Case Histories

We're liking, with reservations.  Familiar territory, but characters and situations have an original slant that betrays their literary origins (no bad thing - Ali).  Also has good cast (like Jason Isaacs - Ali).  More after more....

We continue to like.  Has a nice slightly offbeat tone.  Small quibble: Brodie has the best eyesight in the world.  Unlike most men, who don’t even notice earrings when they are talking face-to-face with a woman, Brodie can see them from some considerable distance and a fair height.  Wow.  Oh and surely even a lonely, drunken actress in a terrible play wouldn’t sleep with slob Richard Moat over Brodie?  Second story, based on second book, managed to carry on Brodie’s personal life in a way that broadened his role as totty and made us care when his ex-wife took his daughter to New Zealand.  Awww.

Third and final story was a good finale and we'd watch another series, if based on the Atkinson novels.  'Quirky' is an over-used and much-maligned word but this is distinguished from the average cop show by wit and imagination.  Gwyneth Keyworth, so good in 'Royal Wedding', has real presence, and came across here like Shirley Henderson's younger sister (casting call, anybody?).  We're no experts, but Amanda Abbington had a consistent accent AND the luck to be torn between Patterson Joseph and Jason Isaacs.  Sorry, this isn't a review at all - Ali's fault - so we'll stop at saying it was a fun watch, intelligently written and well acted, and so much better than formulaic procedurals.