Virdee

I wasn't sure after the first episode, but the second had me hooked. Strong cast led by Staz Nair, who is a commanding force on screen in the title role of Harry Virdee. All the supporting cast are also very good. Storyline is compelling, as are the side stories about the characters personal lives.

The overall tone, characters and story really reminded me of Luther, which is no bad thing.

The setting in the Asian community in Bradford offers something refreshingly different and highlights another side to British life not often seen on TV. And as someone not part of that community, I also found it educational.

Vikash Bhai is a decent actor but i dont think he's strong enough for this lead role. His action scene acting is good but he doesn't convince when it comes to the more subtle parts required. Its a shame because the story isn't bad and it's pretty watchable. Good to see a mainstream series set in Bradford too and i guess its a fair reflection of some of the areas of the city.

I haven't read the books but my friend has and he says there are some major changes for the screen and not all for the better. We binged the series and it was alright but I felt it could have been so much better. Hopefully there is a second series and they can grow into the characters more. Elizabeth Berrington steals most scenes she is in as Virdee's boss and she is in no way an outstanding or leading actress just very solid and consistent. Therein lies the problem with the casting maybe?

Still worth a watch though.

Going through the shows and films that are coming out, I saw this one advertised on the BBC and decided to watch the new crime drama Virdee. I got through the 6 episodes over the last couple of days and here is my review of the show. The premise of the shows sees a police detective attempt to find a killer who is targeting the Asian community while dealing with his own demons.

Main Character Staz Nair plays Harry Virdee and he is fantastic in this show. He absolutely nails it as this hard boiled cop and he was a character that I really wanted to root for. He gives a really strong well rounded performance that fits the overall feeling of the show.

Supporting Characters Vikash Bai plays Riaz Hyatt who is an unlikely ally of Harry and is also involved of the shady parts of Bradford. He is great and I really liked the dynamic between him and Harry and how the show does a great job of building their dynamic and relationship.

Aysha Kala plays Saima Hyatt, who is Harrys wife on the show and she is also great. I really believed in their relationship and the two of them have great interactions and story progression that makes them both strong characters.

The rest of the characters come from either Harrys work or both Harry and Saima's families who don't get along. Everyone does really great jobs in their roles whether they are big parts of the show or small parts. They make this feel like an authentic show that delivers on what it promises.

Story The Story is good. There is a real mystery about who Harry is chasing, mixed with family and personal situations that feel realistic and a bit fresher then expected. However, I didn't find the reveal who was the killer to be that interesting and certain elements of the plot didn't seem that important and like it kind of fizzled out.

Script The script has some smart writing and creates interesting characters to populate this show and aid in these great performances. But sort of linked above, I don't think the shows actual story and structure was great and was the part of the show that could have been improved.

Style The show looks great, it really encapsulates the city of Bradford. The show is violent and moves at a great pace that I kept wanting to watch and became hooked. The action scenes are well filmed and the grit really adds a lot to the show.

Overall Overall, Virdee is a great sleeper hit and a show that should be watched. I had a great time with Virdee and I hope we do get more from this show in the future and I would say, give this show a chance I think people will really enjoy it.

Rating - 8/10.

Virdee 2025 BBC 6 x hour long episode.

Detective thriller set in Bradford, ready for its City of Culture status.

Throwing in a multicultural mix, drug dealers, armed cops and robbers, dastardly Eastern European, mix race marriages, same sex relationships, family squabbles, LGBQT club culture, and wait for it the best one yet is a wronged serial killer with a grudge who has a thing about bugs which he likes to plant in his victims (have we seen that before?). What have you got Virdee, a sprawling mess of a series. Acting is poor, lots of side glances and looking away when wronged , quivering lips and tear filled eyes.

The amount of money that has been spent on this is criminal, it is a big production, movie length scale, it is clearly aiming for mass appeal and no doubt commercial sales. Its set for a follow up, with loose ends tied up giving us pointers for the direction of season 2.

2/10 for the story, 8/10 for the production , but overall for this embarrassing failure 4/10 PS I have avoided any racial stereotyping unlike this series.

Well acted, great direction, superb production and cinematography, but a few holes in the script.

I really enjoyed the series and particularly liked that it was set in Bradford with Muslim detective maried to a Hindu woman (apologies if I got the wrong), who's investigating the drugs trade.

It shows a side of England that I know nothing about and I really liked that.

The characters are well written and they are played by actors I haven't seen before, and they play it well.

This series set it up very nicely to move to the next series and I look forward to it.

I hope the writer takes note that the holes need to be dealt with.

Recommend viewing, yes.