Crime Traveller

This programme was so enjoyable. I realise there was little scope for say 10 series, but having only 8 episodes is a tragedy.

I'm a sucker for time traveling. Not that I have ever done it personally, but boy is it fun to watch other people do it. In this series coppers Slade and Turner go back in time to help solve crimes. They can't stop the crime from happening nor can they stop Slade from wearing a mustard colored coat. Nevertheless this is a very entertaining time travel show in a light and fluffy way. Each episode is tweaked a little bit from the previous one, so it isn't as formulaic from episode to episode. Had the series lasted more than 8 episodes it would have been interesting to see how Anthony Horowitz would have continued to shape the show. The leads have nice chemistry. I thought the supporting characters were rather weakly rendered and wouldn't have minded seeing Grisham and Morris drive a squad car over a white cliff at Dover. And for good measure Robson should have been in the boot (that's what Englanders call a trunk in case you aren't from there) of that car as it smashed on the rocks below. I also would have liked to have seen Honeysuckle Weeks make a cameo in every episode cause she is totally groovy.

OK I know this show had more holes than my knitting, but I loved it. I bought it recently on DVD, expecting to be a bit disappointed, but really enjoyed it. It has a quaint charm and energy all of its own. When it was originally broadcast sci-fi was an outdated genre, but is now firmly back on the map thanks to Dr Who and the like. Surely the BBC could risk giving this show another chance? Even the writer and creator Anthony Horowitz, has called it the one that got away. It was limited by its own time travel concept, but since Holly is a science officer, all she needs to do is invent a way of returning and they could get involved in crimes throughout history. Imagine them witnessing Jack the Ripper, or planting clues to get the Yorkshire Ripper caught. Go on Anthony and the BBC, give it one more try.

Let's face it, the BBC just can't rival US companies for slick, high-concept TV. 'Crime Traveller' was one of those shows that should have been dreadful but was actually kind of good! It was a pretty ambitious undertaking to do a series about time-travel, and with talented writer Anthony Horowitz they did have a good crack at it. Okay, so the acting was a bit ropey (as so many BBC series seem to be), the secondary characters were virtual cardboard cut-outs, and the special effects were clearly influenced by Dr Who, circa 1970. But in Jeff Slade (Michael French) and Holly Turner (Chloe Annett) 'Crime Traveller' had endearing, compelling leads who you actually cared about. In some ways their relationship was obviously based upon the old Mulder & Scully will-they-won't-they idea, which would no doubt have been developed further if the show had been given a second series. Unfortunately, 'Jonathan Creek' came out about the same time, and there clearly wasn't room for two programmes about a male/female duo solving crimes in unconventional ways! The science behind the time-travel was probably a bit dubious, but I was quite happy to suspend my disbelief and just enjoy it for what it was. It was welcoming to see British TV trying something different and ambitious. Still not sure why they insisted on Jeff's trademark hideous mustard-coloured suede jacket though....

In this show it doesn't matter if there were no witnesses to the crimes as the detectives are able to travel back in time to watch it happen themselves (or try to stop it). The time travel paradoxes involved in the detective work adds a new dimension and makes this an interesting change to the usual detective show.