Wycliffe

After binging 20+ seasons of Midsomer Murders, Wycliffe was the perfect show to go into next. Instead of the quirky, usually fun, but for sure brighter, HD widescreen presentation with a much more modern formulaic episode, we get a much more realistic, drawn out portrayal of policing/detective work.

Just wrapping up the last episode of season 5. What's unfortunate is that it had probably at least 2 more seasons in it, and I put all the blame on ITV. Anyway, for my experience, the first three seasons are much different than the last two, and that's not a bad thing. While those first seasons draw more from the Wycliffe books and that same format, season 4 and 5 started having several long reaching arcs that were woven well into the mystery of the week.

One of the things that might throw some people off (but if you've seen Taggart, especially those early years) is that when the case is done, many times the episode just ends on what seems to be an awkward note - still, it doesn't take long to get used to it. Today, we seem to want, or feel that we deserve, some kind of resolution for everyone, even the secondary characters.

An underlying theme of the show that becomes more prominent is certainly the conflict between the "man on the ground" and the bureaucracy calling the shots from their ivory tower, usually concerned more with politics, procedure and press releases than the actual job. This is incarnated typically in Michael Attwell's DCC Stevens, who does a wonderful job of bringing to life a character that makes you want to punch him in the face every time he is onscreen.

It's not until later in the show's run that we start to get better glimpses into the personal lives of Wycliffe, Doug and Lucy, but the common theme of trying to have a life outside of the job is what is emphasized. With Wycliffe, what starts out with just phone calls home to Helen or even one or two with his son David, eventually give way to more nuanced and fleshed out scenes with his entire family, as he struggles constantly with being there as a husband and father to two teenagers. At the same time, Wycliffe also has the benefit of having a fairly stable home life. Doug and Lucy have their own issues just trying to find and maintain any kind of lasting relationships.

The Cornish setting is a nice change,not only from other British cop shows I've watched, but from police dramas/mysteries in general. The rural-ness and for the most part what I'd consider today as low middle class to working poor as many of the supporting characters brings a different kind of gravitas to these stories as the villager or upper crust elites of Midsomer do. There's a certain feeling of despair that seems to be integrated into the personalities of so many characters on the show.

The show takes its time telling the story. There's definitely a slow burn to many episodes. Sometimes an episode will start and it doesn't make much effort to hide whodunit, and other times I was completely surprised. Over the course of its run, Wycliffe finds this odd combination between Columbo (where you know from the start who did it and you watch the heroes struggle through trying to figure out how to prove it) and the typical mystery which when well-written, leaves you guessing right up until the end.

To reference my title, it's certainly a show that wouldn't get the greenlight today. If it did, there would be probably massive changes to the scope and characterization on the show. Probably in regards to Lucy and Doug does that seem most evident. Lucy has some moments during the show where reality hits her hard, and the show doesn't hold back because she is a woman. She is forced to acknowledge that in certain situations she thought she knew more than she actually did, and it gets her into a couple of pretty rough situations because of it. If anything, the writers actually wrote Lucy as a wonderful character who struggled, had a real character arc, learned, and showed vulnerability. In other words, she was actually written as a woman, instead of the current day trend of taking a male character and just changing the pronouns. Jimmy Yuill's Doug would probably have been written off the show after the first season if Twitter was around back then, because some rando on there would have their sensibilities offended or triggered or something. While he and Wycliffe were both of the old school, Doug's struggle with adjusting to the change not only in policy but underlying culture was definitely more prevalent - and unlike Sgt Troy from Midsomer, who seemed to mellow and broaden his viewpoints somewhat over time, Doug Kersey staunchly stuck to his guns and didn't mince words over his displeasure. It's the kind of characterizations we need today in current American TV.

It is certainly a show I'd recommend. I feel like I rambled, but my coffee has worn off and I need to take a nap.

When I first began watching this series I had some doubts about continuing. None of the characters are flashy or brilliant or exciting. Subdued would describe most of them, with only the occasional momentary emotional outburst supplied by a suspect or relative of the victim. Not very much happens: the investigators drive to and from interviews with suspects and neighbors, they discuss the case over beers in the pub, they get moody and down about not solving the case, and someone drives fast on a narrow country road, occasionally going into the trees. Even the opening, with its exciting Cornish music, shows inspector Wycliffe grumpily lifting his cell phone to his ear as the music swells.

And yet, I have grown to really enjoy the series. As others have mentioned, it provides stunning views of the Cornwall seacoast, and it portrays quite well the various types of people one would find in such isolated, poor rural communities. I look forward to joining the team with each episode -- the dour. knowledgeable leader DS Wycliffe, his two contrasting, highly effective senior investigators DI Kersey and DI Lane saying a few pithy things here and there, the young heavy set dependable computer whiz DC Potter, cheerful DS Dixon, and the somewhat gruesome, grumpy autopsy doctor Franks. They don't say very much, but in their various ways let us know how much they like and respect each other, despite their different styles and skills. Even when they have disagreements, these are mostly expressed with grimaces, pointed looks and other facial clues, and eventually the make peace with each other with half-completed sentences.

And that's fine with me! I feel that detective shows have become frantic, using excitable, histrionic acting, fast cutting, odd camera angles, loud driving music, and special effects to lure in and keep distracted viewers. With this show I can settle in with a bowl of popcorn, watch the murder be discovered (it's almost never shown happening, nor is there much if any gore), ride along or sit beside these plodding, thoughtful detectives as they work hard at understanding the people involved and how this tragedy has happened. As often as not, the perpetrators are people, not just villains, who took a wrong turn somewhere or were driven by circumstances to commit a terrible crime. And then the case is solved, and the episode ends, and I can go do something else, without the feeling that I have to binge watch to find out what happens next.

All in all, a very calm, interesting, enjoyable way to spend an hour!

"Wycliffe" is a windswept and rain-sodden Police drama. It is set in Cornwall, the most westerly county in England. Standard dress for plain-clothes detectives appears to be a scruffy grey polo-neck sweater and waterproofs.

The series centres around Detective-Superintendent Wycliffe, whose family life occasionally intrudes into the plots, and two subordinates: a woman Detective Inspector who has been pushed too fast into a senior rank, and a disillusioned male colleague.

Even looking piratical, the Police appear to be intruders into a comparatively isolated community. Some of the office politics which occasionally feature, deal with Wycliffe's aversion to the latest fashionable management trends from London being foisted onto his force.

"Wycliffe" is well worth watching the series for the scenery alone, and hearing the slow local accents.

Must say watching episodes of Wycliffe recently I found them very enjoyable. The much-respected Penguin TV Companion only gives 2 stars out of 4 for the series – I believe it to be better than that. I think Wycliffe may not be as punchy as Morse or quirky as Frost, but the stories and settings are interesting and the supporting actors in each episode give strong performances. The acting talent in Britain shows great depth.

I think that Jack Shepherd's performance as Wycliffe is considered by some to be too dour and laconic, but that's the way the character presents. There are plenty of other crime shows with more flamboyant and outgoing characters available for viewing. It's the difference between many of the main characters that makes them attractive or not, depending on individual taste. I like his personality and the way Shepherd portrays him.

The supporting characters played by actors Jimmy Yuill and Helen Masters as the two inspectors are great foils for Jack Shepherd's Wycliffe and add balance to the show. There are times when these two are at odds with each other's methods, but respect and a level of affection remains between them and is done realistically without the histrionics some other shows seem to think add colour to the narrative. And although office politics are a source of excellent humour in Frost, in Wycliffe it is portrayed realistically and in a way that enhances the story and has the ring of truth.

Maybe it's not as high profile as some others, but it is worth watching just the same.

Despite the occasional slow tempo, Wycliffe is a wonderful detective series. It is gritty and tense, but there is something somewhat charming about it as well. The series is beautifully photographed, and the scenery is exquisite. The music, especially the main theme, is lovely and has a pleasant Cornish lilt to it. The series is well scripted and well constructed in terms of story lines as well, with the writing focused, thoughtful and sensitive and the story lines having their fair moments of grit and tension. And the acting is great, Jack Shepherd is superb as Wycliffe, who is quite old fashioned and conventional, and Helen Masters and Jimmy Yuill are also great as well developed supporting characters. Overall, a fine detective series, perhaps not the best out there, but it is very atmospheric thanks to the scenery and main theme music. 9/10 Bethany Cox