River

Nicola Walker singing. Of course I would love this. She always had too serious roles (not that this one isn't ) but never smiling. I was surprised how she lifts the room when she smiles. Stellan of course is a heavy duty actor so hard to fault him here. As usual British police shows are stories that you have to focus on. And their actors are all top notch and schooled yet they really convey real life quite well. Plus the solution is found in humanity not in the supernatural.

I love the supporting cast. the new partner is not to be dismissed as well.

There is a reason that British show own this genre. Always had.

I was recommended to watch this by a fellow English person and knowing I was a big fan of both Stellan S and Nicola Walker I knew I would enjoy this. Went in not knowing anything but after the first twist I was hooked. This has a bit of a feel of The Sixth Sense with Profiler. Absolutely loved it. Put mental health on the map but in such a clever way. Stellan was pure perfection acting this unique part which is clearly what drew him to the challenge. The entire cast are genius but his relationship with Nicola Walker's character was beautiful and heart wrenching, they had great chemistry. Another standout is his new partner who is so understanding and compliments their relationship. Definitely recommend this to anyone who likes a bit of supernatural even though it's not in that category. Very clever and the acting is sensational. Not to mention fantastic sound track you'll all recognise!!! Oh....I love to love....

ENJOY!!!

I have to admit that I wasn't expecting great things. I channel surfed on Net Flix and saw that this was a BBC Detective mystery. The BBC Seems to consistently deliver quality programs, so I thought "Why not?" After the first 5 minutes, when River's partner Stevie sang joyfully to Tina Charles song "I love to love", I was transfixed. I watched all 6 episodes yesterday - a Saturday with 14 inches of snow piling up outside.

This series made me laugh and cry more than any other series I've ever watched. It was heartwarming, dramatic and suspenseful. I fell in love with Stevie and River and felt empathy for most of the other characters.

I loved this series more than I can say. I plan to watch the whole series again over Thanksgiving when my mom comes to visit.

If I could give this an 11, I would. Please ignore the haters. You really can't please everyone.

I plan to watch everything Nicola Walker ever did. She is the most amazing actress I've ever watched. LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!

Having used IMDb for years, it took this programme to make me sign up and register to leave a review. As of the time of writing, the series is 2/3 of the way through and I am already mourning the end, though certain that I will not be able to second-guess how everything is resolved (if, indeed, it is). The central character is John River, a Detective Inspector with the Police working in the East End of London. He is a genuinely complicated man, and we are only drip-fed clues to his (Swedish) background, but he has obvious mental health issues he fights to control. In the hands of most actors, I might have been sceptical, but played by the magnificent Stellan Skarsgard, I have been totally drawn into his world and left praying that everything will work out for him. I have never wanted to be able to hug a character in a programme before, but River goes through so many emotions that it is impossible not to be swept along with him. The supporting cast are also excellent - Nicola Walker and Adeel Akhtar as his partners, Lesley Manville as his immediate superior; all warm, likable and believable characters. Finally, mention has to be made of Abi Morgan, who created the series. I can only hope that she can come up with a satisfying conclusion to the series that does not slam the door on a possible second series - but only if the magnificent Stellan Skarsgard can be persuaded to return. I have already begun to delve into his back catalogue and am more impressed with every film I see.

I hesitated on this one because generally depictions of mentally ill people are pretty bad. While I cannot in anyway say I'm an authority or have lived experience with this kind of mental illness, I do know that, while also solving a fairly interesting and complex case, in which River's partner was murdered-it also manages to paint a humane portrait of a mental ill person. He is ostracized but highly functional and empathetic and kind, while also having to contend with his illness.

The production values are great. The acting is solid. Locations and cinematography and wardrobe are great. Best of all though, as is rarely the case, the script is great. The plot feels fresh, as do the beats. It has a lot of breathing room, as most British drama does. Some of which always feels like it could be truncated, tbh. But it undeniably strikes a chord; far more so than American conventions manage. It's subversive of the genre and of stereotyping the mentally ill.

It's just solid all around, really. That, plus, the audacity of subject matter and unconventional protagonist and emotional portrayal, make it almost perfect, for me. Highly recommend it.