Rebus

It's very interesting what can be done in about one hour. I just watched an episode and I could relate completely with Rebus. I don't understand why the other reviews are so average. I taped (DVD-d) a lot of episodes and I watch them over and over. The music is also very good. And Siobhan is a very nice lady. Sometimes I feel sorry for her, with Rebus as a colleague, but in the end she always takes his side. When this is written in awful English, sorry, but the Rebus episode I just saw made such an impact I rushed to register on IMDb to let the world know I think Rebus and Siobhan are the best! Rebus doesn't seem to have any personal life, he can be compared to Jack Frost, I would like to see them as a team, maybe a writer can think of an episode with the two of them? Be creative!

John Hannah may a good actor, but he was no Rebus. Which is a shame, because the Hannah series had longer episodes that let some of Rankin's genius through. And they had Gerald Morris Cafferty, Rebus' nemesis, a running feature in the books. But they got Rebus wrong and Clarke as well.

Word was that Rankin was not happy with Hannah, so when the series resumed, Ken Stott got the nod, and he is a much better Rebus. The stories are streamlined, which stinks, but any time spent with Stott is time well spent, as he nails Rebus' craftiness, as well as his emotional tension, perfectly. And the Stott episodes more accurately portray Rebus' partnership with Siobhan Clarke (Claire Price), both in its inception and then as it grows over time.

This should be addicting for fans of Ian Rankin's books, which are among the best in modern police fiction.

Watched all episodes about a year ago, after enjoying one of the books, and I have to say I liked it. Having now read most of the books, it's disappointing watching the series again. Some episodes have nothing to do with the book, like Knots and Crosses, many others are loose adaptations which lose a lot of the plot intricacies and 'bite' of the books. Even allowing for the fact that they have to squeeze the stories into an hour long episodes, there could be more suspense. Stott is the best thing in it, good characterisation of Rebus, little else.

Loved it! I too grew up with the original and I was a staunch fan. But don't be put off by negative feedback, give it a go and make up your own mind. I'm hoping there'll be another season, cliffhangers are great! I thought the acting was great as you'd expect from the ensemble in this show. I love most things from the UL and this show didn't let me down, the opening scenes were very intense and I truly think Richard Rankin did the original Rebus proud. Opinions may differ, but I guess each to their own. The other cast members were well placed too. Don't miss out, it's worth watching as I said!

I have read the books but still prefer John Hannah in the lead role and the style of season 1. It became very average when Ken Stott (on paper a 'better' Rebus) got the part and the style of the show changed.