Suspects

The first review I read of this show was not positive, and I don't agree. It seems quite authentic to me, and I like the idea that the cast is not exactly scripted. Obviously the actors have to be taught some police lingo, and have probably been coached on how to handle certain types of people. I like the actors, and any hesitations or camera movements don't bother me. I watch primarily British crime and mystery shows (as well as those from Canada, Australia and New Zealand), because those made here aren't nearly as well done or interesting. Crime shows here feature, it seems to me, only beautiful women and handsome men. That's not how life is! Women in their 30's are not likely to be police superintendents. Helen Mirren, a stunning actress, did a fantastic job in the Prime Suspect series. She was shown without a lot of makeup, a bit tired, and it felt so real, not fake. That's how I think of Suspects as well. And many other British crime shows. Keep them coming! I'll give it a 10!

But when you find yourself playing games on your phone with this running in the background, you know it's not exactly "gripping".

The main dude policeman is SO bad, it's utterly ridiculous. He behaves so unprofessionally, he should have been suspended pending an enquiry and then sacked! If any policeman carried on like that, I'd like to think their career would be curtailed asap.

The filming is different but not always in a good way. I get that it's supposed to be gritty and realistic but it just becomes annoying after a while as with the sound. All echo-y and tinny in the interview rooms.

And, last but not least, I must mention the solicitors, as has most of the other reviewers and their complete indifference to the clients they're supposed to be representing. I'd engage one that wasn't a deaf mute, if I was any of these suspects!

This won't be everyone's cup of tea. But it definitely is mine. Never before has there been a more convincing TV show, in terms of its plots, dialogue and characters, and this is largely down to its unscripted format and documentary-style filming. Naturally, there's never going to be award-winning artistic cinematography or Hollywood-esque dramatic lines, but that's what makes this show different. You get utterly transported into the working lives of the three detectives, as if you're a fourth party watching over their shoulder.

With the exception of the first and second episodes of the second series, each episode has its own crime to be solved, meaning that there's no grand story arc to follow, and you can dip in and out of the series; missing an episode is no problem.

It's also a breath of fresh air that there's no personal rubbish with the main characters. Sure, sometimes a case gets a little close to home on the occasion, and DI Martha Bellamy noticeably has pictures of her kids on her desk - little touches of believability like that - but other than that, the focus is on the plot and catching the criminal. As it should be.

As someone who has grown up watching Poirot, Sherlock, and countless other crime-solving dramas, you'd think they'd have had enough making these things, but nevertheless the plots keep coming, and the plot twists in this show are actually unpredictable. You yourself are a detective, trying to thread the clues together alongside Jack, Martha and Charlie, and it's certainly a tense ride.

I feel this show will 'revolutionise crime drama', as The Guardian has said. Although the format is foreign and takes a moment to get used to, it's something I don't regret watching. Well done, Channel 5.

I love this series, wish they could have made more seasons. As far as the swearing goes, not that much different from the programs on HBO Starz and other cable channels. Y always have a choice not to watch it. I think it's a great show and it not scripted.

Makes a nice change from the formulaic US-style crime dramas with their monologues and maverick cops, pieces to camera and complete absence of false starts, hesitations and incompletions.

The performances (I wanted to say 'scripts', but that doesn't really apply here in the usual sense) are well-judged to contain just enough of the jargon and officialese that marks the dialogue out as belonging to the context of police work and makes it feel believable, but not so laden with it that the actors fall into that pat delivery where emotion has to be overplayed to break through the sheen.

Having a degree of improvisation seems to free the performers up to be both emotive and small-scale; understated and authentic.

(Full disclosure: I do fancy Damien Molony)