55 Degrees North

I loved this somewhat undemanding show when it aired, but reading some of the inane comments in the reviews has made me want to write one. If you're easily offended I politely suggest you skip this review. Can it ever be overstated, how rare it still is to find a British detective drama – or indeed any other kind of British drama whatsoever – in which the lead is played by a black man? Or, for that matter, where the thorny subject of racism is tackled, incidentally, and with humour and generosity? I nearly fell off my chair laughing at one user comment that such issues don't exist in the area in which this show is set – qualified by adding something to the effect of: not, at least, on a large scale. No, I'm sure… But there's a 'blindness' that operates in reality in Britain: unless you have racism forced on your attention, it's very easy to persuade yourself that it doesn't exist any more in our modern and "reformed" society. The reality remains, silenced, I suspect, by the very PC movement that sought to address it, in the glass ceilings, the lack of cultural understanding, the "sleepwalking our way to segregation" as Trevor Philips quite rightly puts it.

So, how refreshing and wonderful to find this series, which I thoroughly enjoyed, even whilst fully aware of its occasional clichés, its slightly old fashioned style and dodgy regional accents, and its unsurprising romance. Who cares? – none of these haven't already been spotted before in almost every British detective drama, so all the more reason for this series to be taken on its own merits. The chief of these is the charismatic Don Gilet in the lead role of Nicky Cole, the London copper cast, through his brave but impolitic actions, into the career wilderness (and punishment) of a night shift in the police force in the north. The setting happens to be Newcastle, a rare chance to see a great-looking city, but it could be anywhere. He encounters a world often unwilling to make the necessary leap of faith, to believe in him at face value and on the basis of his record. So, like many men and women in his position, he must prove himself by working twice as hard, being twice as good at his job as everybody around him. Some of this is racism; some is good old-fashioned "you ain't from round here" suspicion of the new. But one of the pleasures of this series (beyond its making it to the screen at all!) is that this issue is still a sub-plot. Taken out of the mix, it's just an engaging police drama.

Another reviewer at the opposite end of the spectrum commented cynically on the 'PC' nature of the show, how it ticked equal opportunity boxes. In the eye of the beholder… But again, can I stress how highly unusual it is that this show got made at all? Wow, only imagine, if TV shows were really commissioned principally with a desire to address equal opportunities and represent Britain as it really is! I liked this show very much indeed, and strongly recommend it, not as a diatribe on racism but as a very enjoyable entry in the long police drama canon. Some suspension of disbelief may be required, but we're all used to that, right?

I had absolutely zero interest in seeing this when it first started. Not another cop show, I thought. Just what the world needs. But I was persuaded to try it by my mother who lent me the first episode on video. And I glad I made the effort to see it. Because this is actually one of the best cop series of recent years. Okay, so it's not "Between the Lines" but that was a series of such brilliance that it would be a miracle if the BBC managed to produce a series like that again, especially given the current obsession with reality shows.

Don Gilet, an actor I've been unfamiliar with hitherto, makes Nicky Cole an engaging and sympathetic hero and the inevitable racism he faces is not ladled on with a trowel as I feared it might. You know it's there but it's not always an issue. Contrary to some of the comments made by others on here, although Cole is perhaps too good to be true, he isn't infallible. He makes mistakes and doesn't always manage to wrap up the story neatly in 60 minutes. Something which makes a refreshing change. The plots hold the attention and the grandfather/son dynamic adds an interesting dimension as well.

It's certainly not perfect by any means though (why is Cole's rank just plain Detective? Surely that's an Americanism. It should be something like Detective Sergeant or Detective Inspector or something. And why the reference to John Doe and Jane Doe instead of IC1 or IC3 or something - another Americanism). Most unforgivable of all though is the waste of Dervla Kerwan. I assume that the intention, as others here have already said, is that Cole and Dervla Kerwan's character are supposed to get together at some point in the future, thus providing some good old UST (Unresolved Sexual Tension). But it isn't working people. Kerwan is a good actress but the role is grievously underwritten and the net result is that you don't care about the character at all (Kerwan should sue her agent for persuading her to take such a nothing part - it does absolutely nothing for her). Personally, I'd like to see Cole get it together with Sgt Brookes (Emma Cleasby). For a supposed supporting role, it seems that Cleasby gets more screen time than Kerwan (either that or she manages to make a bigger impact with what she has been given). Certainly, the few scenes between her and Don Gilet sizzle with the sort of UST that I suspect the producers were hoping would happen with Kerwan's character. This is the relationship I would like to see developed further in the next series (if there is one).

So if there is going to be a series 2 (and I hope there will be), then here's my advice to the BBC. Save your money, get rid of the Kerwan character (who's name I can't even remember, which gives you an idea of the little impact it has made on me) and promote Brookes to be the main female character before Emma Cleasby gets snapped up by Hollywood like Catherine Zeta-Jones and Minnie Driver before her. Because on the strength of the talent she shows here, trust me people, one day it's gonna happen.

Was 55 Degrees North the precursor for The Night Detective? I'm totally hooked to this show! It has only been on BBC America for two weeks and I would rather watch it than CSI: Miami. Tonight's episode, where Don Gilet's character, Nicky, is asked to strip -- not once, but twice -- I must admit I will tune in every Monday night to see what happens next! I enjoy the fact that the Night Detective seems realistic; there are no story lines that feel forced or out of sync. I like the racial dynamic, especially in the series' opening scene, and as an American, I think a lot more Americans could learn a thing or two about coexisting with those that are "different" than ourselves. But getting off of my soap box, it doesn't hurt that Don Gilet is cute. He's got this boy-next-door feel. I'm really digging this show! Does anyone know how I can go about finding 55 Degrees North on DVD? Is it as easy as going to my local video store and finding it on the shelf?

The series doesn't just focus on police work but real life situations. I love the way that all the actors seem to have the 'right' kind of chemistry, especially between Nicky Cole and Claire Maxwell. It has a lot of humour but is quite dramatic too. I think that the second series is even better than the first because all the characters have evolved and you feel you can understand them better. I think that the plot is well thought out and has a good balance between Nicky and Claire's home and work lives. I enjoy the scenes with Mattie and Errol (Nicky's family)because they give background to the programme and help you understand why they are who they are. I would give this 5 stars out of 5 because it really is unmissable.

RATING: 15 out of 10!!!

There are a number of venomous expletives and expressions I could spew which would make the Ecuadorian tree frog seem like a pleasant alternative, but I shall refrain from doing so because of a three-word, God-given right we all (or SHOULD all) enjoy:

FREEDOM OF SPEECH!

That said, can I ask why all the cerebral effort to pick such a fine series to pieces?! Surely such shows are meant to serve as a means to unwind after what had been (most of the time anyway) a long hard slog of a day, which I believe 55DN achieves hands down?!

Don Gilet wears the role of Nicky well, a put-upon man trying to do the best he can with precious little, in a place that by and large either flat-out refuses to accept him or are having a hard time doing so.

So I'm glad to see that he is able to come home to a family which, although unconventional, oozes positivity. After all, it should come as no surprise that not all Black families are as chaotic and "ig'nant" as the Crouches (http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0375290/) or cursed with the obligatory "black sheep" such as Paul Trueman in EastEnders (http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0088512/) And as for the sweet, sweet, not-at-all out-of-place title sequence (and funky theme tune)... oooh baby, that NEEDS to be a single already!

And that's my two cents worth for the day...