STACK NZ Mar #60

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Nordic noir has been particularly popular in the UK so it’s not surprising that
its influence has started to seep through to their own crime shows. Although
this new BBC series sticks to the usual formula of standalone feature-length
episodes, Hinterland certainly owes a debt stylistically to Scandinavian crime
classics like The Killing. Much of that is down to the moody cinematography
and fact that it is set in and around a small Welsh provincial town, which provides a (usually)
bleak and windswept backdrop to the murder investigations (it was also shot simultaneously
in Welsh and English, so it sort of counts as a foreign language series!). And the crimes
themselves are firmly rooted in reality: the
body count is low and the killers tend to be
ordinary people driven to desperate acts,
not diabolical master criminals committing
extravagantly-staged killings. There are no
big names in the cast, but the performances
can’t be faulted, with Richard Harrington
excellent as the troubled DCI Tom Mathias
back in the homeland after a stint in London.
This first volume features four cases; a new
season is due later this year.
40 MARCH 2015 JB Hi-Fi
visit BRITISH TV DVD &BD
Although the Brits are more
commonly associated with
genteel whodunits, their
crime shows are becoming
increasingly darker. Here's
five edgy police thrillers
worth checking out.
5 Line of Duty The darker side of
British policing comes under the
microscope in this terrifically twisted
thriller about a charismatic detective
(Lennie James) under investigation by
the anti-corruption unit.
4 The Fall The presence of 50 Shades
of Grey ’s Jamie Dornan will be a big
draw for many, but this unsettling serial
killer thriller is Gillian Anderson’s show.
Less a whodunit and more a chilling
study in the banality of evil; both series
are essential viewing.
3 Happy Valley English telly favourite
Sarah Lancashire plays a smalltown
cop whose quiet life is turned on its head
by a kidnapping that rapidly spirals out
of control. A compelling blend of gritty
human drama and police procedural.
2 The Shadow Line Chiwetel Ejiofor
and Christopher Eccleston head the
cast of this mesmerising conspiracy
thriller about drug-running and
establishment corruption; writer Hugo
Blick's latest The Honourable Woman is
also well worth a look.
1 Broadchurch Tapping into the
brooding atmospherics of Nordic noir,
this haunting series about a community
tearing itself apart over the murder of
a young boy is one of the best crime TV
shows ever made, period.
Release Date: 12/03/15 Format:
HINTERLAND
S ticking with police procedurals, this
month also sees the welcome return
of Foyle’s War, which has been
running so long now that the Second World
War is actually over. However, the makers
have succeeded in breathing new life into the
series by turning our deceptively mild-
mannered hero (once again played with great
subtlety by Michael Kitchen) into a spook.
With the Cold War in
full swing, MI5 realise
that some cases
require good old-
fashioned police work
rather than Bond
heroics, so the
reluctant Foyle and his
longtime aide
(Honeysuckle Weeks)
are co-opted into the
secret service. Series
8 features three cases
involving Russian spy rings, double agents
and Nazi war criminals; make the most of it
as this looks as if it will be Foyle’s final outing.
Also bidding farewell this month is the
popular King Arthur and the Roundtable
reboot The Adventures of Merlin, which
put the young wizard (Colin Morgan) at the
centre of story. Although the show has
always played fast and loose with the legend,
traditionalists will be pleased to discover that
Series Five boasts a climactic showdown
with the evil Morgana and Mordred, and
a farewell at Avalon. As usual, there is an
impressive roster of guest stars, plus a
cameo from one-time regular Anthony Head.
And there’s also fun to be had in spotting
some familiar faces from Game of Thrones.
The irreverent kids' series Horrible
Histories remains one of the jewels in
BBC’s crown, being both very funny and
educational. The latest DVD brings together
some of their best
specials, including
Horrible Christmas,
Ridiculous Romance
and Frightful First
World War; if you’ve
never seen the show
before, this is an ideal
introduction to its
delights.
Finally, BBC has
assembled a starry
collection of sci-fi icons
for the splendid four parter The Real History
of Science Fiction, which explores key genre
tropes such as artificial intelligence, space
exploration and robotics. Narrated by Mark
Gatiss ( Sherlock), the talking heads include TV
favourites (David Tennant, William Shatner,
Edward James Olmos), genre stars (Peter
Weller, Keir Dullea, Rutger Hauer), directors
(John Carpenter, Paul Verhoeven, Joe Dante),
showrunners (Stephen Moffat, Ronald D.
Moore) and writers (William Gibson, Neil
Gaiman). A must for all sci-fi buffs.
The Adventures of Merlin
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