Tunnel

The first season is a remake of the Danish -Swedish thriller The Bridge. It was remade in the US, also called the Bridge and was between the US and Mexico. The Tunnel riffs off of British and Franco mutual distrust and grudging respect. Stephan Dillane as DCI Karl Roebuck is terrific, brilliant and flawed, selfish and driven to justice. Clemence Posey is equally wonderful as a French detective with what may be Asperger's but at the very least some social interaction issues. The rest of cast is terrific, each in their own element. And the stories are complex and convoluted, in a good way. I liked the second season more than the first and I'm working my way through the third. Definitely worth watching.

Have just watched the finale as they say it will not return. Have enjoyed the ride for the most part, the interaction with the two investigators and their colleagues either side of the Channel has been intriguing at times. However, I felt that the plot in series 3 was not up to the standard set before. In fact it was unbelievable at times and as the credits rolled that last time I was heard to exclaim "so that's it?!" Not going to say why because it gives too much away suffice to say the actions of the villains were IMHO too complicated for them to carry off while all the cops were on to them. It felt like Dr Who's scriptwriters had sneaked in at times...

I watched the Bron (Swedish version) almost a year ago. Although I was disappointed because the story line for the first season is really the same. I still like this English/France version. Season 2 is different so it's a plus. If you haven't watched the other version, and you like crime tv series, you will like this,

If you have never watch the original, Bron/Broen then OK, The Tunnel can be rather gripping. But if you have then you'll know that this is a poor copy. Sofia Helin who played the lead female detective Saga Noren in The original was brilliant. Can't say the same for Clemence Poesy though, the latter was just too wooden. Stephen Dilliane is good in his English role but Kim Bodnia OWNED the role. Well, like they say, you cannot compare an apple to an orange. French detective shows and English detective shows have always been good on their own. They needn't have tried to copy and end up making a poor copy.

This is quality television as one would expect if you respect production companies. It is true the first series has dangerous similarities to The Bridge, in my case, the American version was the one I had seen, though I did try to watch the other. Regardless, that first series of The Tunnel was far from anything bad, the lead girl was engaging, the male lead was easy going, and both used authority with class.

The Tunnel - Sabotage, the second series, strikes a far more confident stride and would have got a 10 out of 10 from me if it was stand alone. It certainly can easily be watched as that, stand alone, and this is what I recommend. You don't need to watch the first series for Sabotage. It has a thoroughly interesting, plausible yet riveting plot, is full of perfect performances from perfectly cast characters.

Funnily enough I also recommend The Bridge (The American version) series one, but less so series two, the first getting my 10.

Reviewers should see the positive side of exploring a similar theme by several companies. If we were talking about series about zombies no-one would raise an eyebrow.

If you like British or European crime then The Tunnel - Sabotage is your perfect viewing.