The Turkish Detective

Having failed to settle in The Met, Detective Mehmet Suleyman heads to Turkey, waiting for him, his new boss, inspector Ikmen, and his partner Ayse.

The last time I felt the same way about a series, probably Vienna Blood, it's that same kind of quirky, energetic and intriguing drama, that's just a little left field.

I loved it, I loved the first story, I struggled a little with the second, but the third was great, the fourth was even better, it's a terrific series finale.

Ikmen is the most wonderful Detective, he reminds me a little of Baptiste, that same sort of give. Ikmen is funny, hard working, tough but fair.

Wonderful location work, Turkey looks phenomenal, and as you'd expect you get to see some of the many cats that live wild.

I only hope it returns for a second series, there's plenty of mileage left in this one.

9/10.

I stumbled on this new show on BBC iPlayer having heard nothing about it whatsoever.

It's well written, has good pacing and the first episode (despite a few issues) has given me enough to continue further into the series.

I'm enjoying the character of (the older) old school Turkish detective Cetin Ikmen. He is very competent and knows his patch and culture well in an almost Gene Hunt kind of amplified way and yet I still like him as a person. In parts he's a bit too good - some of his deductions and hunches are too accurate to be credible in my opinion

Towards the second half of the episode 1 I felt Cetin was almost making Sherlock Holmes level deduction's but in the style of Peter Faulk in Columbo and this extended itself to the way in which he behaved and questioned suspects in their world away from the Police Station.

However these generalisations and narratives may be a diversion away from the truth or a deliberate ploy to stop the viewer from seeing something else or whatever we miss that is hidden in plain sight.

I think it's beautifully filmed and I hope my faith in this show is rewarded as the series goes on.

Absolutely loved this. The culture, the actors, the characters, the music....

Really hope they do more because so often something wonderful and unique comes along and it's dropped. You really engage in the lives of the all of them which is the mark of a truly great series. I love how it is bilingual which adds to the authenticity. I think anyone leaving a negative review wants something too gritty and graphic.

Dynamic is great and I really don't know what else to write but my review won't get published unless I fulfill the word criteria so at the moment I am just prattleing on. I find it so hard to find something to watch and finally this gem!

The opening music just sets the mood beautiful. You're drawn in by the opening scenes, as the plot moves from serious to humour back to serious.

There's a plot within the main plot, which keeps you wanting more. And there's details that draw you in and cause you to emphasise with some of the key characters. The pace is good, without rushing. Each scene leads you you onto the next one, without the sudden jumps some producers seem to love.

It is a multi-language production. I understand why it's not entirely shot in Turkish, as they need to appeal to an international audience. However the accusation that the lead actor, Haluk Bilginer, is not Turkish is bizare (he is Turkish) and the accusation must be due to some local politics I'm unaware of. This award winning actor spans a range of emotions across the series, and is a delight to watch.

Shout out to the music, which no one has yet mentioned. It helps tie in the mood and the scene.

Really hoping for a second series.

I really don't understand the great reviews for this series which revolves around a young detective from the UK obviously of Turkish origins - name is Mehmet and looks Turkish (no racism just observation) being paired with a retirement age detective in Istanbul.

It is clichéd and although the lead character Çetin Ikmanhas a certain rough scruffy charm and is likeable and I like his approach and understanding of people, his sidekick Mehmet is wooden and not convincing at all, likewise the female detective seems a token addition. It lacks credibility, and as a frequent visitor to Istanbul and Turkey some of it makes me cringe. I don't mind the mixing of Turkish and English language. The plots are weak but they are based on a novel so perhaps the novel is not good. I am critical because I love the genre of detective crime mysteries and thrillers so I hold this up against the many superb ones I have watched. I am only up to episode 4 so I will continue to finish the series and maybe my opinion will change. It is watchable but as light entertainment. I don't understand the comment about Arabic by another reviewer, I have heard very few Arabic words, Turkish and English are mainly spoken and likewise the subtitles.