History Cold Case (2010– ) User Reviews

Interesting series somewhat spoiled by one presentor.

[Pizzaowner · 8/10 · 6 March 2020]

I found this series very interesting and informative although not being a Brit made it slightly less relevant in my life. The same team of investigators/specialists are used and for the most part they are professional and professionally detached....all, that is except the main one...Sue Black whose bias, despite her words proclaiming quite vehemently to NOT have one, rears it's ugly head several times when she is VERY CLEARLY disappointed with one or another of the other specialists' conclusions that conflict with her 'best guess' at what would be the outcome. I understand it must be disappointing to FIRMLY believe in one idea and to have it shattered by another specialist but evidence is evidence and the other members seem to be content to be surprised when their best guess is disproved....unlike Sue Black who petulantly RE-EMPHASIZES her 'pet' idea in front of both the camera...and thus we, the viewing audience, and on one occasion, to the waiting dignitaries of a group that sponsored the whole event. All in all, I found it very unprofessional behaviour on her part and not at all in keeping with scientific detachment required for an honest presentation. Otherwise...an excellent series.

An amazing series that each start with a set of skeletal remains and proceeds to reconstruct the actual person and their life. Sometimes with horrifying truths.

[gmb0553 · 10/10 · 31 May 2010]

In this series a small team of 2 eminent forensic anthropologists, an expert on bone analysis, and an expert on facial reconstruction take skeletons from a variety of UK sources and reconstruct them. Not only physically BUT far more interestingly as real persons with history extracted from thorough research of (sometimes surprisingly) available records. The impressive thing here is that it features the lives of ordinary, but nevertheless interesting persons. Because of the forensically interesting nature of their remains this is often a very sad journey revealing the hardship of their (often short) lives with obvious pain and suffering. After slowly unravelling the likely cause of death, place of origin (sometimes surprising!), diets, likely or even actual lives, we finally reach the climax in the form of the real face of the person staring at you. If like me you are a bit obsessive about people and their fortunes this is a very earthy moment and although I am not religious it is a kind of spiritual experience. The purpose here is not to encourage 'freak show' voyeurism but to enable us to experience the real feel of lives in circumstances that we would otherwise never hope to understand, and without need of dramatisation or CGI. That isn't intended as a dig against feature film as I absolutely love good film from any source. This sort of programme just adds another dimension to our understanding and experience. Hey, maybe a film or two could be made on the back of one of these real lives?