CI5: The New Professionals

Whilst not as good as the old series this is considerably better than anything currently showing on British tv.The scripts vary in quality but when they work they are superb.The new CI5 is far more in the mode of the CIA and the new cast and characters are more plausible and free of the "loose cannon" attitudes that reduced the old series to caricature. The cast work hard to breathe life into their characters and the action sequences are superior to most movies(although they were needlessly cut for UK transmission).

Apparently, CI5 is no longer hiring members from the police or armed forces, and has started recruiting at modelling agencies. The plot-lines are ludicrous, the scripts are laughable and the cast, supposedly portraying the dangerous, highly-trained peak of global law enforcement, have all the menace of rice pudding and are about as attractive. A pathetic attempt to relive the original series of "The Professionals", this latest series is totally lacking any drama, suspense, wit or talent. George Cowley would eat this bunch for breakfast.

This Nineties update of a Seventies show is very enjoyable, although not as good as the original.The new cast take a few episodes to fit into their characters and Edward Woodward,excellent as he is, never matches the inventiveness of Gordon Jackson's Cowley.The first few episodes are very similar to the old series but the new crew develop a different and original style as the series progresses.Later episodes are more in the James Bond mould but boast impressive action sequences and an excellent score by Hywel Maggs and Chris Winter.As with the old series no one watches the Professionals for the writing but the spectacular action and the enjoyable interplay between the characters.

Stared watching on Amazon because I used to love Edward in the Equaliser in my youth but this show is just painful despite giving it the usual allowances of it being an old show. Who knows if I watch the Equaliser now perhaps, I will think the same thing. I remember Edward being a good actor but in this show at first pass I just thought every actor was beyond bad. On reflection though I do not think it is the actors at all and more the dialogue that just makes everyone seem extremely wooden and fake.

A lot of shows of the time had a high level of 'cheese' which is not necessarily a bad thing, but this paired with the corny dialogue takes it to level that meant I stopped watching halfway through season 1. I say this as someone who has an obsessive compulsion to finish what I start but in this case I failed! I don't like reviewing without giving any positives, but I just cannot think of any.

It's not as bad as it could have been.

I was expecting it to be utterly unwatchable, however, surprisingly, it was really not a great deal worse than the original.