Paul Brown

Excellent acting. Very good photography and well crafted script. But ultimately a sad film about a bitter woman and downtrodden son.

Predictable, cliched, boring. No real frame or jeopardy.

I did not have any difficulty hearing the dialogue and neither did my wife. And quite often we do encounter muffled dialogue in BBC dramas. As for the programme, I thought the pace was good allowing the characters to develop (unlike Magpie Murders). And it made the most of the programmes settings. The plot was good too. However, I can understand how those who might enjoy modern cops and robbers may not be happy. But if you are prepared to enter the spirit of the times, it is excellent viewing. The performances of the two leads is spot on and the man in the bowler is particularly menacing as of course is Hugh Laurie’s character. The chemistry between the two leads is excellent. Lucy Boynton makes an excellent strong, flirtatious Lady Francis and Will Poulter a good foil with his quietly resourceful Bobby Jones. They is a very promising follow up series here with the two characters as amateur detectives. More please Hugh Laurie.