Case Histories

Another great new British detective mystery series. Isaacs is an excellent lead figure - though it took me awhile to realise that he was Lucius Malfoy.It's not the type of series that explains every detail in case you missed it but lures you into guessing what will happen next.

The story lines so far have been gripping and interestingly human - usually running two or three over the two hour programme. The characters have depth and the interweaving is clever. Maybe the childhood flashback is shown a little too often.

The scenery is stunning.

Hope it continues the way it started.

Jason Isaacs says he hates detective series, and yet he has proved in this BBC mini-series that he is one of the best detectives ever cast in a film. He has all the human qualities that so many of them lack, and his well-rounded portrayal is a triumph, in lifting detective stories onto a higher plane. It is impossible to praise Isaacs highly enough for his superb realisation of this sympathetic character who just happens, as a disgraced ex-policeman, to have taken up work as a detective. The setting is the beautiful city of Edinburgh, exploited visually to the full. Edinburgh is above all the British city with the most magnificent vistas of them all, surpassing even Bath in that respect. The mini-series is based on some novels by a prize-winning Edinburgh-based writer named Kate Atkinson. This explains the fantastically complex and interweaving plots of the films, which go far beyond the normal intricacies of even the most elaborate scripts. The rich tapestry which is thus woven is satisfying in a way that so much of television is not. This mini-series is thus an exemplar of what those of us concerned with quality should all hope for. Three different directors (Marc Jobst, Bill Anderson, and Dan Zeff) helm the three double-episodes, and are uniformly excellent. The series was 'devised for television by Ashley Pharoah', who although he seemingly can't spell 'pharaoh' properly, is a well-known figure in British and American television. The supporting performances in these tangled tales are all excellent. Two of the most charming are by the child actress Millie Innes, who is as winsome as they come and plays the daughter of Isaacs, and the teenager Gwyneth Keyworth, who plays a fascinating waif in the final story. Fenella Woolgar is, as usual, compulsively watchable in a harrowing character role, and Natasha Little as her glamorous sister manages to add extra twinkle and sparkle to a character who might have been flat in the script but got proper three dimensions in her portrayal. Amanda Abbington is excellent as the police woman with a love/hate relationship with Isaacs, and once again a part which might have been hackneyed comes alive as a rounded individual at her hands.

Jason Brodie is a private investigator whose goal in life is to bring closure to lives on hold. His own sad past is the springboard from which he throws himself - sometimes reluctantly - into the problem of others.

Like many heroes of modern literature, Brodie is a flawed character whose personal failings never cease to amaze him: a failed marriage from which came a child he adores; an ambiguous friendship with a feisty female police inspector that could be going somewhere or nowhere;and a private detective business groaning under the weight of his inability to take on lucrative jobs rather than exercises in humanitarian kindness where the paycheck isn't always bankable and his carping secretary is only too willing to let him know.

It's ingenious the way Kate Atkinson's narrative sees apparently disconnected stories seamlessly interweave and overlap. Jason Isaacs is just right as the tough, selfless, good-hearted Brodie and each of the six episodes is filled with excellent acting and direction. 9/10

This series is one I highly recommend for those who like the style of a modern British mystery. The character of Jackson Brodie, played by Jason Isaacs, gives the series a tenacious detective scarred by a troubled past. Brodie's past comes out in a series of flashbacks that drive him to jump into ice cold water hoping to save a life or make that final push when finishing a run. Family deaths, divorce and his love for daughter Marlee keep him well-grounded and not lacking in compassion. Brodie is spurred by a strong desire to help people as well as bring wrongdoers to heel. He doesn't talk much but listens carefully. He is smart and is quick to make shrewd observations and deductions. His cases range from finding the truth behind a long-cold case to repeatedly hunting down the beloved cat of an elderly pet lover who never pays her bills. It's hard not to like him but his ex-wife, former boss and secretary are all too eager to point out his faults. His impulses result from a soft heart and an impatience to help, putting him in hard luck situations. Daughter Marlee is his real love and spending time with her is his main satisfaction in life. He and Marlee practise French together or drive off to a convent where he investigates one of the nuns. Amanda Abbington plays his former boss with a soft spot for him and one can sense the two might become a couple. I guess we can only imagine. The series ran for nine episodes and one can see that the Brodie character might have worn thin if the story continued and never came to grips with the issues that defined his life. No matter. The series is still great viewing for the nine episodes that are on tap.

I really have enjoyed watching this series. I think Jason Isaacs is amazing. I will be reading the books now that I have binged all the episodes. I'm sad to see this one end.