Granite Harbour

Seldom have I seen such a contrived plot, leaden script and wooden acting. It has the feel of a pilot for yet another formulaic crime series. It feels like an inverted " Death In Paradise " where the quirky Caribbean detective comes to Britain to teach the inept Scots how to do their jobs. The characters are as unbelievable as they are predictable. The conflicts between the characters are straight out of the DIY, Distance Learning writing manual : lesson one.

This is clearly a low budget affair but to its credit, it has given employment opportunities to a mix of apprentice actors. No second series PLEASE!

I enjoyed reading the other reviews, I watch most shows alone so it's great to see how people reacted. Many Scottish people were very turned off, I see. (I'm American. I watch mostly UK shows.) On the whole I'm going to vote yes. It must be because of what a few other people highlighted, it manages to go without the grotesque, the hateful or heavy violence. If something will keep my interest well enough, and not be repugnant, I'm game. I could see where people say this is more afternoon TV than evening. But the older I get the less I can take what seems to be ever-increasing action, violence and intrigue. I finished series 1 and haven't started series 2 yet. Overall, I was decently entertained. The acting is a bit spotty. :)

As an Aberdonian I was interested to see this but as much as it was nice seeing a series being filmed in Aberdeen, some of the acting in this was truly awful. A few good roles in it but some of the supporting roles were poor. The music used at times was amateurish as well. Could have been so much better - just hope it doesn't put off people from making more shows in the area. Storyline was also pretty weak to be honest. No major twists. A poor man's line of duty at best. I severely doubt there will be a 2nd series. They'd need to really improve the peripheral acting. Cinematography at times was also a let down.

Another reviewer likened this program to a paint-by-numbers version of art. That is just how I experience it. There is some potential for the lead character and his cultural and family issues to become interesting, but they don't. There is no real tension or depth...to anything. No life in any of the secondary characters; all are predictable types, and mostly poor acting. Then there are the central crime plots: unoriginal, drawn out, and uninteresting to solve. Predictable dialogue and scenarios. No feel for the city either, an underused element of an overall dull series. Wondering if it's written by AI.

DC Davis Lindo arrives in Aberdeen with the hope of becoming a Detective, he is instantly caught up in the murder of a businessman.

This was a major disappointment, I was looking forward to this quite a lot, but ten minutes into episode one, its major flaws were exposed.

It reminded me of The Sister Boniface Mysteries, a cop arrives in town from The Caribbean, and had to adjust to life in The UK, it also felt like a cosy afternoon drama, offering zero grit. Unfortunately whereas most afternoon shows offer light entertaining, and a little humour, this lacked any charm, it was impossible to engage.

The story is wafer thin, by episode two, my focus had gone, and I was struggling to associate who, what and why, it was just so dull.

Worst of all, the acting, despite some experienced, capable names, the acting was shocking. The characters were like cardboard cutouts, none of them, not even Gary Lewis offered anything. The chip on Mallick's shoulder can be seen from Bolivia.

A major disappointment, they got this badly wrong, 3/10.

Edit as of 2024.

Series 2, a total game changer, I stand by my 3/10 review for the first series, and I don't think it would be right for me to change it, but the second series is worlds apart, it's an 8/10 in my book, superior acting, writing, tense and exciting, it just goes to show that sometimes shows need time to develop.