Dalziel and Pascoe

Something happened to those fabulous British crime and cop shows. Most of them finished and other than repeats, nothing much has taken their place.

I'm talking about the movie length series where we had coppers that no matter how tough the exterior, underneath was a genuine understanding of the human condition. There was usually just one murder to investigate, but they were always realistic investigations.

I don't count the Miss Marple's or things like "Midsomer Murders" with their endless novelty murders, and not "Death in Paradise", which depends a lot on the exotic location, an eccentric British detective and Josephine Jobert in shorts.

The ones I am talking about started out based on novels. "Morse" morphed into "Lewis" and now "Endeavour", but we also had "Wallander", then a throwback to another era with "Inspector George Gently". However we still have "Vera".

"Dalziel and Pascoe" belongs with this group. In a way it was one of the most complex. The best series are buddy movies. More effective than the lone hero, I am surprised more shows don't use the format. In a way Andy Dalziel (Warren Clarke) and Peter Pascoe (Colin Buchanan) are almost like brothers. Peter is more refined than Andy who can be rude and crude, and they often fall out usually with disapproval written across both their faces, but these guys are there for each other when it counts. Their relationship, almost co-dependence, even outlasts Peter's marriage.

Some of the stories are better than others, but the writers have nailed what makes these characters so appealing. It's their empathy, and their exposure of hypocrisy in high places. Humour was definitely a strong point.

Nearly all those series ended for various reasons and it wasn't necessarily low ratings. Sometimes the stars had had enough, and sometimes it was through whim. Occasionally a series "jumped the shark". You can usually tell when that happens; one story gets stretched across a whole season. "Hinterland" did this and is now gone. "Shetland" is doing it; a series that was slow, is now slower. "Dalziel and Pascoe" didn't do that; it actually left us hanging. But of course Warren Clarke is now gone.

There are few heirs to those shows. "Manhunt" with Martin Clunes, but episodes are few and far between. "Endeavour" and Vera plough on, but I can't help feeling an era has ended.

I love Reginald Hill's novels upon which these shows were based and having read the lot, I have to agree with others in saying that the cast is less than accurate, though Warren Clarke and David Royle come closer in spirit to their book counterparts, if not physically. Colin Buchanan is too insubstantial to make Pascoe as strong as he is in the books and Susannah Corbett, while getting Ellie's smug self-satisfied know-it-allness down pat, looks and acts too hard - she fails to relay the bits of vulnerable sweetness of the book Ellie that makes it clear why Pascoe adores her. That being said, the stories remain fairly true to the novels, if far less bawdy and they retain much of the dark Northern humor that makes the books so enjoyable. With Clarke lacking the sheer bulk and crudity of the book Fat Andy, the scenes demonstrating his brilliance as a detective and perspicacity about the human condition are far less surprising than when they emerge in the novels. Even after you've read several of the stories, Hill makes Dalziel so obnoxious and primitive, you can visualize the scrapes on his knuckles from dragging them on the ground, when his genius and sensitivity lead to the truth - and that is what Dalziel is all about, getting to the truth - it still startles. However, judging the TV versions without considering the novel versions, the series is a cut above the standard fare in the UK, let alone the US, and is literate, funny, intriguing and thoroughly enjoyable. The acting, direction, pacing and scenery are completely credible and it is a treat to suspend reality to watch this - and the other UK coppers like Barnaby, Frost, Morse, et al.

I love detective shows and have done for as long as I can remember. Dalziel and Pascoe is no exception. I agree to some extent it is not quite as good as it was, with the introduction with the somewhat bland Kim Spicer, but on the whole it is well acted and well written, and while it has lost its edge a bit it is quite intense still. The photography and locations are excellent and the music is haunting(courtesy of genius Barrington Pheloung), while the writing is both humorous and intelligent and the stories and episode ideas gritty, edgy, complex and incredibly engrossing. The characters in general are likable and interesting, with Dalziel unorthodox but clever and quite funny sometimes and Pascoe loyal but sticks to the book. The acting is great, with Warren Clarke easily stealing the show, then again I don't know about you but Dalziel is for me the better character of the two but they're both great. Overall, great show. 9/10 Bethany Cox

We are in the middle of season 7 at the moment in Sweden, and I've been watching it since season 4. And I must say that I've liked what I've seen so far. Every summer they show Midsomer Murders on Swedish television, and I USED to enjoy that show until I found this masterpiece. Here the characters and environments are more realistic, the plots are more complex and interesting, and the endings are not alway crystal clear, which, for the thriller-interested viewer, is quite satisfying. The ongoing Dalziel-Pascoe relationship is probably the best in its genre, and Dalziel's one-liners sometimes make you laugh your head off! I hope they will continue to show Dalziel and Pascoe in Sweden, although I don't think it's well known here. It's as good as Frost, and much better than the latest seasons of Midsomer Murders. UK can certainly make my evenings a lot more fun.

There are many strong contenders (in particular "Frost" and "Foyle's War"), but having seen many British crime shows, I think this has to be the best overall. A wonderful cast (including the minor parts), realistic plots, magnificent and varied settings, and moments of deep drama and feeling, often tragic, even epic. And there's the humour, while Dalziel is a one-off, sublimely played by Clarke. I am watching the entire series for the second time and enjoying it even more than the first. A sublime TV achievement.