Zen

And then they go and axe it. Typical.

ZEN was a three-part miniseries adaptation of of the literary detective Aurelio Zen. The BBC took the decision to shoot in English and not bother with dodgy accents, which works well.

I found all three episodes to be smart, stylish and above average thrillers. Each episode contains danger, intrigue, political machinations, romance and humour. Rufus Sewell is perfectly cast and plays Zen to the hilt, and he's supported by an excellent list of actors headed by the lovely Caterina Munro.

Add in some classy music and beautiful locations and you have a winning series. Of the three episodes, the first, VENDETTA, is the strongest, featuring a murderous assassin; the second, CABAL, gets tied up in government conspiracies and shady suited figures; the third and weakest, RANSOM, features Zen thrown into the middle of a kidnapping where nothing is what it seems.

It's a shame we'll never find out who was at the other end of the phone but nonetheless, ZEN made for great viewing.

There's always a risk when adapting the written word to a screenplay; the risk that the nuances of the one will be lost when rendered to the other. Fortunately the BBC has a fine pedigree when transferring both book & play to the screen (from 'The Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy' to Charles Dickens, & any number of Shakespeare's plays), as well as when working in collaboration with international broadcasters (who could forget the excellent 'Rome'?).

Their vast experience in this field has really paid off with 'Zen', a detective series based on the novels of English crime writer Michael Dibdin. Although there are some differences between the novels & the television series, they are minor & serve to facilitate the adaptation from the written to the visual. The television characters are perhaps slightly softer than their written counterparts, a necessity of economy when one considers that each episode is only ninety minutes long. Despite that the characters are well-rounded, with Rufus Sewell doing more than enough to cement his place in what is bound to be remembered as a modern classic of television.

In addition to Sewell's excellent suitability for the role, he is surrounded by an equally impressive international cast. The direction, lighting & shot composition all contribute to producing a superb whole, & it would be remiss not to mention the wardrobe, who do a fine job of catching that Italian verve.

In essence 'Zen' is a hugely enjoyable series of tasteful whodunnits, which never reveal who really did do it until the end. At the time of writing, the real mystery is whether all eleven of Dibdin's novels will be televised - it would be a crime if they weren't.

Altogether a stylish series with a sophistication brought about by understated subtlety.

As I am an eager follower of UK and Scandinavian police dramas, it is logical than I have finally reached Zen, although, apparently due to 1 Season of 3 episodes, it has been "lost"/forgotten somehow. And that is pity - as the characters/performances, pertinent environment enhancing the general mood, and some unexpected twists make it a far-above-average miniseries. The events take place in Italy, all the cast is very local type (mainly from the UK though), but all communication is carried out in English (the same approach as in the e.g. Wallander UK version). The chemistry between Rufus Sewell as Aurelio Zen and Caterina Murino as Tania Moretti is sweet, yet realistic, ironing out some irregularities in the plot and scenes included just for thrill, but mystery is maintained and the Italian scenery makes you want to revisit Central Italy again...

PS And Rufus Sewell is a really versatile character actor, just recently saw Man in the High Castle where he stars as well. And so differently!

When I first tuned into Zen I was expecting something interesting. Not only did it achieve that, but I wasn't expecting something this good so early on in the year.

Zen is just terrific, I loved the concept and I think the programme lived up to this concept. The writing is witty, fresh and thought-provoking, the soundtrack is good, the episodes are all well paced and I think the perfect length too, the stories were both perplexing and interesting- the first was the best in terms of plot construction- and the whole series is very well directed.

The characters are also credible, I just love how charismatic, brooding and cool Aurelio Zen is. The acting is very good, Rufus Sewell is just perfect in the lead meeting his character traits with aplomb. Plus Caterina Murino is stunning beyond words. The real revelation was the production values, as good as the photography, lighting and costumes are the scenery and colours are just breathtaking.

Overall, Zen was brilliant, I had high hopes and got more than I expected and I mean that in a good way. I don't know about anyone else but I also thought it was a very refreshing change of pace, however it is deserving of more episodes if and when it comes back, the three episodes while wholly satisfying still left me wanting more. 10/10 Bethany Cox

The idea of taking a team of British actors and placing them in a crime fighting scenario in another European country can have mixed results. It worked with Maigret and it didn't work with Wallander.

It DOES work with Zen. Whether or not it adheres to Michael Dibdin's novels I don't know because I haven't read them.

Visually this series is a treat. The men are impeccably dressed and all look like James Bond! The stories themselves aren't going to win any awards but the journey is nonetheless an enjoyable and satisfactory one.

If you're worn down by the usual shaky-cam stupidity of most modern trashy UK drama featuring the hyper-melodramatic plot lines and scripts with the usual, overly used actors and you need a reassuringly glossy and understated look into a world of low key drama then Zen is for you.

Not masterfully intelligent but neither is it insultingly cringe-worthy.

ZEN is a thoroughly enjoyable drama and a refreshing change of pace.