a5c7b9f00b A recently divorced cop adopts a police dog who lost his former companion, together they solve crimes in and around Vienna.
I've been hooked on "Inspector Rex" ever since just happening to come across an episode on SBS TV in Australia a few years ago. I don't know quite what it is about this series, but for a foreign-language series with English subtitles on SBS (the sort of show that is not ordinarily high on an Australian's viewing list)it seems to have gained an extraordinarily large following here. Perhaps it's our love of animals and Rex himself that make us love this show. Many people I know are fans, and like myself, would not miss an episode.<br/><br/>The series starts out with Rex's police dog handler being shot and killed in the line of duty, and Rex being left to pine for his former master. A young detective by the name of Richard Moser is involved in that same shoot-out, and ends up shooting the criminal who killed Rex's master. Thus, Moser meets Rex. Rex is now a dog without a master, and Moser is also companion-less, having recently gone through a divorce, so is a bachelor once more. What each of them really needs is a new companion, and Moser eventually convinces Rex that they need each other. So, after much bureaucratic red tape, Moser gains ownership of Rex, and the two team up to make a dynamic duo.<br/><br/>It soon becomes evident that Moser doesn't really know very much at all about dogs, but at least his heart is in the right place, and he manages to fumble his way through, at times with considerable prompting from Rex himself. Moser gets permission to take Rex to work with him at the "Mordkommission" (homicide squad), where Rex's expertise and training as a police dog (sniffing out drugs, explosives, dead bodies, and being able to follow a scent trail) prove extremely handy in solving the murders that take place in Vienna. Who would have thought that such a beautiful city could be the back-drop to so much foul play? Moser and Rex very quickly become inseparable, and there is an excellent rapport and chemistry between the dog and his new master. Rex also befriends Moser's work colleagues, Stockinger and Hoellerer.<br/><br/>Unfortunately, this new relationship, it seems, is just too good to last. Once again, in Series 4, Rex is left without a master when Moser is also killed in the line of duty. Moser's work colleagues at that time, Boeck (having replaced Stockinger who moved to Salzburg) and Hoellerer, are left to care for a pining Rex, until the arrival of "The New Guy", Alex Brandtner (Moser's replacement). Alex makes a very dashing entrance in Series 4, and coincidentally just happens to know a bit about dogs. Alex also surprises his new work colleagues by introducing himself by his first/Christian name, and also addressing them by their first names (an unusual practice in Germany/Austria where work colleagues normally use their surnames). Boeck does a background check on Alex and discovers that he was actually once a police dog handler, but decided not to work with dogs again after his own dog was killed in an explosion in the line of duty. Alex and Rex very quickly take to one another, and soon Rex has a new master (Alex), and is back at the office helping to solve a new murder every week.<br/><br/>Alex is quite a different character from Moser, and his relationship with Rex is somewhat different. He is much more athletic and likes to work out and keep himself in shape, whereas Moser was a bit on the lazy side when it came to physical exercise, and only indulged in it rather reluctantly. At first, Alex and Rex did not seem to have quite the same rapport and chemistry as Rex and Moser, but having now seen many of the Alex/Rex episodes, I'm beginning to like them more than I did at first. However, I still do tend to prefer the Moser/Rex episodes on the whole.<br/><br/>I love the way the plots develop each week, against the beautiful Viennese background. I also love the way we see the relationship develop between Moser and Rex, and later Alex and Rex. In the early Moser/Rex episodes, we would often see Moser teach Rex a new "skill", and then get to see Rex having to utilise that skill later in the episode.<br/><br/>This series is highly recommended and certainly a must for all animal lovers!
Unfortunately in Australia the series on SBS didn't start with Series l, 2 and 3, when Tobias Moretti played Inspector Richard Moser who was the main character/actor with his Rex. And his long term supporting actors/characters. It started being screened with Alex the second Inspector character, then reverted back to Moser, and recently fans of this programme were treated to a late night 90 minute 'Moser Tod' or Moser's Death. Some what an amazing convoluted form of continuity and annoyance to long time fans. And then there was another inspector and his female assistant that followed on after Alex Brandht, and wasn't too popular, and the series ended. Fans feel a little let down and manipulated!!!!<br/><br/>The people who followed Alex Bradnt became rather devalued actually and the series folded. Both Tobias and Gedeon were quite handsome attractive actors, but the last one, was a short bloke, barely 5 ft 5. No disrespect there, but Rex then was not allowed his ham rolls, but treated to chocolate cake? Because a female detective had intervened. This was filmed in Austria, and most fans went out and bought ham and put it in rolls, to remain in the spirit of their idols.<br/><br/>Some what a bit like Star Trek rise, fall and rise again in popularity, maybe it will be resurrected one time with or without subtitles and Rex and his police comrades will still enjoy their ham rolls and NOT chocolate cake.(Come on guys!) And I hope they still film it in Vienna. It appears a beautiful city and this series should be great advertisement and promotion for this city.<br/><br/>Pat Lightfoot