Paris Police 1905

Not as exciting as the first series but just as engrossing. The pace is sub-glacial but something inside you forces you to keep watching. After you've sat through what seems several thousand hours you realise why you've been sucked into this world.... because you are actually in that incredibly different and pretty horrible world. This is the next best thing to a time machine

It doesn't do what so many period dramas do these days - have 21st century people with 21st century attitudes in costume. Of course we can't know for sure but the people in this behave and think like people in 1905 probably did. Violence, corruption, the acceptance of gaping inequality is not criticised like we would now, it's just normal, it's accepted.

There are a couple of reasons you might be put off by this. As I've mentioned, it's not as exciting as the first series and at times gives the impression that nothing happens - is it boring? Maybe it is but somehow fascinating at the same time. The other criticism is that nobody ever smiles - ever! This has to be one of the most miserable things I've ever watched... but there's something special about it which keeps you glued.

The cast--most of them anyway--from Paris Police 1900 are back, and we are satisfied that the attention to detail that marked the first series has carried forward here. Jeremie Laheurthe plays Jouin as rigidly as before--God, this man is boring--but there are fascinating characters around him. Meg Steinheil is as cold and calculating as ever, and her doomed husband Alphonse, the painter who's slowly going mad with syphilis, is both touching and repellent.

The ambience of the Bois de Boulogne is well described, men cruising for sex in the winter mist (excellent cinematography here) under the watchful eyes of the police. The morals squad is as disgusting as you would expect, given the time and the social conditions. An excellent evocation of Paris of a century ago.

This was a slow burn in the first two episodes but then took off with deliciously horrible characters and the actors clearly enjoying getting their teeth into it.

Then in episode six, it just speeded to a very unsatisfactory conclusion. Very plot point was hastily addressed with no real tension or sense of reveal - and no final dramatic pinch point when all could be lost. Really deflating considering how much promise it has.

You were left wondering what happened to the chap who was found dead in the Bois de Boulogne in episode one? There was no sense of going back to that crime with a definitive answer. And why were we wasting time with the pathologist trying to invent a solution for traffic problems in Paris - how did that relate to the overall plot?

Paris Police 1905 is a gritty and atmospheric crime drama set in Paris at the start of the 20th century. A follow-up to Paris Police 1900, the Series takes place five years later, with detective Antoine Jouin investigating a mysterious death in the Bois de Boulogne, a park known for secret sexual encounters. The man was shot four times, yet some believe it could be a suicide. At the same time, police are cracking down on prostitution, showing the harsh treatment of women and the poor.

The Series does a great job showing the darker side of Paris, both in rich and poor areas. The costumes, old cars, and camera work help bring the time period to life. The acting is strong, with some interesting and strange characters, like Meg Steinheil and her troubled husband. The cinematography, especially in the foggy park scenes, is excellent.

However, the story starts slowly and builds interest, only to fall apart near the end. The final episode rushes through major plot points without giving clear answers or a satisfying conclusion. Viewers may feel disappointed, especially since the mystery from the first episode is never fully solved.

Still, fans of the first series (watch it first, before this) will enjoy seeing familiar characters return. Despite its shortcomings, Paris Police 1905 remains an engaging look at a troubled time in history, with strong visuals and rich detail.

This is unique in giving me the feeling that I am watching, not a period drama, but action filmed at the time. The creators must have started with actual footage from the time then built on it to give us a macabre version of actual events twisted and hacked beyond the possible. I keep on expecting to see Monsieur Proust lurking in the shadows. I might add that I am a fan of Frank Tallis's Liebermann novels set in Vienna at the same period, and I so wish the Paris Police team had had the job of bringing them to television. Will there be a Paris Police 2010? And the horrors of 1915? I am sure they would be well worth waiting for!