The Killing on BBC4

[DracoM]

Actually, ref Spiral, what is really surprising me is the naked portrait of a police unit totally out of control in terms of corruption, criminal activity of its own, examining magistrates in partnership in fixing evidence, bullying bosses, corrupt lawyers in cahoots with deeply criminal gangs, fitting up suspects, beating them up, rampant sexual exploitation. Tintin looked as if he was going to be the one light in this grim blackness, and then........lo and behold....!

What was the French TV public's reaction to this series?

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

er i would prefer to continue here rather tha a new thread ...as aeolium makes clear in his highly attractive pitch it all kinda rolls together etc ....

when does production start?

i think Spiral is farce so i suspect the French public laughed their socks off .... it also reminds me of those wonderful Tales by G F Newman ....

[aeolium]

I remember the Newman Law and Order series and very much enjoyed it, though the police force in Red Riding made that one seem quite civilised. But from what fantasy dreamworld did he dredge up Judge John Deed?! He was about as believable as the philanthropic businessmen in Nicholas Nickleby, the Cheeryble brothers. Come on, G F - stick to what you know.

[DracoM]

And Rubicon? What's going on there?

[Mobson7]

Icelandic detective film "JAR CITY" is on tonight on BBC4 at 10pm...Original title "Myrin, filmed in 2006, and released in UK in 2008, based on the novel by Arnaldur Indridason. Good reviews..."Accomplished" says ST Culture...so after watching Vera, shaggy bag lady detective in Northumberland (ITV1 8-10pm), one can be immediately transported to Iceland to see how they do things!

[DracoM]

And the return next week of the appalling fat slob Swedish Wallander so incredibly different to the previous Swedish version. I found that fatso almost unwatchable and hysterically self-pitying.

[Nick Armstrong]

Talking of TV dramas, it wasn't the classic detective formula, but there was an element of an individual striving to discover the explanation to a mystery with criminal overtones, did anyone see "Exile" over 3 nights on BBC last week?

I've watched the first two, the final part will be watched today: Jim Broadbent mesmerising as the Alzheimers-stricken former investigative journalist, whose son (John Simm) returns to the northern family home after being sacked from his tabloid journalist job, and wants to get to the bottom of the crucial investigation by his father which blighted their relationship. With great turns by Timothy West as the likely offender in the saga, and Olivia Coleman as the daughter who cared for their father while Simm's character lived the prodigal life in London, I am finding it gripping. Interesting and naturalistic use of Alzheimers as the almost impenetrable element which hinders the solution being found. And great writing under the
creative supervision of the terrific Paul Abbott.

Five stars from me!

[Anna]

I too was glued to Exile, anything with Jim Broadbent or John Simm in it guarantees watchability doesn't it? For those who missed, all 3 episodes are on iplayer until 10th May. I won't say further as Caliban has yet to watch the last episode. I haven't watched The Killing or Spiral, I understand they are very gory.

[Nick Armstrong]

I too was glued to Exile, anything with Jim Broadbent or John Simm in it guarantees watchability doesn't it? For those who missed, all 3 episodes are on iplayer until 10th May. I won't say further as Caliban has yet to watch the last episode. I haven't watched The Killing or Spiral, I understand they are very gory.

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

Spiral ceased last night in a state of disaster, all plot lines left spinning in the wind .... i have a juvenile problem with Karlsson .... three stars i'd say ... but once it starts it carries me away ...

Rubicon is in danger of becoming extremely dull .... it is cryptic, slow with some attractive eccentricity in characters but one wonders quite where it is going and how long it will take to do it ...

ta for pointer i shall catch up on Exile ...

[Mobson7]

If you download EXILE from i-player (updated 4th May) they stay with you until 3rd June!

[Nick Armstrong]

If you download EXILE from i-player (updated 4th May) they stay with you until 3rd June!

And go for it Calum - give it time, it's nicely paced over 3 hours, but not a thud and a blunder a minute. There's a great sinister twist about 2/3 through episode 2...

[Mobson7]

Gave up on both Spiral and Rubicon a while back, now on to Hugo Blick's The Shadow Line..."A rare British cop show that hits the target" says today's ST's Culture. Started on BBC2 last Thursday 9pm (on i-player) starring Chiwetel Ejiofor as a policeman returning to duty with a bullet in his head and amnesia, a drug baron gangster with a royal pardon and a flower man! Crack cast including Christopher Eccleston, Rafe Spall and Stephen Rae.

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

yep Mobson7 me too with Shadow Line, but there is thread started for it and initial views of many boredees were dismissive to say the least!

[Anna]

yep Mobson7 me too with Shadow Line, but there is thread started for it and initial views of many boredees were dismissive to say the least!

Just found that thread, which is here

http://www.for3.org/forums/showthread.php?2038-The-Shadow-Line-...will-it-be-as-good-as-the-danish-french&highlight=shadow+line