Bad things happen in 'Durham County'

Relax, I'm not hating on my neighbors to the West.

This "Durham County" is a 6-episode series on the ION network, an acclaimed Canadian import that's won a boatload of Gemini awards (Emmys in America.) It airs tonight at 10.

It stars Hugh Dillon, who you would recognize if you watch CBS' 'Flashpoint." And it's an eerie show, creepy and disturbing like 'Twin Peaks,' a stylish comment on suburbia.

Dillon plays Mike Sweeney, a police detective who moves his family back to his hometown after his partner is shot to death. (They move into a house, by the way, that was the scene of a grisly suicide.) Sweeney is the brooding type and although (or maybe because) he has a quick temper, he's holding a lot in. His wife Audrey is recovering from cancer, and during the difficult ordeal, he had an affair. They have a dark, teenage daughter Sadie who, as her father suggests, thinks she's Karen Sisco, which is to say she wants to be a cop and is fascinated with crime. Their other daughter Maddie, left on her own a lot, wears this strange doll mask.

The Sweeneys, unfortunately, move across the street from the Pragers, which includes Ray Prager, an old nemesis of Mike's who radiates sociopath. A former hockey star and now the owner of a successful plumbing company, he treats his wife and son like possessions, making for an unhappy family life.

Things heat up in Durham County when two teen girls are murdered, followed by the murder of a beloved teacher. Let's just say for Mike, who is investigating the crimes, and really everyone else, the crimes hit close to home.

This isn't a Jerry Bruckheimer procedural, the pace is slower, there's no in-your-face action, and while there are murders and blood, it's pretty tastefully handled. It's a character study, much more about the acting and the writing, both of which are quality.

With American dramas disappearing from network TV, 'Durham County' is a nice place to visit. (And no, you wouldn't want to live there.)