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Shelley Conn, Andrew Lee Potts, and Warren Brown in By Any Means (2013)

Reseñas de usuarios

By Any Means

21 reseñas
7/10

predictable, linear, uninspired? still very much enjoyable!

hello fellow TV show addicts,

please excuse a little explanation at the beginning. this is the first time i feel obligated to write here on IMDb. For quite a while i am overall a little disturbed by the sometimes extreme ratings for shows here on IMDb. As if there were only tens and zeros out there. In my opinion one needs to learn to differentiate a bit in his life. To moan about an overall decline in values, the wasting of taxpayers money and other exaggerated, demagogic ranting just because of a TV-show? Really? Over here in many of central Europe's other countries public service broadcasting is still your granny's TV. Limited to two Channels, broadcasting News, some decent reports and besides that mostly breakfast television, dusty whodunit repetitions and other things with a slightly relicish feel.

All that in mind back to topic:

This TV-show may not be another Luther, Sherlock nor any other high end, ingeniously plotted, exquisitely acted, overall gorgeous, critically acclaimed, kick-ass TV-marvel. but, does it need to be? does it want to?

i stumbled upon this new format by accident whilst looking for new things to watch. I liked the leading actor quite a lot on Luther, so i gave it a try. Thankfully before reading any reviews. A decent meal can leave you quite satisfied after a long day, doesn't it? And like that this show works for me. Yes, you can see right through the webbing of this show. The lead, the geek, the eye candy. Does a twist even deserve to be called a twist if you expected it right on time? rather not. The almost comical black and white views on good and bad.

But still, i liked it. I liked to be right. I liked getting nothing unexpected. I liked the boastful appearance of the characters. I liked the snappy comments and the predictable one-liners.

So if you're looking for something to clear your head, ease your mind or have a smile now and then. I encourage you to try it.

Not every nice evening has to feature a six-course dinner.

greetings from the deep south of Bavaria
  • onkelcuchullain
  • 10 oct 2013
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8/10

Nailing my colours to the wall - I've thoroughly enjoyed this

Briefly, I'd like to say that I agree with lots of the points raised in more negative reviews; By Any Means reflects styles that we've seen before, much of the content is quite lightweight and there have definitely been higher spec productions. However, because I enjoy the program I tend to view those as positives.

I've enjoyed some of the techniques previously seen elsewhere and hopefully if they opt for a second season they will refine them rather than overuse them. I think there is not just space but a continuing need for material that is lighter in tone within the TV schedule, to maintain a full range of options for people. Regarding the production quality, if you enjoy a program you make allowances at the same time as you suspend your disbelief and focus on the story; if I'd been forced to sit through the episode and had found it annoying from the off then every little thing would have compounded the frustration, but happily I enjoyed it.

Less rambling. By Any Means has characterisation that is writ large, the nods to recent events are fairly unsubtle and you can rely on the twist. It is what it is, which is a police procedural with flavours from a number of family friendly programs (most obviously Hustle, I am also put in mind of the sense of adventure fun in the earlier seasons of Primeval and Robin Hood, although that may be influenced by certain actors!) Simplest way to work out if it is of interest would be to watch an episode. If you start feeling the urge to rant about licence fees part way through, or the state of the BBC, how the world was better when you were 12 and so forth, I'd stop part way through and have a cup of tea :)
  • luke_rees26
  • 9 oct 2013
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7/10

Where do I get paid to say it was rubbish???

Yes, honestly, who pays these guys to have them say the show is bad? I want a cut, because otherwise I'm giving it at least 7 stars.

I felt the need to come here and post this review after I saw that literally everybody on this page gave it no more than 2 stars. Come on people, how close-minded can you be???

The show is like a British version of Leverage, and it is great and funny. Charismatic actors, good solid scripts (it ain't Doctor Who, but it does a very good job) and a very nice atmosphere make from this recipe a very entertaining series.

Disregard the people crushing it with their comments. They're just very bored people who probably love to watch soaps and stuff.
  • indru-maiorescu
  • 6 oct 2013
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10/10

Why all the bad reviews? I love this series!

I really like Warren Brown, and I really like spy-style shows, so this one ticks a lot of boxes. I didn't know it was meant to be a comedy, so I guess all the laughs for me were genuine. It's a bit like Jonathan Creek crossed with Spooks, with all the hi-tech undercover save the day spy stuff laced with the light-hearted feel, and the 'how did they do that?' at the end.

Don't see why people should just flat out pan the show. If the actors had a laugh whilst doing it, good for them - can't do the serious roles all the time after all. It's light hearted, but that doesn't make it a waste of licence fee - I can think of a whole lot of other dross that wins that award hands down.

If it's not for you then fair enough, but that doesn't devalue the show for other watchers who are enjoying it.

I personally am hoping for another series or two.
  • SpadesVulture
  • 13 oct 2013
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7/10

relax !!

As other reviewers here I've never written a review for any series. But what I read here made me get behind the keyboard. Clearly all the low voters have never had to endure public or commercial TV in other European countries. This show is part of Britain's BBC heaven. En indeed not every show is entitled to occupy center stage in the programming, but it definitely has the right to get shown. It's different, funny and generally fast paced. The young actors must have had a good time making it, and I certainly have a good time watching it. Yes indeed, sometimes it is somewhat taxing on your intelligence, and I would hope that the writers are less easily satisfied at a next occasion. For instance that fact that in one episode our dream team apparently has never heard of mobile telephone triangulation, only to apply it themselves in the next episode as if they've never done anything else. Please writers, don't do this to us. It puts us off from a show that is otherwise a pleasure to watch when we got nothing better to do, and, as said, many shades better than the skin cringing stuff we see elsewhere on TV screens.
  • ckootstra
  • 31 oct 2013
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9/10

Don't say I didn't warn you.

  • wheresirenssleep49
  • 29 oct 2013
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7/10

A bit rubbish but still entertaining

  • Tweekums
  • 1 nov 2013
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8/10

Second season ? Er ... Yes please.

I have trawled the internet to see if a second season has been commissioned - but no answers found. After his very untimely demise in Luther, I was looking forward to Warren Browne in this, what seemed to be, black - ops - of - the - police - world drama. Browne was a much more sexy, controlling and formidable character than that of Sgt Ripley along side Idris Elba. He had a gun, slept around and killed people! Cool. I did think at times corny, but almost embraced it as the characters seemed to excel at playing corny anyway. I love the concepts: are they police/aren't they police ... the grey area ... shadowy characters that don't need to live by rules... criminals that were too far up the food chain (and there own arses) to think they were ever going to be caught. I think this series deserves another run to see if it can mature and grow on the critics. There is a place for this type of genre as there really isn't anything else like it from UK at the moment. Give it a chance - I think it has the potential!
  • Debbie-Newall-5
  • 23 abr 2014
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3/10

How could they?

If you thought the BBC had been wrecking its own reputation enough recently, with its scandals at the top, it has now decided to have a go at its good name as a provider of Sunday night dramas. This series is dross - so bad it's almost good. Almost. With a few tweaks (removing the references to sex) it might be all right for Saturday early evening, when Dr Who is off the air, because children often like comics.

The premise is trashy and the details are clichéd. In the opening episode, Keith Allen reprises his old OTT Sheriff of Nottingham role, the comic baddie. If only he'd had moustaches, he would have been able to twirl them.

The BBC still has the wrong bosses. Give another tranche the customary payoff.
  • pawebster
  • 22 sept 2013
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10/10

EXCELLENT The Mission Impossible of the 21st Century, lighter and more humorous.

EXCELLENT The Mission Impossible of the 21st Century, lighter and more humorous..

Very enjoyable, too bad only one season.

All the characters are likable.

It reminded me of Mission Impossible: same seemingly impossible missions and secret agency.

Fast pace, good music, fun dialogue s.

Well acted.

It is a 8 IMHO , I am rating a 10 so the average get bumped up as it deserves to be known and seen.

I highly recommend to anyone who liked Mission Impossible and Now You See Me movies.

It also reminded me of the movies, Now You See Me. Off beat, fun and entertaining.

Don't miss and you will want more!
  • ACA13
  • 29 jun 2023
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1/10

Formulaeic comedy drama

  • andy-leslie
  • 22 sept 2013
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5/10

By any means, not popular enough

From the makers of Hustle which may have inspired Leverage a few years later in America.

Now this is a combination of Leverage and Hustle (with many of the same visual tricks used.)

Warren Brown plays a kind of a cop whose team takes down criminals and other assorted bad guys in ways the normal law enforcement agencies cannot.

Each week a mysterious Gina McKee would hand over an Ipad containing a dossier of the latest target for the gang. Each week Warren Brown would take the Ipad and fail to return it!

The series will not be returning to the BBC because of low ratings. Where Hustle was sharp, entertaining and had a good team that gelled.

This was bland, a bit boring and Warren Brown is no Adrian Lester. The rest of the team were no match for the Hustle gang.

Maybe, this series should had waited for a few years while our memories of Hustle faded. The format needed more work.

As it is this was average with little promise, hence no renewal.
  • Prismark10
  • 8 ene 2014
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1/10

Please BBC, refund my licence fee!

I won't describe the basic story lone as they have been outlined in the other reviews, but honestly, what a lot of rubbish. One tough guy, one sassy chick and a hi tech nerd. Between the three they can lock up the baddest of baddies with a grin and a wink to each other, all while driving the shiniest of cool vehicles, and hacking into accounts in the blink of an eye.

They are not Police, it is a grey area, as they keep saying.

I haven't watch such corn in a while.

Won't be watching any more!

Oh, BBC what have you done?
  • russell-mcginn1
  • 23 sept 2013
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2/10

Tries to be clever but doesn't succeed

By Any Means tries to be clever using what the writers think are twist endings in each episode, but they fail to understand how twist endings actually work. Instead of planning ahead and weaving clues into the storyline, they have each episode meander around until the last five minutes where they suddenly show you a load of storyline that was previously missed out. An ending you stood no chance of seeing coming is then pulled out of a hat to a great fanfare of victory for the heroes. It's the laziest style of writing since the, "It was all a dream," ending.

Whilst the idea of a police force that can set criminals up and give them a good hiding without worrying about the due process of collecting evidence or about human rights might seem like a good idea briefly, it's an insult to all that's just and decent. I can forgive it to some extent on the grounds that it's obviously just fantasy but it is set in the real world. It's not a mysterious future or a sci-fi reality or anything like that. It should, therefore, be believable and realistic.

The characters also aren't likable. They betray those vulnerable people they are supposed to protect and, in some cases, get them killed in acts of violence that are shocking for the sake of it and, instead of just showing how bad the bad guys are, show how weak the good guys are.

The BBC has invested in far better written dramas in the past and can still show some good stuff now. There are writers out there who can put together a genuinely well thought out plot. It needs to take a long hard look at what it's spending its money on and provide something that gives people's minds a workout instead of "brain out" television that people who don't want to think about what they're watching believe is clever because they don't quite get it.
  • benjamin_ashworth
  • 5 dic 2013
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Uncharismatic Actors in a same-o same-o series.

This was the starting week for many series in USA and UK. Not any real diamond among them. Most of them are bad to mediocre but so far "By Any Means" is the worst.

There are many problem with this TV-series.

First and most important all the actors and actresses lack charisma. I don't know what they have done before B.A.M. but they are totally forgettable, performance wise, even their faces. The team of 3, have the usual snob/hype attitude, common in many series, but just doesn't suits them. No charisma at all.

Second and equally important the plot. Is about a "special team" and blah-blah, blah-blah, one of them is a hacker (!), the girl is the ...locks expert, the last one is the street smart and blah-blah, blah-blah, *YAWN*. And they will catch the bad guy in a mildly smart way.

Third the pace, editing, transitions between shots, photography, music and (obviously) directing are simply annoying. (If you now a things or two about editing there is something called "light spills" that is overused here.). To put it in 2 words: Poor execution.

There is an arrest (in the pilot) that introduces (kind of) to the team stolen directly from an Al Pacino movie were the criminals think they are going to participate in some sort of Sports event. I saw it and keep asking my self: Are these people the Special team? That's how uncharismatic they are.

Anyway this has nothing to do with other BBC series like "Sherlock" in terms of fun or intelligence and you can do perfectly well without it.

Overall: Better to avoid it. (Or you will lose 57' of your life)
  • Dr_Sagan
  • 28 sept 2013
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1/10

A terrible, lazy waste of time

  • kateliffeyfaherty
  • 10 oct 2013
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3/10

Crikey,it's the Famous Five!...............

  • ianlouisiana
  • 20 oct 2013
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1/10

A new low for the BBC

  • rupertlovibond
  • 28 oct 2013
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5/10

Wish it was as good as it thinks it is.

  • Emloulou
  • 16 nov 2013
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1/10

Waste Of Time

  • mboyd1986
  • 3 feb 2014
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5/10

Oh dear, nice try though

Headed by a Miss G. Mckee a group of plucky young people bring "justice" to those previously denied it.

Actually the girl wants to just shoot them, but is told no we don't /can't do that sort of thing.

Why not? Oh yes, because then there would be no episode.

Of course the police can't win, the lawyers/criminal are too good, never make mistakes and of course there is the usual crooked cops helping the bad guys.

Of course after saying no we don't shoot people, later Plan B is said to be exactly that, kill him.

Our boys and girl bring down those nasty men . These clever youngsters use a lot of computers which of course involves "hacking".

By Any Means is a remake of Hustle with a slight alteration: they switched Hustle's con men who go after bad guys for a vague group of 'cops' who go after bad guys, and they have different actors.

It has the same writer and creator. The same core group of good guys who operate outside conventional rules. The exact same jump cut obsessed directing. The same desire to fool the audience with trickery. The same elaborate scheming. The attempts at being cool. The 'witty,' good looking protagonists.

And the same bad writing and sad storylines.
  • grm-39453
  • 21 feb 2025
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