"Wire in the Blood"
The Mermaids Singing: Part 2 (2002)

Director:

Andrew Grieve

Writers:

Patrick Harbinson (writer)
Val McDermid (characters)
(more)

TV Series:

"Wire in the Blood" (2002)

Original Air Date:

12 July 2002 (Season 1, Episode 2)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Plot:

Plot Keywords:

Investigation | Murder | Police | Psychiatrist | Team

Cast

Robson Green	...	Dr. Tony Hill
Hermione Norris	...	DI / DCI Carol Jordan
Tom Chadbon	...	Assistant Chief Constable John Brandon
Mark Letheren	...	DS Kevin Geoffries
Alan Stocks	...	DS Don Merrick
Kaye Wragg	...	Penny Burgess
Elaine Claxton	...	Maggie Thomas
Quill Roberts	...	Mr. Sohal
Philip Whitchurch	...	Supt. Tom Cross
Mark Bonnar	...	Stevie McTeer
Ben Price	...	Michael Jordan
Doreene Blackstock	...	DS Annie Reiss
Val McDermid	...	Journalist
Stephen Bent	...	David Biggs
Eric Graves	...	Adrian
Tom Fisher	...	Angelica Bain
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Richard Frame	...	PC Damien O'Connell (uncredited)

Directed by
Andrew Grieve

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Patrick Harbinson		writer
Val McDermid		characters
Val McDermid		novel

Produced by
Susan Dunn	....	associate producer
Sandra Jobling	....	executive producer
Philip Leach	....	producer (as Phil Leach)

Original Music by
The Insects

Cinematography by
James Aspinall

Film Editing by
Keith Palmer

Casting by
Joan McCann
Toby Whale

Production Design by
David Butterworth

Costume Design by
Julian Day

Makeup Department
Nadia El-Saffar	....	makeup designer

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Radford Neville	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Judy Lysaght	....	graphic designer
Carol Payne	....	production buyer
Colin Smith	....	construction manager
Shonagh Smith	....	stand-by art director

Sound Department
Dave Aston	....	sound editor
Bill Dodkin	....	sound recordist
Patrick Morris	....	dubbing mixer

Stunts
Jeff Hewitt-Davis	....	stunt coordinator
Crispin Layfield	....	stunt performer

Camera and Electrical Department
Paul Donachie	....	camera operator
Brian Jones	....	gaffer

Editorial Department
Rosemarie Dowson	....	post-production coordinator
Glenn Kyte	....	telecine colorist

Transportation Department
Derek McPhail	....	unit driver

Other crew
Martin Cook	....	production accountant
Jill Graham	....	production coordinator
Neal Hirst	....	location manager
Ken Jobling	....	production consultant
Shelagh Pymm	....	publicist
Vivianne Royal	....	script supervisor
Simon Wheeler	....	script editor
Richard Wood	....	production accountant

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
John Bennett	....	first assistant director (2005-)

Sound Department
Helen Dickson	....	dubbing assistant
Rikki Hanson	....	sound trainee
Paul Munro	....	boom operator (one episode)
Dave Sloss	....	adr mixer

Special Effects by
Steve Breheney	....	special effects technician

Stunts
Juliette Cheveley	....	stunt performer (2005-) (as Juliet Cheveley)
Tom Delmar	....	stunt coordinator
Andy Smart	....	stunt performer (2005-) (as Andy J. Smart)

Camera and Electrical Department
Roger Tooley	....	steadicam operator (2005-)

Other crew
Steven Butler	....	cast security
John Cheeseman	....	cast security
Kezz Stone	....	production assistant (2006)
Mark Timmons	....	cast security

Distributors

• Epix Media (2006) (Germany) (DVD)
• Independent Television (ITV) (2002) (UK) (TV)
• Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen (ZDF) (2003) (Germany) (TV)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Excellent UK crime film. Beautifully understated, tense drama. (possible spoiler)

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

The story itself is excellent, being by Val McDermid, one of my favourite crime authors. The movie adaptation is the pilot for the series, Wire In the Blood, featuring psychologist Tony Hill and Detective Carol Jorden.

It's an English film, and true to most English crime films, is fast, full of suspense without opting for the overkill of the US. The relationship between Tony and Carol is understated. Robson Green allows Tony's eccentricity to be established without needing the obviousness of twitches or mental problems. He's played as unusual, possibly somewhat neurotic, but certainly doesn't seem to need medication. Hermione Norris is thinner than I would have imagined a Detective Inspector to be, but still came across as knowing, phlegmatic, yet with intelligence and wry humour.

My biggest issue is with the character of the villain, and that is more an issue with the writer than the actors. I won't give it away, but after you have seen it you will know what I mean.