Yet more proof, if any was needed, that the Brits do police procedurals better than the Yanks. Three-dimensional characters, claustrophobic sets and great ensemble acting seem like a pretty good place to start; and not talking down to your audience helps too.
Trevor Eve is excellent as the principled, irascible head of a cold-case team made up of diverse personalities; and the 2 x 1-hour format lets the cases unfold with a bit more leisure than the 60-minute special, while also allowing for the compulsory cliffhanger in the middle.
A minor criticism of the show is their use of the "talking over each other" gimmick, where everybody bursts into voice at the same time. At first it seemed like a kind of cinema-verité thing but, like the quick-cut filming in NYPD Blue, it becomes intrusive when you notice it happening. I also wish they'd develop the Spence character a bit more - he's been there since the beginning, but I still don't feel like I know him very well.
But they're minor flaws and, given the choice between this and one of the myriad CSI shows, I know which one I'd choose.
Trevor Eve is excellent as the principled, irascible head of a cold-case team made up of diverse personalities; and the 2 x 1-hour format lets the cases unfold with a bit more leisure than the 60-minute special, while also allowing for the compulsory cliffhanger in the middle.
A minor criticism of the show is their use of the "talking over each other" gimmick, where everybody bursts into voice at the same time. At first it seemed like a kind of cinema-verité thing but, like the quick-cut filming in NYPD Blue, it becomes intrusive when you notice it happening. I also wish they'd develop the Spence character a bit more - he's been there since the beginning, but I still don't feel like I know him very well.
But they're minor flaws and, given the choice between this and one of the myriad CSI shows, I know which one I'd choose.