User reviews

I'm an avid watcher (and reader) of British Detective/Crime movies, serials and novels... and this is one of the best. Second only to the Inspector Morse series, David Jason has created a singular character in Jack Frost. Frost is a tenacious and insightful detective whose reserve of empathy and feelings make him appear to be a bit of a misanthrope. In fact, in this respect I think that there are some real similarities between Morse and Frost, though their characters are in most ways quite different.

A Touch of Frost isn't a police procedural-- it's much more psychological. The relationship between Frost, his boss (Superintendent Mullett), his colleagues, a potential romantic interest (rarely is the difficulty of someone's attempts to make romantic contact more realistically portrayed) and his rotating group of partners is often just as interesting as the mystery at hand.

I don't think I've ever been compelled to comment in IMDb before... but this series should be seen by anyone who enjoys mystery series!

The most obvious plus, is the perfect performance of David Jason, who brings a sense of grit and humour to his role. Frost is definitely the most memorable of all the post-Morse detectives. His scenes with Superintendent Mullet are truly hilarious. Another plus is the quality of the script, funny, gritty and tense, a little reminiscent of the Sweeney. The episodes are interesting and sometimes touching. One standout scene, was when Frost is seen in tears as he says goodbye to a murdered colleague in the morgue. That was truly sad, and anyone who's seen the last Morse episode will probably find some similarities between the two scenes. My only criticism is that one or two of the later episodes lack the ingenuity of the early episodes. A good example is the episode with the crocodile, it just seemed more serious, and had a disappointing ending. (the murderer I seem to recall was given away halfway through) All in all, a truly entertaining gem. 9/10 Bethany Cox

David Jason's character Inspector Frost is unforgettable.Armed with dry humour,sharp sarcasm and rare chinks of emotion and compassion he goes about investigating cases in his own unorthodox manner.His cavalier attitude to his work often sees him at loggerheads with his superior chief inspector Mullet.The tension between the two is often the catalyst for some comedical moments.What wins you over is the sheer dogged determination of Frost to his work.He is a lonely man,living alone with his work the only thing he devotes his energy into.

A far cry from the happy go lucky character Del Boy he played in Only Fools And Horses David Jason excels in his role as the gritty,hard nosed cop determined to get results no matter whos feathers get ruffled.The stories are well written are filled with twists and turns leaving the viewer desperate for Frost to solve the case.

A shame if this show was ever to be to cancelled

I agree with other reviewers the Touch of Frost series are outstanding. In particular, the interplay between Jack Frost (David Jason) and his boss "Horn-rimmed Harry" are brilliantly observed and often very funny. There is usually an interesting relationship with his sidekick, who changes with each episode. One of the best things about the programme is the way it doesn't patronise the viewer: the characters, especially Frost, are shown as very imperfect. It's also not afraid to end on a melancholy note; Frost, after all, is something of a tragic figure.

I've seen 2nd and 3rd repeats of these, and they're still enjoyable, which is saying something for TV films. Jason is a superb actor, best known for a comedy in the UK (Only Fools and Horses) rather than serious drama, and his comedy touch is superb.

For anybody who delights in engrossing stories and exquisite human characterisation rather than standard police show cliches, Touch of Frost is exceptional. I can't recommend it highly enough.

Where do they come from? After 35 years of British films and TV series, I continue to be astounded by the seemingly endless stream of outstanding actors(both sexes). I discovered "Touch of Frost" while searching Netflix for new detective series'.

What I found was this rumpled little guy who was absolutely riveting, not through histrionics, but by becoming the character he portrayed. I would not have been surprised if they announced that Frost was a real person. There is one scene in the first episode in which you find yourself holding your breath as he quietly, matter-of-fact, bares his soul. It happens without warning, but with the realism of a half-finished drink in a dimly-lit bar.

Now we have many more episodes to share, enjoy and discuss. Jason, and the entire cast, and particularly the writers, are to be applauded.

The Brits are famous for casting odd character actors in certain roles-I.e. Robbie Coltrane as Fitz, the Cracker; or, here, David Jason as Inspector Frost. Once installed, you just could not watch anyone else in the role. They are transformed, as we see in the Frost series, when Jason wears his seedy white jacket and red scarf, just like the Frost in the book.

Frost is unhappy, too absorbed in his detective work to enjoy life anywhere else, but too non-conformist to be be deeply admired by the Force. The series has now popped up on BritBox and so a Frost Renaissance begins in my household. Can I say: David Jason's facial expressions, verbal cadence and body language are poetry in motion? This is Art at the Picasso level. Jason can do, in one 5-minute sequence, more to demonstrate emotion or frustration than those CSI clowns show in an entire series. And, subtly, too- it doesn't look like acting-it just looks so real. Hail to the Brits for taking the time to produce a polished finished product.

I recall one scene, where Frost is informing a Mom that her son was found murdered in a public washroom (face down in pissy water on the floor): I swear-the woman was pock-marked and poorly-dressed in the manner of a lower-class Yorkshire cleaning lady, sobbing her eyes out as Frost gives the details. Everything about her is flabby & unprivileged. How do you do a casting call for such a role? It is decidedly non-glamorous. It looks like the crew walked Jason into a tenement, knocked on a few doors until they found a local who could recite a few lines, and started filming!!

Fidelity is what this series offers. Frost is an intriguing guy to watch, as he annoys his subordinates and supervisors, but manages to get results despite taking shortcuts. There's a little Frost in all of us, but sadly, we can't string the record of successes together that would give us immunity from THE MAN.

Buy it, rent it, get it at your local library at the very least. You'll be glad you did.

I am truly and honestly surprised a Touch of frost hasn't more reviews here. It has being ranked numerous times as the "Number 1 Detective show in the UK" and I couldn't possibly agree more.

Jack Frost is a character to get into very easily. He is sarcastic, full of flaws and at times even questionably unhygienic. He's got a nose for detective work like no other always annoying his superiors. I love the fact that his instincts never fail him always thinking independently from his peers.

This series wouldn't be as successful if the story lines were not as brilliant and deeply dramatic. Some cases are even to controversial for American TV, like the case of the mentally handicapped teen ager accused of murdering a child. EMOTIONAL TO THE MAX! I specially enjoy how most movie episodes seem to always have two parallel cases side by side that seem to end up related at the end. Very different, very original. The writer R. D. Wingfield is just such an out-of-the-box thinker, he's a genius.

A Touch of Frost is such an enjoyable series, (specially the early and mid seasons) I watch all 42 episodes and consider my self very lucky to have found such high quality programming.

By Dedoshucos.

The real mystery surrounding this terrific cop yarn is why hasn't it become better known in the United States, taking its rightful place alongside other fine British exports such as "Midsomer Murders," "New Tricks," "Scott and Bailey" and "Luther"? The shame of it is, this may be the best of the lot. The heart of the series is David Jason as detective Jack Frost. Jason's Frost is a complex Everyman who has a real past, and a very human and messy one at that, which seeps into his job in very believable and completely non-melodramatic ways. He absorbs as much punishment as he dishes out, gets quiet when you would expect him to roar, roars when when you think he might calm down. In a word, Jason makes this character fascinating and always believable. The performance seems to have a profound and happy effect on the rest of the cast, regulars as well as guest stars (and wow, do they have great ones, many whom you've seen in films and other favorite series). The love of creating something special, together, is palpable and a joy to watch. The production values and cinematography soar, on a level with any good motion picture. But aside from Jason's Frost, the other star of the series is the writing. There are always two plots working simultaneously, two cases. Sometimes they merge, but not always, and come to think of it, not that often. This plot device keeps the viewer guessing _ and focused. What's most fascinating, however, is that the cases aren't always solved, the characters don't always survive and the endings aren't always happy. Or, sometimes, one case is solved and all is well while the other goes haywire. And sometimes there is a carryover of character or plot. You just never know. And therein lies the genius of this series. The unpredictability. The quality is always tops _ that, you can depend on. Hopefully, someone will make "A Touch of Frost" more readily available in America, where it will undoubtedly fly off the shelves. Until then, it's worth tracking down. Just prepare to become addicted. It's that good.

A TOUCH OF FROST is one of those detective series that seems particularly British in terms of structure; a leisurely plot-development with plenty of red herrings, lots of establishing shots to create 'mood,' followed by shot/reverse shots to create character-development, and a focus on the central character's private as well as public self. David Jason has a great time in the leading role: the camera highlights his facial tics that communicate much more than words ever can. He always has been a superb actor, both in straight as well as comic parts. The fictional town of 'Denton' where the action is set, is portrayed as a typically British provincial town; neither violent nor idyllic, but somewhere where crime inevitably takes place. Some of the episodes seem a little quaint now, in view of the social and political changes taking place in Britain over the last two decades; but they are still watchable as pieces of middlebrow entertainment.

I love this show! It's one of the best dramatic shows that I've seen in quite some time, with splashes of humor thrown in for good measure. That's only partly why 'A Touch of Frost' is such a good TV show.avid Jason does the author's character, Jack Frost, justice, with his portrayal. He adds humor and pathos to him, thereby making him that much more of a realistic character and a better policeman overall. That's what gives this show flavor overall -- just seeing that irrelevant humor every now and then, helps to make the show worth watching. The chemistry within the cast is good as well, they seem to get along well and they're all good actors. I look forward to seeing every new episode that comes out on DVD, due to all of that. One of my favorite scenes was in either season nine or ten (pardon me if I got the season wrong -- it's been a while since I've seen them), when Jack got the promotion (even though he threw away the infamous "Grey Mullet" -- that was one of my favorite running gags from that show, it never failed to make me laugh) and as he was leaving the show, everyone saluted him. It was a class act all the way, and I loved how he kept the picture of himself in dress uniform, it showed how much he had grown as a character. Hopefully the new season will come out soon enough on DVD, so I can again watch Frost and company go after the bad guys with class and style.

Please bring back the good shows!

In the little details, this show can be pure genius: The middle-aged detective's poorly suppressed exasperation with bureaucracy, relatives, neighbors and the world in general. The higher-ups' sheer stiffness and iciness. The gone-too-soon loved ones who turn out not to have been loved at all.

Underneath this mastery, though, and all the more jarring as a result, is the show's proto-woke-ness. Splitting the sexes in particular is a major theme: 80% of the male characters are not only single-mindedly dedicated to controlling and brutalizing the opposite sex, they take great and vocal pride in their misogyny.

I certainly don't wish to trivialize, in any way, shape or form, violence against women. And by the same token, I find it hard to enjoy TV programs that scream 'Agenda' - especially when it is the same Agenda, episode after episode. What a shame that a TV creation that sidesteps every cliché with such skill goes on to bury the viewer in a most clichéd treatment of social issues.

The series is based on the novels of R.D. Wingfield. Each episode is about 1 hour 45 minutes. The show came out in 1992 and aired for 13 years. The lead, Det. Frost is a quirky but brilliant investigator. Although the episodes move slowly, there is a great deal of character development in the show, far beyond that of Law and Order and all other American crime shows. Much more empathy and compassion is shown in the way victim's families are portrayed and their pains explored. Where the show really excels is in the acting. The acting is simply brilliant. Off the charts! I've never seen anything like it on TV. Even the bit players are consummate performers. It's like watching fabulous theater. I recommend this series highly for those who will relish the acting as well as the slow, detailed pace. How

I watched an episode of Frost last night for the first time after a long long break, and for the life of me I could not figure out why I liked it so much 10 years ago. The plot was almost laughable, the acting is terrible - at times too understated, at times just over the top, the premise for the stories is ridiculous, the dialogues seem to be written by a 12 year old, and the music is taken straight out of 1980's porn movies. And then it hit me - A Touch of Frost is really a British soap opera disguised as crime/mystery drama. All of its deficiencies that I listed above, plus the seemingly low budget, are what soap fans love about Coronation Street. It's no surprise, therefore, that I found Frost to be not the very least entertaining - I can't stand Coro street either. At that stage I also realised why I was struggling to understand the connection between the name of the episode I watched and the its plot. In fact, there was no connection between the two, because rather than relating to the specific episode, its name was actually describing the state of the series of a whole. A Dead End indeed.

David Jason Here stars as Det.Ins. 'Jack' Frost based on the series of books by R.D Wingfield. The stories are set around and near the fictitous town of Denton in which seems to be full of unplesant people, In which Frost aided by D.S George Toulan and most of the police station hunt down the towns seemingly endless scumbags. What's makes this a much better series than say 'THE BILL' is that you actually care about the main charecters - Frost in Particular who seems a very lonely man who seems his one and only drive in life - is his work, He has a disastrous lovelife, He's so preoccupied by his cases that his dosen't have a lot of time for the woman in his life. David Jason is a joy to watch with his old blue Volvo car and his scruffy clothes he dosen't seem like a copper at all, he is totally believable as the lonely copper. Jason before was a comedy/light drama actor that you can forget his 'typecasting' in Only fools and horses and 'Open all Hours', with his performance here. He as also been voted Best British actor & Best Britsh Comedy actor at the yearly UK TV awards which shows he is one of the most well liked Britsh actors ever, and deservedly so

Rating 10/10 P.S:- Some of the episodes can be quite grim and depressing

Outstanding acting, writing, and humor. I wish that there were more television shows like this available on television. I really like the Frost character whose intelligence,wit, quirkiness,and compassion really makes this a first-rate show. I also wish that there were more American mystery/crime-drama shows that exhibited this level of quality script writing.

"A Touch of Frost" is one of many British Police Crime dramas: Midsomer Murders, Taggart, Morse, Wycliffe – there seem to be several of them. But Frost is undoubtedly the best. The handful of novels by R.D. Wingfield that inspired this series, are complex and deeply satisfying. The TV series is first class. The stories are good, and the characters real and believable. Frost, thank goodness, is flawed. He seems to be incapable of sustaining a relationship with a woman. His relationship with Chief Superintendent Mullet is not the one-dimensional one of animosity that we have come to expect in police shows. Mullet shows a grudging respect for Frost, and Frost, untidy and hating paperwork, seems to have some respect for Horn-Rim Harry, as he refers to his superior officer. Certainly Mullet occasionally protects Frost from his own impetuousness. Frost is not above bending the rules, even going so far as to frame a suspect he is certain committed a series of crimes. And there is humour in this series, something lacking in most police shows, a lightening of the tension. There are no car chases, no foul language, and no fighting. But the series is tops. There are 36 episodes in the 12 series released on DVD. And those episodes will provide excellent entertainment for the discerning viewer.

/refers to all seasons in a sequence/

Although I know I had seen some of the episodes back then, I decided to find time and energy (many weeks) to watch all of them in the logical order. Some of them seemed familiar, but not too much (i.e. I did not remember the killer(s)) and so many events and conversations obtained clearer point and meaning.

I still liked the series, but now it was fun and suprisring to realise how much supporting cast has later been used in other police dramas, many in leading roles, and how the witty choice of characters and actors prevail over misdemeanours and criminal offences. Not each of them is equally interesting and/or complex, but the relation(ship)s in the police station and at home (particularly regarding Mr. Frost) are the ones carrying the weight and let the viewers run across the otherwise long episodes (over 1.5 hours). Tragic and comic, love and hate, sadness and joy, etc. are talentfully intertwined, supported by giggling arising from Mr. Frost´s notions and assessments (as for his superiors, above all). So the final episode appeared sooner than I expected and the final solution was logical, yet not really exceeding.

Although the series format is not modern-day and there are lots of old-fashioned stuff and ideas, it is still worth watching, even between 2010s British crime television series. Many famous present policeman characters have their roots in Frost, plus David Jason is just brilliant.

Detective Frost is funny ( Cheeky) ,Old copper who does things his way but always gets the criminals. I really love this British Detective TV series because of the tad bit of humor along with serious crime solving. I highly recommend watching A Touch of Frost

Curmudgeon, he has a likeable aspect, bec he seems always fair & not swayed by local perjudices of the time. Some of these detective crime shows are truly boring. this one is O.K but there is often very loud incidental music; seems generic- and I hate it. Especially typical 1960-90s.

Takes place outside of London in a hamlet. those of you under 35 think 1995 is the old ages. It's not. No smart phones, slow computers. But it's modern times.

This is one of the very few programs that can keep me at home. I wouldn't miss it for any reason. David Jason doesn't play some part, he makes us believe he really is that scruffy, grumpy, funny little guy who happens to be one of the best inspectors at Denton CID (I don't know where Denton is, somewhere in England I suppose). Sometimes the plots may not be not perfectly credible, but the way they are written make the audience start guessing "whodunit" and most of the time you're dead wrong or hardly close to the right solution. It's possible that a real police officer would think that the Frost character is not credible enough, but I'm not a police officer and I'm buying it, the whole lot of it. This is fine entertainment by some of the finest Britisch actors alive. May there be many more seasons of this.

Briliant tv series with marvelous David Jason as an experienced witty and melancholic detective.

I saw these series on Dutch television around 20 to 30 years ago and I just went through all episodes again. It is remarkable how entertaining it still is. Some scenes I recalled very well, for instance those from the episode that plays in the slaughterhouse. The village of Denton is not boring, with Frost around. And he has many murders and other crimes to solve. The character of Frost is likeable. It is someone who easily takes shortcuts, where ever and whenever possible. Nowadays this would not be possible anymore. Also the policy needs to be accountable and do proper report-writing and other administration. Frost is quite different from Morse and Lynley but I would nevertheless rank him at the same level.

I've watched the entire series now and I look forward to watching it all over again. The episodes are pretty complex and interesting. Jack Frost is a great character-- an "old fashioned' detective relying on his instinct and his gut, butting up against a more new-fangled police force.

Over the course of many episodes, I came to really appreciate him. For one thing, he's always usually eating some bad-looking food. For another, he's always on the look-out for dating opportunities, often punching above his weight, seemingly. But the life of detective, with a phone that always rings at the worst moments, makes it hard to fit in a love-life.

Having enjoyed many British series I'm often struck by how small a pool of actors they seem to work with across the pond. You see the same actors again and again. On the other hand, some minor characters seem disturbingly real. In the last few episodes of "Frost," there is the ex-husband of a woman Frost begins to date who looked very familiar to me. A bit of research turned up what i started to suspect-- that he played a much older, very demented, very evil man who presided for decades over a house of horror-- abuse of his children, of strangers, of his wife, and the murderer of many of them. He was so real that I wondered where they find these fantastic bit players over there. And here he is in "Frost," a perfectly normal, if unlikeable, man. An actor, George Costigan. Amazing.