brucesarn

In the first episode the DSupt tells a Detective Sergeant, at the scene of a shooting, her hotel room number and hotel location. In Northern Ireland that is tantamount to committing suicide. What a load of complete rubbish this series is - it panders to those who have absolutely no understanding of the realities of policing in the UK, let alone the unique challenges that the Police of Northern Ireland have to contend with. An insult to the brave officers who risk their lives on a daily basis. Rubbish series for those who cannot see past a TV sensationalist 'pop corn' Friday night bit of entertainment. Crap.

Roger Allam (wonderful actor, if not a little type cast) and the setting, that is the hook. The storylines are straight out of Morse, just different tweeks, and Allam is Thaw out of a Year in Provence, with some slight variations. Sorry to any non UK readers, you have to have watched the Sweeney, Endeavour, Morse and a Year in Provence to fully appreciate what I am saying. There is an inescapable connection to those series.

What could have been brilliant was average. Why, oh why, did they not introduce French actors, albeit English speakers perhaps, to give some authenticity to the series and location. But no, they used some actors who spoke with strong varied Uk regional accents. And some of the actors were so miscast it was incredible. The assistant Gendarme Commissioner was so obviously not suited to that position in a million years, dare I say her physique was just so not correct. The Gendarmerie is a military unit, that says it all. And as for the Gendarme Commissioner, give me strength - should not have bothered introducing his character at all.

I loved it because my wife and I have lived in France for many years, it was so beautifully filmed, but so English in its interpretation - a slight insult to the French, a lovely peoples so misunderstood - by the British I am afraid.

The series is watchable, if you enjoy a murder mystery, but a simply constructed one at that. We both lost interest in the plot of all three episodes pretty quickly, but loved the scenery. And I have to say, I like Roger Allam - he is a very likable character with a dry sense of humour.

Of 28 years of my 30 as a police detective, in three ranks during the seventies, until I retired, have I ever seen something so far removed from reality than this. Yes it is watchable as a semi fictional drama, but if you believe an appropriate adult could, or would, ever engage in anything even closely depicted by this than you are sadly mistaken. As a docudrama, complete rubbish. As a piece of Saturday night entertainment - passable. Acting, very good, Dominic West was excellent. What an ironic coincidence with the surnames. Watch it with some popcorn, but please do not believe that is how the system works, because it does not.