Despite strong ratings (averaging 6 million viewers) and generally positive reviews, ITV have announced that the show will not be returning for a second series. It is thought that failure to reach an agreement with Lynda La Plante, the creator of the Jane Tennison character, played a significant role in the decision.
Clifford Bentley's bank robbery seems to have been based on the Baker Street bank robbery of 1971. As with the Bentley robbery, walkie talkie transmissions (themselves very rare at the time) between a lookout and the other gang members were overheard by a nearby radio enthusiast and taped; a tunnel from a nearby shop was used to gain access to the bank, and explosives were also used. The Baker Street robbery has become the subject of urban myth and conspiracy theories, some of which are portrayed in The Bank Job (2008).
The show is only loosely based on Lynda La Plante's novel "Tennison". La Plante originally collaborated with producers on the show but walked away from the project due to creative differences.
Prequel to Prime Suspect which aired from 1991-2006 starring Helen Mirren, as described in the promotional materials.
U.S. title on PBS is "Prime Suspect: Tennison."