The Coroner

good entertaining show,really deserves an evening spot,good plots,nice scenery ,good acting.I've now just heard its been been cancelled.in the words of bbc spokesman ,to make room for new afternoon programmes.probably another dreary soap or cheapo reality drivel.bbc needs a shake up.the coroner was only on 10 afternoons a year.yet rubbish like the doctors and EastEnders are on 5 or more times a week,all year round,droning on and on.why aren't these entertainment free programmes axed.

I really enjoyed the Coroner which was shown here in Australia in the evening 7.30pm on Saturday. I thought it well written with a mixture of seriousness and light-hearted fun. The scenery was stunning and made one want to visit Britain. Inside many ageing women there is a Judith just aching to come out! Jane's expression towards her mother reminded me of my own daughter's expression towards me. Davey tells a great story with his eyes and smile. I like that it is inter - generational. Great cast , great acting, great story lines and great scenery. I would really love to see a Season 3

Nice detective type story, but this time as the title indicates the investigation is led by the Coroner Jane Kennedy (Claire Goose) although she does work closely with local police in the person of Detective Sergeant Davey Higgins (Matt Bardock).

Jane has just recently returned to her childhood home from London with her 15 year old daughter Beth, and in her role as coroner investigates violent or unexplained deaths to determine the cause. Through these investigations she has become reacquainted with Davey her now married childhood sweetheart. Rounding out the regular cast is Jane's mother Judith with whom Jane and Beth are currently living, Judith's boyfriend Mick who runs the local pub and Clint who is Jane's assistant.

This episodes are primarily about the investigation but there is also time given to family dynamics and usually some humor, the episodes run about 45 minutes each. It's a nice group of characters, the investigations are usually interesting, and the cause of death is not always murder. The series ran for two ten episode seasons.

Another strength of the series is the beautiful backdrops of the South Devon coastal locations.

The story lines move along; they do not drag. The characters are likable and interesting. Acting is quite good. I was expecting something darker but once I understood not to expect something sinister or mind blowing I settled in to enjoying the pace and lighter nature of the script. Characterisation is good with a range of likable characters who complement each other. Each episode is a complete story so you do not have to wait to find out the outcome. It would appeal to people who do not want a dark or scary tale. It is set in an amazingly beautiful place and that alone earns it an extra point. You are thinking while watching trying to solve the mystery of the death whether it is a crime or not and who maybe the likely culprit. I recommend this series to people who like an English mystery that is not heavy or frightening. Maybe 71/2 rather than just a 7!

There are quite a lot of female detectives bouncing about nowadays. They're usually single, middle aged, with a complicated family situation and ditto love life. This series takes a leaf from the same book, with the only difference that the 'detective' is a coroner.

It's not very original or serious drama, but then it doesn't pretend to be be either. It's light entertainment and it knows it. On BBC One it's perched between 'Doctors' and 'Escape to the Country' for a reason. It's made for daytime TV.

Within its limits, the better episodes can be entertaining. The investigating duo, Jane and detective Davey (who also have a romantic history together) are rather enjoyable to watch. The gay coroner's assistant Clint is also funny and well chosen.

Some of the steady cast is less entertaining. Especially 'horny hippos' Judith (Jane's mother) and her equally weighty lover Mick (a pub owner sporting a 24/7 'Fat John Silver' persona) are getting rather tiresome after the tenth 'nine and a half weeks' impression in the family kitchen (whereby the 'hilarious' fat-guy-in-a- peignoir gag is repeated every single time). Why flaunt raunchy obese elderly people in every episode? Yes, these people have sex too. Most of us figured that already, so that's no reason to rub our faces in it every single time. Also, Judith doesn't want Jane to move out (she's enraged when Jane looks at a lovely cottage for sale) but never fails to mention it's her house they live in. Sensible grown ups don't live like that. It's hard to imagine a supposedly intelligent and responsible coroner would continue to live like that instead of doing the sensible thing and move out. It's quite obvious drama for drama's sake, and therefore rather boring and annoying.

Another gripe is the purple haired persona of Beth, Jane's daughter. The kid is all right, but she looks like the impression of a teenager by middle aged people without kids of their own. (They all got purple hair now, don't they? So let's do that every episode). It looks contrived and outdated.

The little stories are (just) entertaining enough. Some reviewers compared it to 'Midsomer Murders', the well known detective series. Whilst both are in the 'detective light' category, the latter is much better made than 'The Coroner'. Both demand some suspense of disbelief, but with 'Midsomer Murders' it's much easier to let go and enjoy the ride, because you know you're in a different realm altogether, whereas 'The Coroner' tries to be 'relevant' and 'realistic' and fails to deliver. You can't be all rustic and piraty on one side, and tackle immigration and women's issues simultaneously. It's tacky and gratuitous, and doesn't do justice to serious issues or light entertainment. Just pick one.

It's a halfway decent time-passer, and can sometimes be entertaining. This review is based on season one. Perhaps season two will bring some needed improvement, otherwise it probably won't last nearly as long as 'Midsomer Murders'.