The Interceptor

The first of a new 8 part BBC crime-drama series centring on a young, idealistic but ultimately frustrated field-based HM Customs Officer who burns his bridges with his employer when a drugs bust goes wrong, severely injuring his partner and best mate. Nevertheless, he soon finds himself enlisted into a somewhat shadowy parallel Drugs Intelligence Agency who work covertly, it would appear sometimes inside, sometimes outside the law, with their own "Snoopers Charter" to listen in on any and apparently every phone-call made in the UK.

Once you get past the awful series title which makes it sound like some Will Smith-type action-fest, I quite enjoyed it. The series continuity will undoubtedly come from the Unit's pursuit of the drug world's Mr Big, played by Trevor Eve, but I anticipate several time-honoured moral dilemmas, shoot-outs and stake-outs, not to mention family dramas as our talented but headstrong hero gets out there in the job he was made for.

Resemblances to any other BBC show featuring a black male lead with Holmes-like deductive skills, total dedication to the job and Duracell-type energy and stamina are probably coincidental, but putting the Lutheran connection to one side, this could be the Beeb's best crime series since then.

O.T. Fagbenle as the lead Ash might lack Idris Elba's magnetism but he's believable from the start and should improve with increased familiarity, and is well supported by a supporting cast, which, Eve apart, appears to lack a big name, not that I'm complaining. With its topical story-lines and persuasive mixture of street-smarts and road chases this looks like it could be one to watch.

Well, we recorded this as we would otherwise have missed the first two episodes. And then, seeing the poor reviews it had, I thought about deleting it....

One evening last week we decided to watch episode 1. Seven nights of one-episode-a-night later we've finished it and all I can say is I am so glad I didn't press the delete button.

So what if it's a rip-off of an older programme? There's scarcely a decent show these days which isn't. At least it's one where I feel I don't need a Mensa-type IQ to understand the convoluted plot....and it's British. And above all it is very well acted particularly in respect of the two main characters....Ash and Roach....which is as it should be. Trevor Eve in particular is superbly cast as the villain.

As I say....very enjoyable!

I'm probably one of the few who have watched this all the way through.

The first episode is an absolute abomination. Every cliche available got a run. All this so he can get a job in a "secret" crime fighting cell with person of interest type setup. Which apparently consists of his mum and dad in a gym. Or something.

We then get eight episodes with the usual everybody has a secret or are hiding something.

Once the setup is established the middle episodes are mostly watchable if you're happy enough to accept really low standards. I'd go so far as to suggest they may even be approaching mediocre.

The final episode sets up the possibility of a second season. But is so awful that it only manages to seal the fate of certain cancellation. Which it apparently did.

Come back Bonekickers, all is forgiven.

The publicity for this show made reference to The Professionals and Spooks. Ash is a committed customs officer who is frustrated by his bosses reluctance to go after the big fish. He is someone who as a kid saw his drug addicted father kill someone.

A former colleague introduces him to the head of a shadowy surveillance unit called the Unit which pursues some the most ruthless criminals like Trevor Eve who cheats at golf and threatens committee members in the nineteenth hole.

Two episodes in and The Interceptor is badly written drivel and it never improved by the final episode. Clichéd characters, even the casting looks uninspired with a lead that gets mistaken for Craig David.

The only plus side is that the chase scenes looked good.

I started so I will finish. I gave it two episodes and now I want to know what happens so I will watch it until it finishes. I am annoyed with myself for wasting my time on it though. It is a frustrating show. I like the premise and the storyline, the problem is the editing and some of the cast. There is a lot of overacting particularly by the two bosses, I mean really, you don't have to be bursting with anger in ALL your scenes! Also, how come the new guy ends of practically running things straight off?! Some of the supporting cast are brilliant but you are left confused about who to like. They are all so miserable and grumpy it's like watching eastenders. Basically, the show is trying to be Luther but fails miserably!