George Gently

This is a high quality, well written series which contains excellent acting and believable plots (well, more believable than "Midsomer Murders" for example). The episodes can be viewed as standard "whodunnits" but also spectacularly reveal the massive changes in law, attitudes and culture in the UK over the past 45 years or so.

My only gripe is that, despite the great attention that is paid to period detail, the writers always make the mistake (not restricted to this series) of scripting the words "against you" in the caution used by a police officer when making an arrest. The UK police caution in such circumstances before 1995 was: "You are not obliged to say anything unless you wish to do so but anything you do say may be given in evidence." The words "used against you" were only ever used in USA. To have used these words in UK could have prejudiced the case.

As a huge fan of detective series/dramas, I was surprised at how much I loved Inspector George Gently. Three years ago, admittedly, it didn't completely appeal to me, but when I did decide to give the series a chance I am glad I did, and am struggling to give a good enough reason why it didn't appeal to me before. Inspector George Gently is brilliant in every aspect. It is strikingly filmed, with the photography stunning and the scenery and locations very well chosen and evocative. The music is very good too, quite stirring and haunting, and always careful not to overshadow what is going on on screen. Then we are treated to some truly great writing that is intelligent and has the odd bit of subtle humour and complex but very well explained stories. The direction is very fine, and the acting is top notch consistently with the guest actors making the most of their characters and stories and Martin Shaw and Lee Ingleby brilliant both individually and together, complete with a very interesting chemistry. To conclude, this is a wonderful series that I can't wait to see more of. 10/10 Bethany Cox

This show has to be, without a doubt, one of the best crime/drama shows ever written and portrayed by a cast of fantastic actors. It's set in the 60s. Even the filming gives it the vintage feel as they tackle crime(s) and some of the same social issues we experienced here in the United States during the same era. Even more, it is set in the days before DNA was even a forethought. They had to solve the crimes with intellect and reasoning. The show is set with an older, seasoned cop teamed with a younger, gung ho cop who is not afraid to take shortcuts as he learns the ropes of how crimes are really solved. There are times when you will love the younger cop and times you will want to give him a backhand. As with most British crime shows, their ability to keep you in the dark as to who the killer is is quite amazing. You can't go wrong with this show.

/refers to seasons 1-7/ Yes, like most British crime series, Inspector George Gently is not just solving crimes, it gives a broad overview of vices and virtues, ups and downs around the place the events take place. True, the stuff and solutions are not of equal interest and wittiness, but they seem realistic, not artificially constructed. Unlike some other series, as for private moments, the one in question focuses on the ones of George Gently and John Bacchus (performed masterfully by Martin Shaw and Lee Ingleby, respectively), providing additional background for their thoughts and deeds, but still not filling the screen-time in vain. The only "minus" from me goes to the fact that the main characters remain rather static, their principle do not "open" even after decisive changes in the society; on the other hand, however, it was pleasant to follow the environment characteristic to that era, yet constant smoking jangled my nerves quite a lot :) Thus, a meaty creation, to be recommended to watch in sequence, but not mandatory - there are enough references to necessary moments happened before. I took my time to watch all seasons, and I am contented, although each episode is around 1.5 hours...

I love British crime shows, and I've watched a lot over the years. Compared to american shows they depend not so much on action, but more on characters, with even the small parts played by character actors of which Britain seems to have an abundance.

Of all the shows I remember, two seem to rise above the rest : "Inspector Gently" and "Foyle's War". Both are period pieces, Gently set in the 60s, and Foyle during WW2.

The setting here is perfect 60s style. The cars, the mini skirts, the Ronson lighters and the amount of cigarettes smoked by the characters.

I originally rated Foyle a 10 and Gently a 9, but after recently having watched them both again, it seemed to me that Gently deserved a 10 as well.

Shaw and Ingleby makes a perfect duo, with their incompatible characters, that against all odds seem to find the exactly right mix.

Highly recommended if you can tolerate slow burn and sometimes controversial topics.