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Philip Madoc in A Mind to Kill. Acorn Media DVD

Kieran Kinsella

The late Philip Madoc was a fantastically talented actor who specialized in playing dark and brooding characters. A familiar face on British TV, Madoc appeared in everything from Doctor Who to Dad’s Army but he saved his best performances for the crime drama A Mind to Kill. Two versions of the series were made with one being in English and the other in Madoc’s native Welsh tongue.

Madoc’s character was Detective Chief Inspector Noel Bain – an old-school detective who unhappily faces up to the fact that the world is a darker and scarier place than it was when he first walked his beat. Much to his chagrin, his daughter Hannah, (Ffion Wilkins) eventually decides to follow in his footsteps and become a police officer. The duo have a difficult relationship away from the office and...

Before the days of Horne & Corden and Little Britain, there was a time when British comedies didn't rely on bodily functions and fat people for gags. Classic sitcoms such as The Good Life, To The Manor Born, Moving and No Job For A Lady relied on witty scripts, gentle humour and, most importantly, talented stars. Gluing all the above shows together with her inimitable dim, posho act was Penelope Anne Constance Keith Cbe. Keith may not be one of comedy's greatest radicals, her shows are always fluffy and life-affirming rather than gritty or realistic, but she has mastered the art of playing a two-dimensional (more)...