User reviews

I have to start out by saying I am a HUGE fan of the original Prime Suspect. I never could understand the British disdain for intelligent Police personal, the best and brightest always seem to get treated with contempt. My biggest problem with the original Prime Suspect is there wasn't enough of it, only a few hours a year.

I am happy to say they at least gave us a full British season which is less than half of an American season. I'm happy they developed this show, there aren't really any surprises Jane talked about her past quite often but it's a pleasure to see it all unfold as it happened. I quite enjoy seeing the fashions of the 70s again and the music is great except too often they play the music way too loud like they think we're so stupid we won't get it unless the music is blaring. I hope they correct that for the second season. I hope there is a second season.

It's a cop show set in the 70s when things were quite different. I'm not sure how it was in the UK but I know in the U.S. female officers were something new and they weren't always made to feel welcome. It is interesting to get a look at what the UK was like at that point in time although I'm sure it's not 100% realistic. The show has great writers, the cast is really good and I thoroughly enjoyed watching this series unfold. I would highly recommend watching it.

Prime Suspect with Helen Mirren was a fantastic Crime-drama Mystery and our New and somewhat improved Prime Suspect 1973 is a nice remake notwithstanding a few tweaks in production glitches and some much needed on-site investigators to help correct police procedure. Aside from some good acting and nice locations the memorable 1970's nostalgic bits and bob's thrown in was nicely done. 70's Music was good. A couple really nice characters were introduced and hopefully a new season will bring them into the fold making them more integral to the plot. A good example would be Sergeant Harris who indeed has great potential. I see better times ahead if it gets the support. One of the better Crime-dramas so far. More mystery would be a plus. Very Groovy.

I've just finished watching this show and I was impressed with the attention to detail, it really does transport you back in time, the acting was good as was the storey line. I never actually watched the original Prime Suspect show with Helen Mirren so I watched this show with fresh eyes and can not compare it to the original show.

I hope this gets renewed for follow up seasons.

Love this show. Not many shows transport me to a different time and place but this one does it in bucket loads. Love the actress who plays Jane - she's a star in the making - and the actor who plays her boss is good too. Alan Armstrong seems to be enjoying himself, playing a nasty piece of work, and Neil from the Inbetweeners is so good i didn't even realise it was him until episode 2! Love a good bit of crime and this is one of the best on TV at the moment. Came for the music and flares, stayed for the story, you could say. Love it.

They trash the whole series, or movie, because it doesn't meet, "their" criteria, because a character is miscast. Prime Suspect, House of Cards, Star Trek, and on and on. Just take each version, on its entertainment value alone. I must confess, that there was but one, Sherlock Holmes! Basil Rathbone. If we are to make comparisons, is Benedict Cumberbatch better, or is Johnny Lee Miller? As I got older, I started to expand my appreciation, for The Casting Directors, that are aware of past and present, and come up with great actors, for roles based on well worn recycled fare. Cruise for Frasier! That's a stretch, but OK. I was entertained. The Mummy.

This also applies here. All 3 actresses who have played Tennison have entertained us well. All were the right person for the part. Yes Maria Bello's, Tennison in New York version did not get a fair shake. But was perfectly cast as a NYC version. Helen Mirren in NYC? Not in my world. Bello in The UK. Tea time would have a whole new meaning! So this Tennison is perfect for 1973. I saw in the trivia section, that comparisons were made, about eye color, and the actresses actual ages, to their characters age, and they did not match, so this Tennison was not believable! C'mon!!

This sadly short series was fantastic in all areas. Definitely a must watch for British Bobby Show fans. Cheerio Guv.

P.S. We want more Stefanie Martini as Jane.

I have to admit I've never seen any of the original Prime Suspect shows even though I'm a big fan of British mysteries. That said I really like this show a lot. The cast is fantastic, the look and settings are spot on, the music fits perfectly. Once again the British have done a great job on a mystery show. I loved it. The time it's set in really brought back some memories, I graduated high school in 1970 so the setting is about when I was around 18-19 years old. Now I need to track down the original show. If it's anywhere near this I know I'll love it.

As a standalone six-part drama I would have given this show eight stars without hesitation, as it was generally very good. But since it is using the Prime Suspect brand name to draw a larger audience (the book upon which it is based was simply called Tennison) I expected better, so it lost a star.

On its own merits it is a high-quality piece of television, with excellent cinematography and mostly excellent performances. The writing is somewhat pedestrian, as is the direction, but not enough to annoy. The art-direction is superb, with strong attention to period detail, but as usual with modern dramas set in the 1970's it proved impossible for the hair and makeup departments to make the actors look as hideous as people really did during that era.

In terms of story it was somewhat unoriginal, borrowing heavily from well known historical events, and that lost the drama some of its edge - especially since a major plot point was dramatized far better in a 2008 heist movie starring Jason Statham.

After getting off to a highly promising start, the series meandered a little in the middle, but found its feet in time to make a strong finish that would have set up an ongoing series quite nicely, but is nevertheless neatly wrapped-up without any aggravating loose ends - a good thing since it wasn't picked-up for a second series.

As a prequel to Prime Suspect, it sets up that series quite well, albeit unnecessarily, but as part of that brand it doesn't compare very favourably. In terms of writing especially it lacks the depth and punch of the original work, and in all other ways it just feels less special.

It came as no surprise to discover that the original author, Lynda LaPlante, walked away from this series due to creative differences with its producers, which is why it didn't go further. I imagine that if she'd been allowed more creative control this show could have been as great as its predecessor. It is best viewed as a standalone, and as such is well worth a watch.

I thought episode one was an excellent start to the series. It feels like a whole new show. Not the Prime Suspect we're used to. Not Life On Mars. Something new and different, which I think is the only way to go. Stefanie Martini is really good as the young Jane Tennison and presumably the first series will see her become the steely DCI Tennison we've met before (Helen Mirren). The book its based on is kind of like an origin story, so I'm sure the series is going to be great.

What I love most is the supporting cast. They're all amazing. I wanted to see and know more about every single character. I was really intrigued by the prison story and how it links to the murder. Lots of interesting questions asked, which I'm sure the rest of the series will answer. Bravo, ITV.

A quality, solid new crime drama. 10/10.

Overall I enjoyed it. The crimes were interesting. But it went from a decent police procedural to a soap opera. Everybody overreacting to everything. Too much wailing. Too much family crap. The writers have "mommy issues." I like the idea of a prequel for the great character of Jane Tennison, and really Stefanie Martini did a good job. She's certainly easy on the eyes. I liked the relationship between her and her boss. But everything was a little too emotional. Either it's a police drama or it's a chick flick. This couldn't decide which it wanted to be.

One relatively minor point: the music was HORRIBLE. I don't mean the background music, I mean those awful "rock songs" they blasted at you at the opening of each episode, and other random places during the episodes. Yikes! But easily fixed with the mute button.

Acting from the main characters was good. Have just enough detail to make you want to tune into the next episode. Didn't care for the unnecessarily strong profanity

Ms. Martini's performance, though fine if considered as a standalone with no reference to the older character made so unforgettable by Helen Mirren, in no way seems to resemble or relate to that human subject before her later career. This actress's facial expressions are so bland, so empty of expression no matter what the moment in time brings her to react to, she seems to be playing a fashion model during a photo session rather than an impassioned, committed, intelligent, probing and ambitious woman entering a demanding and highly absorbing career completely dominated by men. I know it's hard for an actor to take on a prequel-type assignment and produce work that honors prior interpretations while establishing some sense of his or her own individuality, but this time the miss is just much too wide not to be lamented. Had this production not associated itself with such a top-quality prior TV venture, I'd have been able to dwell more on its good sense of period and overall high performance standards in supporting roles.

Never recorded comments at my first viewing but only now after a just-complete repeat on my PBS local station that confirms my first impression.

And listen carefully for the music, you'll enjoy it, and if you "remember the '60's" you'll love every note...

It's 1973. Jane Tennison (Stefanie Martini) is a young probationary police officer in London. She gets coffees and types up reports. She still lives at home with her parents. Her mother disapproves of her life choices. A drug-addicted prostitute is found dead and DI Len Bradfield leads the investigation. Bradfield takes her under his wing and develops a romantic relationship with her. Meanwhile, lifelong criminal Clifford Bentley (Alun Armstrong) is in prison waiting to get released as his family plans a big heist.

Stefanie Martini looks to take over the prequel version of the iconic TV character created by Helen Mirren. The biggest question is that if she can match the legendary Mirren. The character maintains her personal flaws and superior mind. She struggles with murky ethics which leads to her later mistakes. Martini shows flashes of acting power but time will tell if she is up to the task. She's definitely plenty cute enough. There is good 70's settings with dirty earth tones. I'm glad they kept the smoking although it's a little toned down. The murder mystery is perfectly fine. Alun Armstrong holds the other end of the story quite well. This is a solid start although a second series is unlikely.

While this season has its flaws, and it would have been great if they had made a s2, this serves as a satisfying prequel to the Helen Miren Prime Suspect.

Pretty good English cop drama. Great music. Recommend.

I used to live there - late 60s / early 70s - Bermondsey & Southwark & The South Bank & Pibidy Buildings, but they & I knew Hackney - lots cleaner in the movie than it was back then, pretty exteriors, but the insides were like that, old bricks & grotty walls, I've had tea and sandwiches in that Athena Shop, they have all the details right. And fine acting: there is something about The British and The Stage... All the leads are great, and those accents... homesick... The cop just thumped the pusher & the 2 good cops are horrified - played & filmed just-right, fast shock-scene, good direction. Good plot - very real. Stefanie is gorgeous - something ethereal about those eyes and that smile; but she acts wonderfully as well, uses those eyes, makes you and everyone else melt - she'll go far if she stays out of Hollywood... And the dialog: good writing, great delivery from both leads. The "gang" is fun... Anyone can see this film & enjoy it.

Excellent acting, stories and suspense. Why do you keep canceling the superior shows for all the trash you leave on air? Your viewers have spoken. Start listening!!

The original 'Prime Suspect', and its small set of sequels, were unusually good television detective dramas, starring the incomparable Helen Mirren as a hard-bitten female investigator. 'Prime Suspect 1973', a prequel, is not however nearly as good. There are several problems: the script is clumsy, the production screams '1973' at you so loudly you might consider this a piece of historical anthropology (instead of a drama where the differences between how we lived then and how we live now permeate the background without intruding on the centre stage); and above all else that Stefanie Martini (in the lead role) resembles a young Helen Mirren not one wit: neither for looks, voice, or crucially, for the character of the person she plays. Another, more technical difficulty, is that whereas the original was praised for its procedural accuracy, an ordinary WPC (as the character is in the prequel) has much less oversight of an investigation than the inspector leading it, so the plot has to perpetually struggle to put its character centre-stage. I'm sure there is a good story that could be told about the young Jane Tennison, especially given how well Mirren realised the later version; this, however, is sadly not it.

Talking to friends in other states (MD, FL, CA) & they loved Tennison too. The cast was a perfect mix, the time & place was perfect. Needs more exposure in the USA so people will tune in. Bring the cast on late night TV shows in USA. Viewers, wait till you see the seasons ending! You also need to release a sound track. It's great that this is the beginning of "Prime Suspect 1973" & we see how Jane evolves. Thank you for all involved in the project, great work.