog Arwen loves it!

Not a terrible show

[andrewimcdiarmid · 6/10 · 24 April 2023]

An easy to watch, family-friendly detective show set in St. John's that is easy to watch and good for when the other typical explosions first, ask questions later shows get you down.

This is a very Canadian show, not always a good thing but not always bad either, with characters that are very obvious and inoffensive, but I do find that many well-acted and realistic shows tend to get a bit too heavy and hard to digest at times. This show which is refreshingly set in the east coast instead of the usual (but awesome) suspects of Toronto or Montreal, has a fun but not very serious vibe to it. There is a romance that took a few seasons to blossom between Charlie and Sarah, but there is unfortunately zero chemistry there. The slo-mo scenes of Rex jumping are tacky, and it's at times like watching a walk through rehersal, but the how does have its moments. The supporting cast of Joe, Jesse and Sarah are likable and this is an entertaining show if you ignore the inoffensive nature of it.

Entertaining Cop Drama

[nsivaloganathan · 8/10 · 8 April 2019]

Nice scenery, decent acting and good production value. Overall an entertaining pilot. Anyone who complains about the plot and script is entirely missing the point. This is not supposed to be an Emmy winning show, it's made to entertain and that it does well.

Brings back childhood memories

[Patricia89 · 7/10 · 21 September 2019]

As a child i always watched Kommisaris Rex. I love that they brought it back as a complete new series. Brings back old memories and i love it. Also love that they used small details out of the original series.

Good Boy!

[brussels_sprout13 · 5/10 · 5 April 2019]

The handsome star of this show is GREAT...his human co-star is just OK!

Entertaining Canadian detective show!

[lyndavanleeuwen · 8/10 · 26 March 2020]

I quite enjoy this show! Perhaps it's the dog, perhaps it's the handsome lead actor, perhaps it's the enjoyable writing & supporting actors! I look forward to it each week, & often pvr it to rewatch later! I've recommended it to dog owner friends because the dog is a big part of the storyline! We been to Newfoundland & enjoy the scenery around the city as well! Hope it continues many seasons! A little romance between the lead characters wouldn't go amiss!

i loved komissar rex

[nicole-forny · 7/10 · 14 October 2020]

As a child, i allways watched -Komissar Rex- a european tv-show running for several years... so i am getting nostalgic watching this show. the show its not a masterpeace but good enough while relaxing after a long day.

H&R is Dreadful Compared to Original Inspector Rex

[blazevonivan · 1/10 · 3 December 2021]

A new chapter in police procedural crime shows began in 1994 and concluded in 2015. 209 episodes of a charismatic dog and his humans. Kommissar Rex was set in Vienna for 10 seasons and then moved to Rome as Il Commissario Rex for 8 more. Both versions were created by Peter Hajek and Peter Moser.

Hudson & Rex is a highly derivative show that gets it wrong starting with the title. The original show was created around the dog, not a human with a dog. There are no shortage of shows with humans. The reason this show enjoyed such popularity is the creative scripts and excellent acting that built upon the dog's unique skills. H&R completely misses the mark. They rarely have the dog do anything but chase a suspect and bark at them. Occasionally the dog, played by Diesel vom. Burgimwald, gets to leap in the air and take down a suspect. Pitifully uncreative especially when compared to the original Inspector Rex episodes. Honestly, the writers could just watch the old episodes and craft far better plots and uses for Rex.

An inexcusable fault in the series is its obsession with wokeness. Every episode finds some injustice to cure or perhaps something as simple, yet unrealistic, as making the population of St. John's, NFL appear like cosmopolitan NYC. It's so fake it is distracting, in fact, I have watched two seasons and I can't continue. I love German Shepherds and crime shows. How H&R managed to ruin this genre and misuse the dog is beyond me.

The lack of graphic violence is the one aspect that I commend. The original show often was MA 15 and for good cause. The crime scenes and forensics left little to the imagination. I like the restraint H&R exercises and hope they continue in that vain.

To fix this show they must build it around Rex's unique abilities. They must also infuse some character traits. They don't have to replicate the original series such as Rex rides shotgun and makes detectives sit in the rear. Rex loves to eat ham biscuits and watch TV. Rex is frequently very jealous of his detective if he takes an interest in a woman. Rex brings ringing phones and places them next to ear of the sleeping detective. These are just some of the low hanging fruit of characteristics that make the dog more interesting.

I hope the writers improve the show. I very much enjoy a good German Shepherd program.

Awesome Canadian made Family Show!

[lisawilson-89488 · 10/10 · 19 May 2019]

It's extremely refreshing to watch a show that you don't have to close all the curtains, just incase a surprise sex scene pops in.

The Dog is the Best!!

[wilsona-55663 · 7/10 · 1 February 2020]

Watch it mainly due to the great acting from the Dog, who pretty much saves the day! ** Re: Episode "In Pod we Trust" "Camilla wants me to be the change that we want in the world..." - I must state that it was the great Mahatma Gandhi who said this, which became his regular practice of his existence.

Great family viewing

[cottage_country27 · 10/10 · 11 May 2019]

I love watching this show with my grandson, who is 9 years old. We are only on eposide 3 but the show seems to get better with each episode. I love it because it is family friendly. We need more shows like this as it takes kids off their computers and spending downtime with parents, siblings and grandparents. Keep up the great work.

family fun

[donnieeb · 7/10 · 23 August 2021]

A really entertaining family show. Something your not afraid to watch with the kids. I dont know why canada can make shows like this one and burden of truth. And they are actually entertaining mystery and crime drama and everything in us is always dirty and politicized and not nescesarily entertaining. This show is fun and like a breath of fresh air.

I loving it

[maxvandeneynde · 10/10 · 10 September 2019]

I loving it i loving it i loving it i loveing it cool die duitse sheperd

Entertaining

[tigerscale · 6/10 · 30 April 2019]

Very reminiscent of "Katts and Dog", another Canadian cop/K9 buddy family drama from the late '80s, early '90s. Hudson and Rex's acting is as good as it can be. The writing needs some improvement but it has a lot of potential and hopefully CityTV will give it a chance to do just that.

Nice, clean, old-fashioned quality fun without regret

[supermaggie · 2/10 · 12 September 2020]

I agree with the other reviewer who called it a refreshing change from the blood and gore. I cannot watch the disgusting murders in Criminal minds etc. anymore (isn't that why Mandy Patinkin left? And they learned nothing. Instead they added hate to the cruel murders by lying about Germans insulting the new team member (after that I stopped watching Crim. min.) etc. - it is the other way round, the show makers have been insulting Germans from the start of the show). Hudson and Rex is positively put old-fashioned crime/detective stories and - like in the predecessing Austrian show - a cute, clever dog as the cherry on top of it. I can enjoy watching this without cursing the writers/producers for their implicated (hateful) propaganda - a rather rare thing compared to many Hollywood shows today and therefore I hope it will run for a long time.

I absolutely love it

[aprilmsullivan · 10/10 · 3 April 2019]

I think this is another fantastic show done right here in my hometown. I was a huge fan of Republic of Doyle & I watched Little Dog but I wasn't really into frontier or Caught but as for this new show Hudson & Rex , I think it's great so far. I work for the cast & crew and they are the nicest people you can ever meet. Im rating this 10/10 cause I have faith in this show and it's gonna take off and hopefully get bigger. And if it doesn't I'll still give them a 10 just for the hard work, long hours and for just being awesome people.

A bit of fun

[Cilica · 7/10 · 1 October 2021]

Canadian Drama is known for it's wholesome output. Murdock Mysteries, and the like.

This series is a bit of fun to watch. Not taken serious as many of the Canadian policing procedures are incorrect, or not followed. What the show does bring is wholesome likes of the characters. Somewhat 2 dimensional characters, could be expanded but then where is the fun in this. The writers have tried but to my thinking haven't gotten it to work.

The one character who is quite unique to Canadian characters in general and to this specific drama, is Mayko Nguyen as Sarah Truong - her role is undefined (they do give her a title), rolls around to being a float, intelligent in all areas - must have about 10 degrees, she even is an undercover police person, well without training as a police officer...she is my most liked character as you never know what her job will be in each episode.

What I most like about the drama is my 12 year old friend is invested in each episode broadening the appeal from young and old as viewers.

Refreshing, to say the least!

[myabixbyse · 20 November 2022]

With all the blood, gore and sick disturbing imagery in TV shows coming out of the US (and Canada to some extent), it is refreshing to be able to sit and watch a light-hearted detective show with stunning scenery.

In my opinion there is no need to show images of a person guts spewed around or, see throats cut open or, sodomized reproductions of a victim or, dark psyco contrived nonsense to tell a story. People are not stupid and do not have to see or hear ALL the gory details to understand what is happening.

It's time producers, production companies and writers follow the concept of Hudson and Rex to provide good ALL family member entertainment.

Lamest Writing

[jonesdeannorman · 2/10 · 24 September 2019]

In one episode a girl is locked in a condo. It's under construction with tools and lumber everywhere. She could have just broken a window and escaped. But, nope. Too easy. Another episode has deadly viruses. The deadliest. Are they in a bunker? No Are they even in a negative pressure room? Hell no. Just a regular building WITH A WINDOW! Never in a million years would a lab be allowed to operate like that. Another one featured electromagnetic pulses. Which in reality are invisible to the naked eye but the writers made them look like lightening. Eyerolls dominate every episode so far. My friends and our kids watch the show because there's "a puppy". That's the only thing saving the show.