River

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!!!

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 gave this a watch since I am a Stellin fan. To my surprise I found a jewel of a show. John River is a tormented soul who sees murdered individuals from his past. They sometimes guide him and other times they torment him. The show was cleverly crafted to keep watching for more as John unravels clues to his partners murder. Give it a watch....you will be pleasantly surprised.

Beautifully done -- writing, acting, direction, everything. Unlike some other reviewers, my wife and I found the stretching of our perceptions that River's hallucinations required of us only deepened our immersion in the emotional truth of the story. It made River's journey all the more moving.

Special praise must go to the superb ensemble of actors, especially Stellan Skarsgård and Nicola Walker. Such beautifully nuanced performances!

We sincerely hope there will be another case that will allow us to join River on another journey.

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.