Day 80 - "Tea without sugar is just vegetable soup"

I'm pretty sure I got my love of minutiae from my Mom. The small details never ceased to evade her. Case in point: her favourite flower is the Lily of the Valley. She can't look at one without commenting on how tiny the petals are, and how the tips gently curl up. And from within that tiny nymph's shower cap comes a sweet scent so strong you'd expect it to be coming from a plant 10 times the size. Mom remarks on how simple, yet perfect they are.

Every time I see a Lily of the Valley, I'm reminded that my Mom is right. I'm also reminded to stop and look closer at the world around me.

It's this love of discovering small things that I think leads to my love of a British television comedy show called The Detectorists. It's a sweet, seemingly simple show that in reality is an subtle, intelligent look at the complexities of life, love and friendship. Like the Lily of the Valley, when you look for the small details you discover something bigger.

The show is written and directed by Mackenzie Crook (you may recognize him as Gareth Keenan in the UK version of The Office, Ragetti in the Pirates of the Caribbean films, and Orell in  Game of Thrones). He stars in The Detectorists alongside Toby Jones (most famous for playing Truman Capote, but in a slew of other productions...and for Harry Potter fans, he's the voice of Dobby).

Mackenzie Crook.

On the surface, the storyline is simple: two friends, Andy and Lance, regularly set out to spend the day scanning their metal detectors over a farm field. They live in the fictional town of Danebury in northern Essex and are members of the Danebury Metal Detecting Club (DMDC). The series is shot with a single camera, which adds to its simplicity.

Toby Jones

The Detectorists is in its third and, most likely, final season (well, if you could call it a season...as each one contains just six 30-minute shows). As they search for Roman gold, but instead find ring pulls and pieces of old farm instruments, we discover that Andy and Lance are also two socially awkward people trying to find what will make them happy in life (beyond metal detecting). It's a subtle gem of a show, beautifully written. And if you watch carefully, you'll find what's hidden inside: the truth behind what it is that makes up true friendship.

Oh, and the title comes from a line Lance says. Classic!

It was on Canadian Netflix last time I looked. Take a quiet moment to watch, and I hope you enjoy.