The Interceptor (2015) User Reviews

Customs and Exercise

[Lejink · 7/10 · 10 June 2015]

The first of a new 8 part BBC crime-drama series centring on a young, idealistic but ultimately frustrated field-based HM Customs Officer who burns his bridges with his employer when a drugs bust goes wrong, severely injuring his partner and best mate. Nevertheless, he soon finds himself enlisted into a somewhat shadowy parallel Drugs Intelligence Agency who work covertly, it would appear sometimes inside, sometimes outside the law, with their own "Snoopers Charter" to listen in on any and apparently every phone-call made in the UK.

Once you get past the awful series title which makes it sound like some Will Smith-type action-fest, I quite enjoyed it. The series continuity will undoubtedly come from the Unit's pursuit of the drug world's Mr Big, played by Trevor Eve, but I anticipate several time-honoured moral dilemmas, shoot-outs and stake-outs, not to mention family dramas as our talented but headstrong hero gets out there in the job he was made for.

Resemblances to any other BBC show featuring a black male lead with Holmes-like deductive skills, total dedication to the job and Duracell-type energy and stamina are probably coincidental, but putting the Lutheran connection to one side, this could be the Beeb's best crime series since then.

O.T. Fagbenle as the lead Ash might lack Idris Elba's magnetism but he's believable from the start and should improve with increased familiarity, and is well supported by a supporting cast, which, Eve apart, appears to lack a big name, not that I'm complaining. With its topical story-lines and persuasive mixture of street-smarts and road chases this looks like it could be one to watch.

The Interceptor

[ewaf58 · 6/10 · 11 June 2015]

Well you know it's a program about an interceptor because right from the awful opening titles you continually see O.T. Fagbenle (Ash) running like someone in training for the 100m at the Olympics.

He (Ash) snarls - grimaces - shouts just like any good interceptor should. He's a naughty boy too disobeying his superior's orders because he wants to do things his way.

After his partner in crime gets badly hurt he acts like a man possessed even if it means blowing the chance to get the Mr Big. You see he has to get (and beat) the scumbag who caused his friend to get injured.

Therefore he's a man with a heart - but not much brain....he's The Inceptor.

It's got prospects if it develops. OK for a first episode.

[jonnithomas · 7/10 · 17 June 2015]

This series may become worth watching and I found it OK for a first episode. The basic idea is interesting and it may develop well.

The acting of the lead character isn't of the best quality as his petulant storming around is more akin to a 13-14 year old having a paddy than a professional detective/ customs officer.

However, the suggestion of another reviewer that the IT abilities are 'way beyond capabilities' is farcical. They are speaking without any knowledge. I worked in an IT surveillance role years ago and reality was beyond those 'capabilities' many years ago.

So back to the series. Directing is poor and lets unrealistic acting rule. The characters may develop well as may the story lines.

I would suggest that you watch it and give it a chance. It is entertaining.

The Interceptor

[jboothmillard · 6/10 · 31 July 2015]

In recent years I have always made an effort with most TV shows to try at least 10 minutes of the first episode in a new series, and if it grabs me I'll stick with it, this one from the BBC hooked me quickly, and not just with the recognisable cast, many who have starred in EastEnders. Basically the series revolves around top- secret UNIT (Undercover Narcotics Investigation Team), who track down, trace and try to capture and bust shipments of drugs, especially cocaine, and the criminals dealing, selling, distributing and buying them. Special Agent Marcus "Ash" Ashton (O.T. Fagbenle), an HM Revenue and Customs agent, is the most reliable member of the team who will spy on, identify and pursue the criminals involved in a large shipment, his big aim is to identify the man at the top of the chain, Roach (Trevor Eve). Ash's partner is Tommy (Robert Lonsdale), together they follow the criminals spotted, given the places and locations from tapped phone calls, including Roach's right-hand man Docker (EastEnders' Gary Beadle) and street-based criminal distributor Michael "Xavier" Duffy (Lee Boardman). The UNIT team consist of head Jack Cartwright (Titanic's Ewan Stewart), ex-UK Customs Valerie (Lorraine Ashbourne), ex-Met Police Flying Squad Kim (Anna Skellern) and ex-MI6 Martin (Charlie de Melo), and Ash gets some support from his wife Lorna (EastEnders' Jo Joyner) and their children. Also starring Anthony Grundy as Bernie, India Ria Amarteifio as Hannah, Denzel Assiamah as Footballer, Melissa Johns as Sadie, Rayne Obili as Chloe, Felix Scott as Connor, Jeany Spark as Gemmill, Nathan Whitfield as Kenny, Simon Armstrong as Stannard, Neal Barry as Smoke, David Troughton (Patrick's son) as Ralph, Bob Cryer as Rob Kane, Valeria Vereau as Sonia, Paul Kaye as Jago, Doctor Who's Adjoa Andoh as Anderson, Crims' Theo Barklem- Biggs as Buster, EastEnders' Tiana Benjamin as Mandy, Sacha Dhawan as Astin Ray, Dexter Fletcher as Scooter, EastEnders' Lisa Hammond as Alison, The Office's Ralph Ineson as Yorkie and The Royle Family's Ralf Little as Alex. I admit I have seen much more gripping things than this, but many of the moments, and of course the pursuit to get to the head of the criminal organisation, was good enough for me to stick with to the end, Fagbenle was very good as the title character, and spotting many faces I recognised from my favourite soap opera, if there is another series I suppose I would watch, it is a worthwhile enough drama. Very good!

Not very convincing.

[bruce-bmacfar · 3/10 · 11 June 2015]

Channeling his inner Luther via many an EastEnders grimace ,our hero sets out to cock up the best laid plans. Procedurally unconvincing,overacted and not a patch on most US dramas. Fights were staged with the brio of The Chuckle Brothers. Computer usage was way beyond capabilities and a mere plot device. Bad guys not bad enough Good guys implausible. This show does not warrant the 10 lines of text that IMDb insists that I write. I hope that it gets better but I have seen too many British shows that have been stymied by bad writing , poor effects and stilted acting to remain convinced.As other reviewers will point out the protagonist comes across as a petulant toddler with control difficulties. Indulged by his all new "Top Secret" task force bosses he still manages to stuff it up. I am not very confident in this shows future.

Very enjoyable!

[uncle_adolph · 9/10 · 24 August 2015]

Well, we recorded this as we would otherwise have missed the first two episodes. And then, seeing the poor reviews it had, I thought about deleting it....

One evening last week we decided to watch episode 1. Seven nights of one-episode-a-night later we've finished it and all I can say is I am so glad I didn't press the delete button.

So what if it's a rip-off of an older programme? There's scarcely a decent show these days which isn't. At least it's one where I feel I don't need a Mensa-type IQ to understand the convoluted plot....and it's British. And above all it is very well acted particularly in respect of the two main characters....Ash and Roach....which is as it should be. Trevor Eve in particular is superbly cast as the villain.

As I say....very enjoyable!

In the shadows

[Prismark10 · 2/10 · 18 June 2015]

Come back Bonekickers, all is forgiven.

The publicity for this show made reference to The Professionals and Spooks. Ash is a committed customs officer who is frustrated by his bosses reluctance to go after the big fish. He is someone who as a kid saw his drug addicted father kill someone.

A former colleague introduces him to the head of a shadowy surveillance unit called the Unit which pursues some the most ruthless criminals like Trevor Eve who cheats at golf and threatens committee members in the nineteenth hole.

Two episodes in and The Interceptor is badly written drivel and it never improved by the final episode. Clichéd characters, even the casting looks uninspired with a lead that gets mistaken for Craig David.

The only plus side is that the chase scenes looked good.

An interesting take on existing technology.

[ashtonian54 · 8/10 · 27 July 2015]

The shows premise is based on "Stingray" technology. Yes this technology does exist, fooling your phone into believing it is connected to a cell tower and subsequently allowing all voice and data to connect. I found it compelling viewing and enjoyed the plot twists. The programme is about a covert police operation to uncover the Mr Big in a drug operation. Ash is our hero who wants to believe that they are making a "difference" rather than just going through the motions. This may cost him his marriage and sometimes going it alone to get the results that will unmask the man behind it all. Interdepartmental rivalries abound as 'Stannard' the police chief, wonders where this covert band of crime fighters get their funding and does his best to undermine their operation, relying on a mole on the team to feed him information.

Disappointing Totally Unrealistic

[richard-11822 · 2/10 · 1 July 2015]

Leads to expect real gripping stuff, but fails on every level. Insultingly stupid occurrences, poor acting and a plot that just leaves you feeling you have wasted another hour of your life. initially looked really good, and then you know it is falling apart, when a stupid scene containing a fight results in the "Hero" crashing through a glass wall of a walkway over a motorway. Yep, those glass wall walkways are just normal glass, so they expect us to believe. I have now watched 4 of these in anticipation of something good, but nothing improves,in fact it gets worse. If you have nothing better to do, give it a try and see for yourself.

Such a shame, could really go places if only.....

[vivnista · 4/10 · 9 July 2015]

I started so I will finish. I gave it two episodes and now I want to know what happens so I will watch it until it finishes. I am annoyed with myself for wasting my time on it though. It is a frustrating show. I like the premise and the storyline, the problem is the editing and some of the cast. There is a lot of overacting particularly by the two bosses, I mean really, you don't have to be bursting with anger in ALL your scenes! Also, how come the new guy ends of practically running things straight off?! Some of the supporting cast are brilliant but you are left confused about who to like. They are all so miserable and grumpy it's like watching eastenders. Basically, the show is trying to be Luther but fails miserably!

A Fantastic Good/ Bad Guy drama!

[geoff-maddison · 10/10 · 15 June 2018]

Who wants more than Great Good against evil! Great stuff, terrific actors, fast paced scenes, character development, interesting story line. Can't belive the whining complaints! Enjoy this great show!

Dire

[Gewitty · 2/10 · 8 July 2015]

Totally terrible casting. Generic plotting. The Interceptor desperately wants to be glossy and cool - but isn't. It's grey and tepid.

The members of this 'under-the-radar' covert squad look and behave more like the staff at a social services office. Not one of them manages to give a convincing performance. Even Trevor Eve, who usually delivers good characters, struggles with appearing menacing as a crime boss. Which is hardly his fault, given some of the lines he has to deliver.

All in all, The Interceptor is a pretty poor showing by BBC Drama Productions and only survives in its prime time slot because it's summertime and there's very little in the way of competition from other channels.

Thank Heaven for Netflix.

Mr T.Eve will have to dig pretty deep to rescue this..........

[ianlouisiana · 4/10 · 19 June 2015]

Once upon a time there was a short - lived TV series called "By any means" which featured the splendid Miss G.Mckee in an unlikely mother hen role as a senior detective in charge of a bunch of undisciplined young mavericks working on the very edge of legality in pursuit of serious criminals whom orthodox police methods had failed to subdue. In "The Interceptor" we have a senior Customs officer shepherding a bunch of mavericks working on the very edge of legality in pursuit of serious criminals whom etc etc..... I'm afraid that on the evidence of the first two episodes there is very little to indicate that it will fare any better. Everyone does a lot of running about and shouting and stereotypical Eastern European criminals and Gangstas are given full vein but it all amounts to absolutely nothing we haven't seen before and better acted. The story is over - reliant on a technology that is ludicrously unlikely and would be no doubt illegal if it existed. The only hope the BBC might nurture is that the charismatic Mr T.Eve will take this show by the scruff of its neck and shake it like an angry pitbull.So far he has only exuded menace veiled by a cool confidence born of years of rescuing dead - loss TV shows by sheer force of his personality alone. If he doesn't,"The Interceptor" will go the way of "By any means". Added on 16th July,2015:- I feel it's only fair that I should append a P.S. to the above comment

• something I haven't been tempted to do in 10 years of writing on this site. "The Interceptor" has actually improved with age. Agent Ash's job has taken on a mantle of Mythic proportions,and he himself has become a Homeric figure(no,not Simpson - the other one) and Mr T.Eve remains an evil Moriarty sitting in the middle of his web of crime etc etc. We get enticing glimpses of Mr Eve wearing some sort of regalia(could he be a Mason - surely not?)and he belongs to a Golf Club that probably wouldn't have accepted Moriarty but some of London's top villains are Golf Club members(one famous bank robber was captain of his Golf Club). Outstanding amongst the cast is Miss J.Joyner as Ash's long - suffering wife - a performance deserving of a better arena. The appearance of guest villains every week has perked everything up. I hope it continues on its upward curve.

Awful start awful end

[Peekupz · 3/10 · 14 December 2022]

I'm probably one of the few who have watched this all the way through.

The first episode is an absolute abomination. Every cliche available got a run. All this so he can get a job in a "secret" crime fighting cell with person of interest type setup. Which apparently consists of his mum and dad in a gym. Or something.

We then get eight episodes with the usual everybody has a secret or are hiding something.

Once the setup is established the middle episodes are mostly watchable if you're happy enough to accept really low standards. I'd go so far as to suggest they may even be approaching mediocre.

The final episode sets up the possibility of a second season. But is so awful that it only manages to seal the fate of certain cancellation. Which it apparently did.