Bancroft

I read that this show was switched from ITV Encore to mainstream ITV, and on paper it has all the makings of a quality drama. It certainly has its good points, it's a strong script, it has some really strong production values, and most of all Sarah Parish is commanding from start to finish, dare I say she stands head and shoulders above everyone, and gives a truly strong performance.

I'm not shocked to read through some of the negative reviews, I can see how it could have not appealed to some, the ending was a little bit of a non event, but I'm sure the door is open for a second series. The character of Bancroft is intriguing, arguably the most manipulative woman on screen in 2017, was there anyone she didn't use to cover her tracks?

Strong performances from Faye Marsay and Amara Karan also, it was somehow missing a little something, not sure I can see Lee Boardman as a Police Man, he has to be a bad guy, but all in all I think Bancroft was quite gripping. 7/10

I decided to watch this after reading a very negative review from someone who seems to have a hangup about women playing lead parts in crime series. Personally I found the first episode excellent - good story line, strong characters, highly competent acting, what's not to like?

Hell hath no fury as a psycho cop! Enjoy the ride and try to ignore plot holes galore and a shallow script. Parish holds the screen with her Bisexual demeanor, helped by the paucity of male characters to rein her in. We know she's going to get her comeuppance in the end and sorta wish she didn't.

The series is unusual in that you are given the bad guys/gals fairly early on so no surprises; some of them are cops & solid citizens, and some are just plain bad. You're even given frequent flashbacks to fill in the 27 yr old crime scene that dominates the script so you just have to sit back & see how "good" wins out at the end. Problem is, in resolving this cold case crime we are given too many personality & cop mistakes & improbabilites - all scripted to keep the series going. So, if you don't mind the uncomfortable feeling of being left hanging while the baddies seemingly come out ahead, it's worth a watch.

I rated the 1st series of this a 5, but there is a night and day difference in the quality between the 2 seasons. I'm not sure the reason, but gone are the dodgy accents, the awfully miss-cast actors and actresses have been replaced by quality - Charlotte Hope in particular - that suit the role that's been written for them, and Sarah Parish has evolved brilliantly into the role - helped by a plot that stops trying to turn her into something she cannot be but instead allows her to fit into the role and show off her abilities.

The story Is moodily brilliant - shocking and gripping. It's all incredibly well done. There's still holes - it's not the best thing I've ever seen - Joe leaves a lot to be desired and some of Bancroft's antics remain too far from police policy to ever be deemed possible - but it's entirely watchable and enjoyable.

The biggest problem this show will have is that the first series is needed to be watched to fully understand the background of the story - and the first series is a complete and utter car crash. There will be a lot of people that will give up a long time before they've given the second series a chance. Which would be a real shame.