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"Touching Evil" (1997) (mini)

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14 comments in total

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12 out of 12 people found the following comment useful :-
Well worth watching, 10 June 2002
Author: strega3 from Lawrence, KS

As a fan of British mystery series, I've become quite particular about what is worth my time. For example, Inspector Morse always makes the cut; Inspector Frost rarely does. Touching Evil so far exceeds the mark that I've bought the tapes. The acting is exceptional--not just Green, but the entire cast perform convincingly and with great subtlety.

This superior cast handles a very tough script exceedingly well. Not only is the plot heavily detailed and nuanced, it's quite hard to watch from a moral point of view (and it must have been even harder to act it). This is absolutely not a criticism. This show deals with some of the ugliest realities of our time. The plot requires the viewer to learn about them. You cannot simply forget what you've seen at the end of the show. In my book, entertainment that also teaches and induces serious thought rises above the usual drivel and makes the discomfort induced by the topics justified.

The look of the series complements the subject matter and the acting, creating a dense and quite specific atmosphere in each scene. Some shots (especially when you least expect it) are quite stunning and even beautiful.

Highly and unreservedly recommended.

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9 out of 9 people found the following comment useful :-
Twisted and gritty, 11 August 2005
Author: mhoney-1 from Pittsboro, North Carolina

This was one of my favorite "Mystery!" series. This was something of a precursor to shows like "CSI" and "Without a Trace," and ten times better. Robson Greene is DI Dave Creegan, a workaholic who works in a fictional British unit called Organized Serial Crime (OSC). Creegan received a bullet in the head some time back, and was brought back to life through the miracle of medicine, now walking a tightrope on the edge of sanity as the semi-suicidal detective hunts down serial killers and other perps through his gift for thinking like they do. Creegan's partner, DI Susan Taylor, is a no-nonsense type whose method for solving cases is quite the opposite of Creegans. DC Mark Rivers, also a key player, is as far removed from Creegan as possible, a by-the-book detective who is just as content to wait for back-up as jump into the fire. There were some excellent shows, but the first season is by far the best, starting off with a perverted and villainous suspect portrayed by Ian McDiarmid, of "Star Wars" fame.

Perhaps this show lacks some of the class that made earlier shows such as "Prime Suspect" such a treat, but the only thing on "Mystery!" to match it as of yet is probably the most recent American-produced Tony Hillerman adaptations.

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6 out of 6 people found the following comment useful :-
Brilliant Start for a Compelling Series, 15 January 2003
Author: (d_sakaki) from Seattle, Washington

I actually saw part of this series while in London, and about a year later, PBS's Mystery! series picked it up (thank God) and was lucky enough to see all of the "Touching Evil" movies. While I only caught part of it in London, I was immediately compelled by what I saw -- gritty and dark storylines, pushed by characters that were convincing in that you really felt like they witnessed some of the most vicious aspects of human nature. The plots orbit around Robson Green's portrayal of cop Dave Creegan and his serial crime investigation unit as they barrel through London, tracking down serial killers. It's easy enough to say he's the archetypal anti-hero -- he's just gone back on the job from a near-death gunshot wound to the head (he's got a little scar), his family life's gone down the crapper (wife and kids left him), and he really is married to his work. But he's the anti-anti-hero; a Dirty Harry who's a real person. He struggles with his personal life as he tries to be emotionally supportive of his ex-wife's new life (what a concept, eh?), and you can see the pain on his face as he watches his small children with first-hand knowledge of the real evil out in the world. All the "Touching Evil" movies are well-done; each story is unique in its serial killer's modus operandi -- all very macabre. The moody filming adds to the bleakness. The deadpan cold moodiness is very similar to that "X-Files" ennui, and its gritty perspective of policework is very "Prime Suspect". The characters are all believable -- serious, professional, and very real. No ex-Playmates or pretty-boy faces, just compelling acting against some pretty grisly storylines.

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6 out of 7 people found the following comment useful :-
Realistically Terrifying, 23 May 1999
Author: Cyberax from NE England

OK - Having just finished watching the second episode in the new run, I think I'm justified in saying that this has to be the best series yet. I had absolutely no idea which way the episode was going to go (a common trait with this series), and although you begin to piece things together, you never actually know how they're gonna get to the conclusion, that is assuming that there will be a nice conclusion, and that everyone will get there in one piece.

It's a show which isn't afraid of pulling the punches (stabbings, shootings or any other kind of dispatch method available to a crazed killer), but a strong stomach is required for some parts. However, it is a show which is very intelligent in its storylines, and the characters have enough depth to them to make you wonder how the writers managed to do this alongside a storyline. Plus the realism is enough to send you screaming for the teddybear you've had since you were a baby (I know it's around here somewhere....)

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4 out of 4 people found the following comment useful :-
Wonderfully Tight Homicide Drama, 5 February 2005

Author: lje6904 from El Cajon, California

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

There are 3 episodes in Series 1 of Touching Evil. The first is called "The Lost Boys" starring Robson Green, Nicola Bryant and Michael Feast. The special guest star was Ian McDiarmid(Emperor Palatine) from the Star War's movies. Mr. McDiarmid has that evil look and yet an innocent, "Why are you persecuting me?" look on his face. With tenacity, DI David Creegan(Robson Green) faces McDiarmid and in the end decides there is no other way to stop him, but to kill him. Creegan stalks into Ronald Hink's house(McDiarmid) and finds him dead with his head on his desk, apparently of a suicide. But was it suicide or murder? This question is left unanswered until a later episode.

There are 3 series in this series. I recommend this one for gritty, tense stories and wonderful acting. My only question, "Why did DCI Enwright(Michael Feast), knowing that Creegan was mentally ill, bring him back to the squad?

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4 out of 4 people found the following comment useful :-
U.S. directors and producers could learn something, 23 November 1998
Author: Chris Coupe (cmc29@cornell.edu) from Ithaca,N.Y.

I heard about this series in a commentary by John Leonard on the "CBS Sunday Morning" show. I don't recall if he compared it to the "Prime Suspect" series of a few years ago but I certainly would. This series kept you glued to your seat. You learn as the detectives do. The psychological drama is reminiscent of Hitchcock, ie."The Man Who Knew To Much".The intricacies of the relationships among the characters is fantastic - and I don't mean it was like a soap opera. It is shows like this that are the reason I keep my television. I'm not knocking shows such as "N.Y.P.D. Blue" or "Law and Order" as they are usually well written and acted. But you know from the start what is usually going to happen, and you don't need to be watching all the time - listening will usually do fine. With "Touching Evil" you really need to watch. To glance away to talk with someone or respond to some other distraction may mean losing the whole nuance of a segment. So those of you out there that may have missed it the first time around, be assured that PBS will run it again. My suggestion is that you make sure you are not going to be distracted for any reason, sit down and let your mind go to work.

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3 out of 3 people found the following comment useful :-
Best of All Things British..., 9 November 1998
Author: (mkultra@pacbell.net)

I stumbled over this one on a Sunday afternoon during a top-ot-the-hour channel surf. Readjusting my American viewing apparatus to accept a cop drama that was cut at less than 10 edits a minute, this baby snared me hard. I drooled until I was able to catch the rest of the episodes, and I found myself moving through the day hungering to answer the phone, "D.I Creegan..."

This show rocks in that the viewer is REQUIRED TO WORK to figure out the details of the backstory, relationships that existed before, and to hang onto a storyline that is not concerned with over-explaining; you need to keep up with the pace. This story is real and happening, transferring a realistic impression of copwork from the inside, tempered with just enough "X-Files" in their "Elite Special Ops Force (or whatever it's called)" to be convincing not in the fantastic/horrific, but in The REALITY. No passivity in attention here; snooze=loose.

Think the complex, multi-episodicness of "The Prisoner" with the acting/directing savvy of "NYPD Blue" and the cinematic re-par-te of, say, John Sayles if he were to shoot contemporary London. (The EXT. - NIGHT's are a little too blue for me, but hell, I ain't the shooter...)

"Touching" is pretty dang good, guv-nuh, as hard-boiled as you'll get across the Pond.

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4 out of 5 people found the following comment useful :-
Must see, 19 February 2000

Author: jmatsu from Bay Area, California

Touching Evil is a remarkable mystery mini series. One of the best I've seen. It is gripping and compelling. The main character, Kreegan, is complex, enigmatic and sympathetic. The mini series is composed of 5 seemingly disparate episodes that somehow come together at the end in a way that is unique and satisfying.

It made me eager to see the next installment: Touching Evil 2, which was a disappointment.

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2 out of 3 people found the following comment useful :-
Robson Green - Mr. Ubiquitous on BBC TV., 3 February 2006
Author: ikanboy from United States

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Robson Green is Mr.Ubiquitous on BBC TV. This is his second series about chasing down serial killers. He's always intense, always smart, but far from perfect. So is his female partner (Nicola Walker). The lack of perfection is what makes the show have it's high drama, as well as it's exasperations. In practically every show someone dies because they screw up and don't follow proper police procedure, or common sense. Still the characters are well drawn, and the writing is intelligent, until we get to the usual Psycho babble about serial killers' motivation.

***spoiler***

This lack of perfection shows up clearly in 2 shows (which usually dove-tail with each other) in which he hesitates to kill a serial killer, who is holding a knife to his victim's throat, and watches - frozen - as he kills her and then allows himself to be disarmed by him, before the reinforcements arrive. As it turns out his junior partner had also earlier, and more egregiously, let the man escape, equally frozen.

So what happens at the end of the show? Same scene, different killer, and their female partner is the victim. So our hero shoots him, right? No, he stands there and listens to her blather on about how this killer won't kill her, because she sees into his heart. Do real Cops really ever forget their boundaries this badly? Not to worry, junior partner shoots the killer in the back, and then has to put up with the abuse of the female detective for saving her life!

In the next show we see junior partner formally absolved of the killing of the murderer. Come on police don't have to explain why they kill bad guys who are holding a knife to the throat of a cop, do they? Not even in the U.K. But the female partner never forgives him, never thanks him for saving her life, just let's him know by her silent anger that he's screwed up. Instead of being righteously angry at her, he takes it upon himself to prove he's worthy by acting like a loose cannon for the rest of the show. He catches a killer, beats him up, and then goes ballistic when he's released. Not to worry though, our brilliant cops are going to keep an eye on him and his next intended victim, who I might add has been told he's killed 4-5 people and ignores the evidence in order to pay attention to her woman's intuition that he's innocent, but they let him, and her, slip out of surveillance. It gets worse, but I won't spoil any of the fun. One thing about this show it sure brings out the "screaming at the TV" behavior in me!

Enjoy! Scream a lot!

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Dark, stark, and excellent., 25 March 2008

Author: gs_belgarath from United States

The other commenter was correct in saying that it's not a show for the kiddies, and yes, I don't know how PBS managed to broadcast it without the FCC stomping their heads in, but it's a fantastic show, so hurrah for them!

And as for the comparison to "Prime Suspect," it's apples and oranges. "Touching Evil" is more stylized and less procedural. The title is apt, as its focus is less on the evil itself or the process of combating it, and more on the damage it does to those who touch and are touched by it. The protagonists grow harder, more detached, more despairing, and more absorbed by the horrors their occupation revolves around, and the grief of the victims is almost palpable.

If it suffers from the occasional bout of unrealism, I didn't notice. I was too absorbed by the atmosphere and the pathos. It's superbly done and well worth watching. The acting is stupendous, the characters intriguing, and the production brilliant. It's one of the finest crime dramas I've ever seen.

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