The Brief

Great characters, good acting, interesting cases and a solid balance between drama and humor make "The Brief" worth the watch. I discovered it on Amazon Prime and recommend it to anyone who likes British law and crime dramas. The central character, Henry Farmer, is a flawed but deeply likeable and honest barrister whose cases never seem to earn him any money. The first season included a rather complicated romantic relationship that was jettisoned in the second series, which I felt was a bit better. Apparently, a third season was not commissioned when ratings declined and the star of the series, Alan Davies, returned to the apparently more popular series "Jonathan Creek". Too bad. It was a great deal of fun.

When a series only runs for two seasons you sometimes scratch your head and wonder why. This is especially true when the first season makes you so hopeful for what's to come.

That is the case with The Brief.

If I was reviewing just the first season my rating would be an eight or nine star but that second season It's like getting on a slippery slope heading downwards into a land where the characters don't care. Perhaps the writers grew bored too but if you write for actors who have not grown in their roles you give up too.

So, watch the first season but don't be tempted to make it your favorite on your streaming services and find another legal program for your entertainment purposes.

I like watching British t.v. Shoes, although I am not particularly inclined to watch court dramas I was intrigued by The Brief. I had just finished watching Rompole from the Bailey for the third time :) and was feeling nostalgic. The cast for the t.v. Show the Brief are mostly familiar faces for me. To be honest I kept expecting Rompole to walk in the old Bailey and say something like " never pleade guilty darling" but this show was good on its own, and kept getting better and better with each episode. Alas! Only two series. What a shame, just when it was getting even better. For me a lovely surprise awaited. Julian Curry the same actor who played Eskine-Brown in Rompole, played a judge in their last episode! Funny, in Rompole that was his dream, to become a "silk" and sit on the bench as a judge. I guess the character's dream came true after all! 😁Recommended show. Right balance of drama and humour.