John S

I only discovered this gem around series 5 & have just today finished watching series 7. It's obviously very popular in France to have lasted so long as a series and not hard to see why. Thierry Godard (Gilou) and Caroline Proust (Laure) make it compulsive viewing. I now have the whole series so a lot of catching up to do over these winter months.

What cumpulsive viewing this turned out to be. From the "story so far" graphics and the 1960s split screens (not overdone) it has been a fascinating watch. I was caught out like many with the roof top confrontations in the last episode which suddenly turned into dance, so well done I was unexpectedly moved by it. Drama is so sophisticated these days. If you don't like gangsters, blood, and graphic violence, it may not be for you.

I think Chris Eccleston is a fine actor but they should play to his strengths which isn't a scatty, over the top, over acted family figurehead. Lee Ingleby always seems miscast, as convincing a detective sergeant in Inspector George Gently as a 14 year old in a school play. Not a convincing dad to the young lad. They are trying to inject some comedy into a serious subject and have not pulled it off. I haven't seen all of the previous series for these reasons but gave it another go with S3 but nothings changed so won't be watching again.