Silent Witness

This series continues to grow in interest, quality and plot lines.

Whenever people rave about CSi, (which I consider it, and it's even lamer derivatives to be THE worst drama on TV), I always point them to Silent Witness. It follows accurate pathology, police routine and technology, and doesn't talk down, or dumb down. If you want to see pathologists at work, then you are going to see cadavers opened up. (That's what they do.) If you don't like that sort of thing, stop complaining that it's sick and go back to washed-out, inaccurate American cop shows that wouldn't know a dead body if it jumped up and bit them. (Or just lay there looking pretty with a cloth laid over their naughty bits.)

Watched tonight and the character of Nikki Alexander who of course usually jumps to conclusions, get is wrong, uses the first hour of the show to blame someone then changes it in the next hour. In this episode the idiotic premise was that she was 'friends' with a character, lost contact, remembers her when name is mentioned, visits her and chats and then suddenly has her cellphone number and are best mates yet again. Please give some realism to this show... forensic pathologists do not run around interviewing suspects, telling police what to do and rush ahead taking charge and not let the police do the investigative work. In the current episodes we have the head of the unit barely even in screen time and never consulted or updated by the Nikki character.

The last two series have let it down, unfortunately! Writing has gone awry and some of the actors cannot act. Lucky there are still two stalwarts left acting!

The stories and characters are well developed. The theme music reminds me of something you would hear at a seance. I have to fast forward through it.

I always enjoy this show for the following reasons: It gives a wonderful insight, if simplified, into the world of forensic pathology, an area in which I would love to work.

Each new case is original, well constructed and thoughtfully presented. They remain topical, without the feeling of an after-school special relating to current affairs.

Unlike shoddy American drama, the focus is on the storyline and character development. The reason that dialogue is not snappy and constant is because it would turn the characters into one of the "Friends" brigade - where cheap laughs are more important than the integrity of the character.

The show is challenging - plots and subplots intertwine cleverly, meaning it's not a "background" show, but one which is completely consuming for the viewer.

The honest make-up/autopsy scenes. These just fit, without being sensationalist, and add to the realistic feeling of the show.