When his wife is killed in a hit and run, George Gently decides to take early retirement and get out of the policing business. However a dead motorcyclist and a tip-off from an informant sees him heading up north to lead the investigation. With young and ambitious partner John Bacchus alongside him, the investigation begins but as well as trying to solve the crime, Gently is also suspicious of all around him, including the ethics and background of Bacchus.
Not sure what motivated me to start watching this Sunday evening television drama, Sunday nights generally being the place where the drama specials are safe, unchallenging affairs designed to ease the weekend to a close. Although this film was more of a cop drama than things like Midsummer's Murders, it does still fit this mould by being a straightforward cop thriller that is as craggy and familiar as Martin Shaw's face. The plot moves forward with a so-so pace but it doesn't have any depth, as the various threads only seem tacked on rather than explored. Likewise the characters tend to be very "sturdy" rather than dynamic and interesting. This approach is played all though the film and the result is a very sturdy and solid drama that does enough to distract without doing anything of note to make it worth seeking out.
"Safe hands" Shaw delivers the performance that he is expected to; some people like it, personally I couldn't care less. He does fit the film though as he strolls through the piece with a stiff air. Ingleby's presence tickled me as I only knew him from that wonderful episode of Spaced where he is the leader of a gang of chavs from Romford. His performance is lively but it jars with the period and required more substance than he had access to in the script. The rest of the cast are so-so, with Phil Davis menacing but looking like he has stumbled in from another film.
Overall then a solid but unremarkable police drama that will do you if you're after something undemanding that won't keep you up late before work on Monday.