The Long Call

I read the book first. I'm glad some things were cut, however, some background was glossed over in the series which should have been emphasized.

The lead detective is too low key, even in the book. He lack the spark Vera has. It's like he's muddling through. The book had too much background on the character s private lives. The series does as well, although to a lesser degree. Mystery fans want a clever puzzle. The puzzle MUST be front and centre, not the private lives of the cops.

By episode 3 I'd forgotten what the story was all about. The characters are like cardboard. Flat and totally without character. The speech is muffled and toneless. The plot is....don't really know, my brain was too bored to take it in.

What a complete waste of the ITV 9 o'clock slot.

And coming straight after Hollingdon Drive series! (another dreadful waste of time) ITV get your act together.

Wonderful acting and beautiful scenery. Took a while to get into the story but really enjoyed it.

Anita Dobson is tremendous especially in the closing scenes.

Yes the first episode is kinda slow but it seems to me as if it's intentional. Each episode peeled back the layers of lies and secrets. Even exposing Matthew to how he hid his own shame and even he had to tearfully acknowledge that. I hope there's a second season where the characters can be further developed.

The Long Call is adapted from the first novel of a new series by Ann Cleeves (Shetland & Vera) so comes from a fine pedigree.

The show follows a gay male detective, (amazingly for the first time on UK TV) Matthew Venn as he returns to a strict evangelical community in Devon to attend his father's funeral before investigating a murder.

It was stylish but the direction was poor technically and trying too hard to be edgy it ended up being distracting. The scene in the first episode between Neil Morrissey and Pearl Mackie was bizzarely shot, you'd think they'd let a passerby have a go behind the camera...

Main problem though was that the lead actor Ben Aldridge was too ineffectual and bland, he spent most of his time standing still and thinking aloud with his hands in his designer trouser pockets. The story would have been better told in fewer episodes or over 90 minutes. The script was ponderous.

New detective shows do need time to bed in - and I do hope they get a second series to try and nail it. The ending was good and satisfying but sadly this series was very much style over substance and too slow. I can't blame the many viewers that abandoned ship.