These 2 new crime dramas start off with a murder. One is from Britain and the other from Mexico. They take different approaches that reflect popular storytelling styles from their country.

Gangs of London From the sadistic opening sequence, it’s clear that this series will have its share of violent encounters. Considering that it was created by Gareth Evans, who’s best known for the brutally violent The Raid movies, this should be expected. However, there’s more than one cruel but inventive clash in each episode. It also has a compelling plot: After the head of the city’s main criminal organization is murdered, it sparks a manhunt for his killer, while creating conflicts with their rival partners. In good British fashion, there’s a labyrinth of relationships and secret alliances to add depth to the storytelling. It’s not for the squeamish, but the involving drama is complemented by an excellent cast. (9 one-hour episodes with a 2^nd season already announced) (4.5 / 5)   AMC link

Who Killed Sara? This series also starts with the death of a crucial character. After serving 18 years in jail, Sara’s wrongly-convicted brother sets out for revenge on the powerful crime family that screwed him over. Surprisingly, he doesn’t do it in secret, but makes his intentions fully known to his victims. This was created by José Ignacio Valenzuela, who’s written a number of Chilean soaps, and his love of the formula is obvious. Even though the murder plot is peppered with predictability, it’s all about the passionate relationships. In the telenovela tradition, the drama unfolds with over-dramatic moments of obvious intent (often punctuated by blatant musical cues and dramatic expressions). Considering the Latin American influence, there’s a healthy measure of sex featuring women’s breasts and men’s butts. Overall, it’s more of a guilty pleasure, but one that’s fun.  (Ten 40-minute episodes in Spanish with English dubbing or in original Spanish with a 2^nd season announced) (3 / 5)  Netflix link