Category Archives: British Mystery Series

2014, Abduction, Addiction, Bloody scenes, British, British Mystery Series, Could Be Hard To Watch, Crime thriller, Depression, DO NOT MISS, Drug Dealers, Drugs, Dysfunctional Lives, Ethical struggles, Gritty, Kidnapping, Melodrama, Mental Illness, Murder, Murder Investigation, Mystery Film, Netflix Streaming, Not Feel Good, Police Corruption, Police Story, Psychological Drama, Rape, Sociopath, Suicide, Suspense, Thriller, Violent, Wonderful acting

Happy Valley (2014)

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From Netflix:

From the creator of “Last Tango in Halifax” comes this police drama starring Sarah Lancashire (“Coronation Street”) as Yorkshire police sergeant Catherine Cawood, a strong-willed officer coping with the suicide of her daughter and struggling to raise the young son she left behind. When the man she blames for her daughter’s death is paroled, Cawood embarks on a mission to bring him down, unaware that her target is plotting another heinous crime.

Update to initial Season 1 review: Netflix now offers Season 2 of “Unhappy Valley” which continues the story line of Season 1. Season 2 is at least as riveting as Season 1.

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Original Review:

“Happy Valley” is NOT happy. After I tell you what is brutal in this riveting British TV series, I will then try and convince you to watch one of the most spellbinding detective series I have ever watched.

First the ugly news: Years ago the handsome sociopath Tommy Lee Royce raped and drove to suicide the daughter of sergeant Catherine Cawood. He is just out of jail and has joined in with a kidnapping of young Ann Gallagher whom he rapes in captivity. While transporting the kidnapped girl in a van, the kidnappers are approached by a young woman policewoman whom the sociopath runs over and over and over with his automobile. Get the nasty picture? You never see any rape, but you do see some brutal fights.

Now the reasons why you should not miss this drama: Sarah Lancashire is (as the British would say) “positively brilliant” as Catherine Cawood. Here is an incredibly strong woman with a long list of problems. For example, her dead raped daughter had a resulting son whom Catherine raises alone as a grandmother because Catherine’s remarried husband left her when the boy was born. Yes, it does sound like a good old melodrama. But the acting, the complicated personal relations, and the exacting plot details and surprises are well worth the uncomfortable price of admission.

If you can stand the barbarians and their callous behavior, then I feel duty bound to say: DO NOT MISS!

Based on a Book, British Mystery Series, Murder Investigation, P.D. James

P.D. James

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Instead of a review of just one film, below you will find a list of TV presentations of stories adapted from novels by P. D. James. All are available from Netflix. All of them are well worth watching. Just remember that P.D. James has a raw edge.

The following can be streamed and are on disc. Streaming offers captions whereas there are no captions on disc.

Original Sin
Shroud for a Nightingale
Cover Her Face
A Taste for Death
The Black Tower
Death of an Expert Witness
Unnatural Causes
Devices and Desires

The following are on disc only and have no captions:

Unsuitable Job For A Woman
A Mind to Murder
Death In Holy Orders

1994, British Mystery Series, Child Molestation, Detective, DO NOT MISS, Gay theme, Gritty, Made For TV, Murder Investigation, Nudity, Rugby, Small Town, Violent, Wales

A Mind to Kill (1994)

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From Netflix:

Homicide detective Noel Bain (Philip Madoc) specializes in solving crimes the old-fashioned way: with keen intuition and deductive reasoning rather than high-tech gadgets and forensics. A prickly widower obsessed with his work, Bain always nabs the bad guys. His workaholic tendencies infuriate his teenage daughter, Hannah (Ffion Wilkins), but he strives to protect her from the relentless brutality he witnesses every day in his beloved Wales.

Available from Netflix only on disc (no streaming) with subtitles, this gritty detective series occurring in Wales is well-written and well-acted.

Add this to your list of gritty British detective TV series and enjoy. In this gritty category I would rate this series DO NOT MISS!

British Mystery Series, Medical Theme, Nothing special, Scottish, Serial Killer, Stalker, Suspense

Taggart (2003)

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From Netflix:

“There’s been a murder!” And with those words, the detectives of Glasgow’s Maryhill CID unit spin into action in this collection of episodes from the long-running U.K. television drama.

Somewhat ordinary long-running Scottish murder detective series. Each episode is complicated enough to be interesting. There is no gore , but rather plain old greed, lust, jealousy, drugs and all the rest of the motives in the motive catalog. Often, instead of serial killers, there are multiple murders that are related. In fact (murder aside) there is not a lot of violence in the series.

Nothing special, but watchable.

2003, British Mystery Series, Clever Plot, Detective, DNA, Dysfunctional Lives, Marital Infidelity, Mental Illness, Serial Killer

DNA (2003)

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From NetFlix:

After recovering from a mental breakdown, brilliant investigator Joe Donovan joins the Manchester Forensic Investigations Unit. But his past continues to haunt him as he solves crimes with a fervor that causes tension between him and his wife.

Tom Conti and Samantha Bond appear in a cleverly written British detective series available from NetFlix as 2 discs that represent the only year (2003) that the series played. These 5 episodes may also be streamed from NetFlix.

In this particular story the novelty is that the DNA expert Joe Donovan experiences night-time wanderings which he cannot recall the next day. These night-time travels are connected with murders and seem to involve Donovan himself.

Enjoyable British mystery series with its own original gimmick!

Author, Based on a Book, British Mystery Series, Detective, Made For TV, Nuclear energy, P.D. James, Serial Killer, Suicide

Devices and Desires (1991)

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From NetFlix:

Roy Marsden stars as Scotland Yard sleuth Adam Dalgliesh in this epic miniseries based on the popular mystery novel by P.D. James, a tale that also features a brief appearance by a young Kate Beckinsale. After inheriting a seaside cottage from his aunt, Dalgliesh escapes the city for a little R&R, only to find himself neck-deep in a string of serial killings. Can he expose the killer before his vacation is completely ruined?

Filmed in 1991, this 6-episode P.D. James mystery series can be streamed from NetFlix with subtitles. Somewhat ordinary, at least the story is neither gritty, grim, nor graphic.

Roy Marsden has played Adam Dalgliesh in many of these P.D. James book adaptations. As an extra treat we get to shudder at Gemma Jones’ cold steel-grays eyes.

Throw in some clandestine romances, some landlord-tenant grief, a struggling mother-less family with 3 children, and nuclear reactor intrigue and you get a watchable 6 hours of entertainment.

2011, British Mystery Series, Child Molestation, Conspiracy, Crime, Love Story, Marital Infidelity, Murder Investigation, Old-Fashioned, Politicians, TV Series

The Hour (2011)

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From NetFlix:

This six-part political thriller focuses on the launch of a new BBC news program in June 1956, as the Suez Crisis is unfolding in the Middle East. The story follows the efforts of the show’s staff to reveal the tangled politics of the era.

Rather than being gritty, this easy-to-watch British TV series features several themes: The 1956 Suez Canal crisis; Producing a TV news hour that can tell the truth despite political efforts to stifle that news; Political intrigue involving murder; Freddy’s love for the beautiful young TV news producer Bel; Bel’s infatuation with the married Hector.

Made in 2011, this series reproduces faithfully the era of the 50’s. Hence the actors look as they do in 2011 rather than being young actors. Some of the more recognizable actors are:

  • Dominic West (plays Hector) is perhaps best known for his role as Detective Jimmy McNulty in the HBO drama series “The Wire”.
  • Anna Chancellor (plays Lix Storm) was Lucy Christie in “Waking the Dead”.
  • Juliet Stevenson (plays Lady Elms) has been in so many presentations that I arbitrarily remind you that she was “The Politician’s Wife”.

My wife Kathy thought the 6 episodes made the story too long although I did not mind the length. At least it is a nice escape from grim.

1997, British Mystery Series, Child abuse, Crime, Dark, Detective, Dysfunctional Lives, Gritty, Kidnapping, Murder Investigation, Not Feel Good, Violent

Trial & Retribution (1997)

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From NetFlix:

Crime story and police procedural folded in one, this series tracks murder cases as they wend from inquiry to trial, with detectives Michael Walker and Pat North leading the chase and split-screen shots vivifying the complex pursuit of justice.

Available from NetFlix either as DVDs. Only Set 1 can be streamed.

  • Set 1: 1997 4 discs
  • Set 2: 2001 4 discs
  • Set 3: 2005 3 discs
  • Set 4: 2007 3 discs
  • Set 5: 2008 2 discs
  • Set 6: 2008 2 discs

To see a list of the entire series as well as small plot summaries go to Wikipedia.

For Set 1 NetFlix offered this additional description:

David Hayman and Kate Buffery star as police detectives in the first season of this critically acclaimed British crime drama, in which each episode centers on a single case, from the investigation all the way through to the courtroom verdict. This program comprises the first four feature-length episodes of this suspenseful, emotionally charged series, which takes an unflinching look at the flawed processes behind society’s pursuit of justice.

Here the operative word is FLAWED! Even as a full story ends, you might not be so sure that the convicted person really was guilty. From my point of view that is irrelevant (and maddening) because it is the excellent and taut drama that entertains.

WARNING: Some of the crimes scenes are especially ugly. For example, the second full story features a sadistical cult leader who forces women to mutiliate themselves. That alone might prevent you from watching what is a well-written and very suspenseful story. In this second full story the ending is pitch perfect.

If you like British detective TV series, you will enjoy “Trial & Retribution”

1997, Abduction, British Mystery Series, Car Chase, Could Be Hard To Watch, Crime, Detective, Disturbing Image, Eccentric Detective, Grim, Gritty, Kidnapping, Lawyers, Made For TV, Mental Illness, Murder Investigation, Nudity, Occasional gore, Prison, Psychological Thriller, Rape, Revenge, Sadism, Serial Killer, Sex Scenes, Suspense, Torture, TV Series, Violent

Touching Evil (1997)

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From NetFlix:

After suffering head trauma from a shooting, moody, job-obsessed Detective Inspector Dave Creegan of the organized and serial crime unit heads off some of England’s most deviant and deadly offenders by creeping inside the criminal psyche.

Robson Green plays the DI Dave Creegan in this British detective TV series. His character is single-minded, isolated, and socially awkward. As is often the case in British detective shows, the crimes are usually violent and involve some ugly scenes. Indeed each episode develops side by side both Creegan’s personality difficulties as well as the crime du jour. You will not relax watching these plots but you will probably not be able to stop watching despite the suspense.

After he made this series, Robson Green then starred in Wire In The Blood in which he portrays the exact same personality, the only difference being that in this later series he ia cast as a free-lance psychologist specializing in the criminal mind.

Both “Touching Evil” and “Wire in the Blood” provide tense, suspenseful viewing that (providing your nerves hold up) you don’t want to miss.

1993, British Mystery Series, Detective, Explicit sexual discussion, Gritty, Marital Infidelity, Murder Investigation, Psychological Thriller, Serial Killer, Suspense, Violent

Cracker (1993)

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From NetFlix:

Eddie “Fitz” Fitzgerald smokes, drinks, gambles and cheats on his wife. He’s also a brilliant criminal psychologist, or “cracker.” When not evading his personal demons, he uses his particular genius to track down Manchester’s worst criminals.

Be prepared to intensely dislike the “cracker” Eddie Fitzgerald. Arrogant stubbornness is his chief characteristic. For example, despite the fact that gambling is one of his many faults which have contributed to his marriage problems, he defiantly refuses to stop gambling. At least half the story time revolves around his personal failings. What on earth does his wife see in him? Possibly she values his often very clever sarcastic comments.

Nonetheless, the mystery plots are well-written. Each full story requires several episodes. Kathy and I watch the series using NetFlix streaming in order to get subtitles. Unfortunately, the DVD versions do not carry subtitles. In fact, many offerings from NetFlix are subtitled only in the streaming version.

Not all stories are about serial killers. Today’s detective series seem more often than not to center around a serial killer. However, as usual, the stories are violent. If you want “non-violent” then try Pie in the Sky.

Acting is excellent and unusual. For example, the second full story has as its culprit a murderous couple in which the man is a stutterer who can only speak when he is furious (which is most of the time).

Different and well worth your time.