I've watched various episodes of this crime drama series and have rather mixed feelings. The obvious attempt to make it seem realistic works, dodgy camera angles and sometimes rather fuzzy views are just as might happen in the real world, as opposed to the bright, clean world of normal TV drama. Also on the 'plus' side are the story lines which actually work very well.
However, the acting seems a bit wooden at times. To me, Fay Ripley is horribly miscast as the lead officer, DI Martha Bellamy. Although I've liked her in other appearances, I really think that her acting ability is very limited and I could never see her as a DI or as the leader of a major police investigation; the support roles are OK, but no one stands out or is particularly appealing. I start asking myself why I should watch this.
This is clearly a series designed to try to imitate 'real life' more than many other police dramas manage, and it works on this level. The stories and their development are good; sadly, I don't feel that the cast are really strong enough to carry off the idea.
How do I score that ? 8 for the ideas and stories, probably 4 for casting and acting; maybe 6 overall.
However, the acting seems a bit wooden at times. To me, Fay Ripley is horribly miscast as the lead officer, DI Martha Bellamy. Although I've liked her in other appearances, I really think that her acting ability is very limited and I could never see her as a DI or as the leader of a major police investigation; the support roles are OK, but no one stands out or is particularly appealing. I start asking myself why I should watch this.
This is clearly a series designed to try to imitate 'real life' more than many other police dramas manage, and it works on this level. The stories and their development are good; sadly, I don't feel that the cast are really strong enough to carry off the idea.
How do I score that ? 8 for the ideas and stories, probably 4 for casting and acting; maybe 6 overall.