The Vice (1999–2003) User Reviews

The reason to watch this series - The Actors

[janschbern · 9/10 · 3 December 2010]

I have only watched series 2. The plots are interesting enough - but really, they are almost beside the point. Yes, there are social issues, there are personal issues, there is some suspense, some romance and not hard to figure out plot twists. Also there is this big question. What always baffles non-British is why do British police (in TV series) so often go into knowingly risky, if not potentially fatal situations, unarmed and not backed up. It happens time and time again. It happens here. It happens in other British police, crime, legal series.

So, what is it that makes The Vice - so good? What impressed me was the very high quality of the actors. Their ongoing performances are stellar. There is a constant upward moving arc in character development, in their subtleties, and in the connections they make with their audience. Its ensemble casting at its best. Ken Stott is a master in every way. David Harewood and Caroline Catz are equally intriguing in their roles. The secondary characters are invariably terrific. Highly recommended.

Frighteningly realistic (spoilers included)

[Simon-185 · 9/10 · 9 January 2000]

Warning - spoilers included

The Vice is all about the London Vice Squad and how they tackle prostitution and its associated problems.

Series 1 develops the characters in the Squad, their interactions with each other, and their targets. One character becomes embroiled in a world of sexual obsession and ends up being blackmailed by the very people he is supposed to be working against. He is eventually caught and ruined.

The squalid nature of prostitution in London and the drug use associated is depicted in a frighteningly realistic manner. The scripts are very hard edged and do not attempt to glamourise the topic. Not for lovers of 'Pretty Woman.'

The "Toms Squad"in all it's sordid reality.Uncomfortable and mean.

[ianlouisiana · 8/10 · 26 June 2015]

They're not "Working Girls","Tarts with Hearts"(or otherwise),"Sex Workers",Prossies" or Ladies of the night".In Met parlance they are "Toms".Nobody seems to know why and I guess it doesn't matter much. Many nowadays are of course "Trafficked",but that wasn't such a big problem in 1999 when "The Vice " started. Already in 16 years much of the ethos of the "Toms Squad" and the women they target has changed..Nowadays the Met use specially trained officers to try to offer the women an alternative to "The Life". In my day our efforts were laughed at,the girls were fined 20 or 30 quid at Bow St. for soliciting and the merry - go - round carried on as usual. The splendid Mr K.Stott and his associates are more pro - active(if you'll pardon the pun). Like many coppers he feels a certain guilt in treating the women as criminals in what is basically a customer - led profession. But he is compassionate,angry and frustrated at the lack of support from above and the craven attitude displayed by his superiors to rich and well - connected punters. The women in his team,Misses R.Marcel and C.Catz,are equally excellent being unblinkered and firm without seeming to be judgemental. Both these actresses are adept at displaying strength and authority as exemplified by their roles in "Doc Martin" and "Holby City". So intense is Mr Stott that "The Vice" isn't an easy series to watch, but it is worthwhile getting beneath its skin to get a glimpse of the dangers of a very dangerous way of life . Prostitution has always seemed to me to be like legalised rape - not much to do with sex,mostly to do with the exercise of power by men over women. Nothing I saw in "The Vice" leads me to change that belief. No sex,just brutality expressed in another form. A very good and disturbing series.

Pure Brilliance

[Scififan54 · 10/10 · 2 July 2021]

This was a fantastic series which is sorely missed, I suspect, not just by me, but by millions. Pat Chappell is an unlikely hero, unlovely, crumpled and middle-aged, but with such intensity and charisma that he oozes attractiveness. Ken Stott brought such ferocity to the role and showed himself for the unbelievably superb actor he is. He has a heart as big as a mountain. He cares, he loves the victims of the sordid crimes he has to deal with. If he has a fault, it's that he cares too much. This proves his undoing in the end. He has the habit of becoming personally involved. He is unable to keep his personal and professional life separate.

Aside from Stott, Marc Warren is worthy of attention. He plays Dougie, Chappell's flawed sidekick. Warren shows the vulnerability and pain of his character magnificently.

I usually dislike crime procedural dramas, but "The Vice" stands out with its supreme actors and heartbreaking stories. It depicts a bleak modern world of anonymity and evil; the evil of sexual crime. But it's saved by the dedication and compassion of the officers who try to combat it.

I always think the mark of brilliant fiction is if you can remember it years later. One episode in particular got under my skin - "Sons - Part 2" (S1E4). The ending.is the most heart-rending and desolate piece of TV I have ever seen and stays with me now, nearly 30 years later.

Excellent, but may have outstayed its welcome

[mdiffey · 1 June 2003]

When The Vice first started being shown on TV, it was one of a number of quality drama serials produced by ITV, along with programmes such as McCallum and Kavanagh QC. However, as the drama output of ITV has gone rapidly down hill, it may appear to be time to call an end to this fine series.

*Possible spoilers*

To be honest, the series has been struggling since Marc Warren was killed off in series 2, as his character really helped to make the show. It was just about able to survive after that thanks to the superb performances of Ken Stott in the lead role. His acting really was first class- immensely believable and extremely powerful.

However, with Stott now out of the show, there doesn't really seem much need to carry on for much longer. While David Harewood is undoubtedly a very fine actor, I don't think he has the support required to continue to make the series a success. Which really is a shame, as The Vice is one of the high points of British TV drama over the last few years.

If you can track down any of the early episodes, do so, but it appears as if the most recent series may be a series too far.

Under-rated!

[heibeinh · 9/10 · 27 July 2022]

So, I;m just curious how ALL the episodes get 8+ ratings & the overall rating is 7.6. No one has yet explained that to me. This is a great series with great writing, acting & tense dialogue. Too bad it doesn't get the praise it deserves on IMDb.

It's not the worst but not one of the better ones either

[catnapbc · 6/10 · 5 February 2023]

Ken Stott as Rebus had his foibles and issues and certainly was convincing as that character, and here he plays basically the same 'type'. This is neither original nor terribly written, but it feels and looks 'tired', as in: we've seen this before. The acting by most who appear is generally top-notch, but the dark and graphic nature of the main theme of 'vice' is just a bit much. Do not watch this before bedtime. I admit that the subject matter and giving so much airtime to deviants and abusers makes me cringe and does not constitute 'entertainment' for me. Although crime and police dramas are often really enthralling and can stretch your imagination at times, this particular series was just a bit too gritty for my tastes. It's not badly made or overly violent, but it totally lacks any light moments or humour. And the relationships all come across as fractured. Not a fun time.

Spellbinding Cop Show

[ilcooney · 10/10 · 17 December 2022]

It's 2022 and I just discovered this series. It is marvellously written and well acted. No series filmed in 2019-2022 can hold a candle to it. That is because it was not held to the boring constraints of wokeism and political correctness that makes so many series have the same plot and characters. I'm sure many others like me are searching for entertainment that is not part of the get woke or get shamed era. Every episode explores the dark underground world of vice cops. This series is so realistic and touches on the various ways seedy people prey on others to make a buck. The vice officers that deal with it keep you spellbound, shocked and sometimes heartbroken.

A decent, but not excellent show

[AMAZINGzingzing · 6/10 · 7 January 2024]

A hard hitting cop/ detective show based in London

I have lived and worked in Tottenham court road for over 40 years, the area gets Very dangerous and creepy after dark, pimps, druggies, people with mental health, etc

This show explores all of this and more

The acting is above average the storylines are simple and there are not any major plot twists, it is mostly fast paced,but theres also lot of sadness and disturbing scenes

This would have been an excellent show if they replaced ken Stott and Caroline Katz,

Ken is an amazing actor ,yet he's so out of place in this series, far too old and out of shape to be running after baddies and playing the tough guy, very scruffy

Katz however is a terrible actress, she plays the same part in every role, being friendly and bland,

she is more suited to soaps , she plays an identical role in "doc Martin"

It is Very comparable to the series "trial and retribution" but much better and less depressing

I would describe this as an X rated version of "the Bill"

The BBC would never produce anything as controversial as this today.

Screaming, yelling, abusing police where no one is a decent human being

[msghall · 6/10 · 2 January 2024]

UK cop shows are exemplary at portraying the reality of police work and especially at uncovering the ineptitude and corruption of police officers and detectives. However, this series goes over the top. It's as vile in many episodes as the criminals it contains. Stott, known for his explosive, temperamental acting style, goes WAY over the top here. He screams, yells and berates when he's in a good mood. When he's not, it's almost comical the way he explodes in anger.

This is especially sad considering the plots, direction and writing are all quite fine otherwise. Too bad there aren't more moments of levity or real compassion to overwhelm the tantrums galore.

Relentlessly grim and lurid

[pre_teena · 3/10 · 21 July 2022]

The subject is vice, of course, and this show never misses an opportunity to sin away with gusto. I feel for the actors who have to artificially hump away, leering and licking in close up, but Ken Scott's scenery-chewing is worse than Al Pacino in "Scent of a Woman", and I didn't think it was possible to top that.

very slow

[prosper1 · 3/10 · 20 July 2007]

this is a 30 minute show stretched to 60 using bad editing and holding shots of people thinking for ages....the same problem with 24, i.e. lots of shots of Sutherland walking IN CAR PARKS, going upstairs etc....

lots of tits and ass though as the subject matter is indeed vice in all its manifestations....acting is okay. Writing is okay, but the soundtrack is too schmaltzy for the show... strings and slow piano notes held for a longtime

overall they stretched the budget with tricks that in the end don't work....

I'm having hard time finishing this one

[sunnydale2004 · 2/10 · 10 February 2024]

This is one of the cringiest series I've ever watched. I don't know if it was just the years it was made in or the subject matter but it's really hard to watch. I've never been a fan of old men attempting to seduce MUCH MUCH younger women maybe that's exactly how prostitution game works but even the "good" guys give me a major ick. Maybe it's just me being naive but these police officers in The Vice shouldn't be working in Vice. I would think they'd be transferred to another unit. Chief Inspector Frank Vickers is by far the scummiest excuse for a human being and how the hell is he still in charge of anything by season 5. The trope of making ALL the female characters all stupid and needing rescuing is a trope that needs to die. Only watch this series if you have a strong stomach.