Dalgliesh

I should disclose that I watched the Roy Marsden Dalgliesh years ago and felt it to be fabulous and worthy of P. D. James' novels. That entire series was superlative; tender, thoughtful and often rather spooky. When I saw the ads for this new series, I couldn't imagine it would be good. The first two episodes were mediocre. Above average compared to American procedurals but nothing particularly special. I nearly skipped the third episode. Praise be that I turned it on. It is wonderful. I think from seeing it I can critique retrospectively what ails the first two episodes. Tone. P. D. James has a voice in her novels that the original series was able to translate to the screen. It is restrained but under the restraint lies both a mounting tension and an overwhelming reflection of sorrow, encapsulated and reflected to us by Dalgliesh himself. Bertie Carvel captured that perfectly in the third episode. I was touched.

Stylishly directed and photographed with an excellent cast all-round and a lovely score. Bertie Carvel (never seen him give a bad performance yet) nailed the lead role as Inspector Dalgliesh, adapted from three of the novels by one of the greatest British crime writers, PD James.

The scripts were sharp, with good plots and pacing, nice dialogue and lots of interesting character and period detailing. Everyone involved in this series seemed to be on song. I hope it gets re-commissioned as I really like what I've seen so far. Dalgliesh is a definite winner.

There are 3 standalone two parters, best watched in a single sitting.

I wasn't convinced by the first couple of episodes but as the series continued it got better and better. On the whole the acting was excellent although the female officer was a bit wooden. The first story felt a bit rushed and muddled at the end but the other 2 were much better.

This is like Bertie Carvel was born to this character. He brings the depth and tormented soul of a poet while being amazingly observant of human behavior and detail around the crime.

The writing and dialogs are also much more crisp. The pace is better as they have not included too many irrelevant scenes. Just enough to move the plot forward and keep the viewer engaged.

The supporting actors are also superb and perfect for the roles.

It is a great service to PD James novels to bring such amazing work to the small screen.

Looking forward to many seasons of this brilliant series by Acorn

i must say in the last year Acorn has finally surpassed Britbox in content quality.

Having seen and enjoyed the previous Dalgleish series with Roy Madsen, I wasn't sure how this would compare. It is a different kettle of fish but just as good, if just very different in tone and execution. The acting by the two main protagonists (Miskin and Dalgleish) is spot-on and very believable, unlike the new male detective introduced in season two. Not a likeable or empathetic character at all, but a good foil for Miskin, who handles his annoying behaviour very well. Great period details, as is the norm for the better British series, and authentic dialogue and relationships give this a great feel and pace. There are some great cameo appearances by well-known and lesser-known actors, and most (though not all are equally able) convey their roles with just the right nuances. The old cars, grand houses and scenery just add to the whole atmosphere and uncommonly for most shows now, even the music is unobtrusive and very fitting. Looking forward to season 3 and hopefully the two main characters and the excellent writing stay true to the last two seasons' quality productions. Very watchable.