Public Eye

Currently enjoying a well deserved rerun on UK tv; how refreshing it is to see a drama that doesn't need to resort to rape, murder, histrionics or sex every five minutes, and contains clear & audible dialogue without any mumbling or constant background music. Public Eye works brilliantly, despite an often minimal plot, because the writing and acting are first class, certainly a good deal better than anything i've seen of late. Proof that less is more.

I really wish the first 3 seasons of this were available today as the rest are an understated, measured joy, especially season 4.

Really, it is all down to Alfred Burke (well, and Pauline Delaney in season 4) who puts in an understated, measured performance that is a joy to watch. Frankly, at the moment, I can't think of a better low rent police/crime TV star. OK, there are dud episodes. OK, the foils after Pauline Delaney are never as good But Burke just keeps on giving.

I think a lot of credit must go as well to the creators/writers who set a just so mood. Even down to perfectly matched theme music.

Thoroughly deserves t better known than it is.

This is a quite exceptional, but sadly neglected, British series. There have been many detective series, most located squarely in a world of glamour or serious crime. "Public Eye" was exceptional in breaking this cliche. The programme centred upon private enquiry agent Frank Marker. Marker was a middle-aged man,of modest appearance, operating out of the most modest of offices. His cases were undertaken for minimal fees and usually centred upon mundane matters - missing persons, character checks, divorce, chasing debts. If crime was involved it was usually of a petty, often seedy, nature - no high-profile murder enquiries. The mundane nature of the investigations and the settings might make one think that this would be a very prosaic affair. Quite the opposite. It was refreshing to see stories set in the real world, with realistic people facing realistic problems. Superb acting, characterisation and clever story-telling made this a marvellously engaging series. The best example of this was the role of Marker, brilliantly played by Alfred Burke.

Marker was a thoroughly decent man, struggling to earn a crust, regularly disillusioned by the tales of misery, dirt and deception he engaged in. Like many detectives he was a loner but not in the confrontational sense of many others. He did not allow closeness, but was not aggressive. He was sharp and socially skilled but did not have unblemished success. He could make mistakes. The best example of this was in "The Man Who Said Sorry". In this extraordinary episode, which is almost entirely a two-hander, Marker has a frustrating dialogue with a man (Paul Rogers) who threatens both suicide and the murder of his estranged sons. The man, dogged by self-pity and indecision, does not convince Marker who gives him little sympathy. Later Marker has doubts and hears the sirens that confirm his error - the man has thrown himself under a train. Unlike many other detectives Marker is sometimes the victim, including taking a terrible beating from some gangsters in "Nobody Wants To Know". His painful, self-pitying recovery is superbly documented. Despite this he doesn't shirk a case. The show ended in 1975. As a video series it is unlikely to be repeated, certainly on terrestrial television. However it won new admirers when broadcast on "UK Gold" some years ago and just possibly it may return again.

These series in my opinion are British television at its very finest, centred around a marvellous sustained performance by Alfred Burke which stands comparison with anything to be seen anywhere in film, TV or theatre; and scripts of high intelligence, firmly grounded in the downbeat experiences of everyday English life, yet psychologically profound.

The support acting rises to the occasion too, in all the episodes I have seen - Pauline Delaney's performance in Series 4 for example.

By all accounts the show was widely popular when originally broadcast, and it is a mystery to this viewer why repeat broadcasts are so very seldom seen.

I would thoroughly recommend this series to anyone who is tired of the trend in British TV for murder in middle England, conspiracy and terrorism stories and the excess of melodrama in the soaps.

Public Eye brings the viewer down to earth with a bump, no glamour, gentility or sensational plots here just the daily grind of trying to earn an honest crust. Frank Marker, marvellously portrayed by Alfred Burke, is a private enquiry agent who investigates the most routine cases imaginable. He may be checking on unfaithful husbands, looking at minor fraud or petty theft. Occasionally he is used by clients who have ulterior motives and he gets involved in cases he wishes he hadn't. The story lines are thoroughly believable so that viewers quickly identify with the situation. The characters are well developed, sympathetic and demand your attention, but it is Marker who always draws the viewers eye. A loner, he does not make friends easily (at all!) yet we find ourselves identifying with him and caring about him. Add to this Public Eye was made 35 years ago and it is fascinating to see how values and attitudes have changed in the intervening years.

The 1969 series concentrates more on Marker himself following his release from prison for a crime he did not commit. While the 1971 series sees him going about his normal enquiry business. My only regret is that most of the early series (1-3) are lost forever and of the other 4 series only the two mentioned above have so far been released on DVD.