Jack Taylor

Even though the plots are a bit farfetched and Jack Taylor's drunken character was getting a bit wearisome, Iain Glen's appeal and the local setting kept me watching until Episode 7, "The Cross." Even though Taylor rarely uses a gun, the new opening credits ("Bang, bang,") should have been a clue that something was amiss and seemed to have been made for a different show.. The plot was ridiculous, even for Jack Taylor standards, and then inexplicably, the Kate Noonan character is replaced, not only with a new actress (zero chemistry, forced icky kiss) but with a contrived subplot. Best episode is #3 -- "The Magdalen Martyrs," worth watching as a stand-alone unit, full of real-life horror, intrigue and pathos. Not surprising that the series seems to have a died a natural death.

This is not your idealistic, admirable sleuth. Quite the contrary. But he is diligent, intuitive and relentless. Murder and mystery shrouded in darkness and an alcoholic haze. Iain Glen leads a good cast with good performances. The stories are not complex and you may get ahead of Jack as he solves them, but, all in all, its a good watch. I give this series an 8 (good) out of 10. {Criminal Mystery}

Whoever is the fan of light crimi-movies will be delighted. Not a masterpiece but a good series to spend evenings during the week.

I really liked the first episode of this series. Makes me want to watch more. Taylor is tormented. He has a good heart, we feel he is a good person, yet he has demons. Alcoholism runs in his family. We try to keep it in the family, he sarcastically says. His mother is not nice at all, and he asks the question why does your closest ones always know how to find your weaknesses,, where to look for faults. Maybe because they put them there, is his answer. Jack cares for the outcasts, the betrodden, maybe because he sees himself in them. Episode one starts with Jack being fired from the force when he is drunk on patrol and stops a car driving a cabinet minister and proceeds to punch the cabinet minister in the face. It's all over the local news. Then a beautiful woman approaches him and asks him to find her missing daughter. This amazing woman he admits is out of his league, but she awakes something in him, a drive. I won't spoil your viewing only to say I enjoyed this first episode.

Not sure where to begin. I like Iain Glen as an actor, but the accent is dodgy. Good opening episodes, but then became very cliched. He gets a younger sidekick eventually - think Scrappy Doo being added to Scooby - who in turn is replaced by someone even more irritating - with a dodgy Mancunian accent. Overall pleasing, but stretches credulity at times.