Crime

First of all let me start by saying, all of you that are complaining that you can't understand my language (Scottish) you do know that the series comes with subtitles in many languages (maybe snowflake is in there, I don't know, anyhoo, dougray Scott, Ken stott and the others, (to many to type) did a great job bringing Irvine Welsh book to life, this was gritty, humorous, rude, everything you expect from Mr Welsh, if you want daytime cop shows stick to your marplss and poirots, if you want a tiny glimpse of what it's really like this show is a must, and if you enjoyed this, try watching guilt.

I warmed to this by about E3. It then held my attention until the end. There were plenty of flaws, but I could live with them. Although the story and some of the characters are a bit extreme, I liked the little touches of humour and the great tussle between Lennox and the evil Confectioner (who, for some reason, is not even credited in the cast list).

I suppose the main problem I had was the credibility of the extent to which Lennox's past has affected him. There were also some odd little plot elements that didn't seem to fit.

But this was a strong highly engaging drama.

A rare show where just about every cop therein is unlikable. Here we have a collection of drunks, drug addicts, racists, woman haters, homophobes. Sex addicts ... not to mention the liars and vicious beasts and the female who made sex tapes.

They go unchecked by the law or by superiors in their department.

And are we supposed to see them as victims? The cops played by Scott, Vanderham, Elliot and in season 1 Sives should have all been fired and decertified to keep them from EVER being on a police force anywhere.

And the scenes with Scott and his "therapist" are downright insulting.

The only character who comes off as human and believable is the one played by Ken Stott.

Some of the low scoring reviewers obviously have never seen or read Irvine Welsh's work! This is vintage Welsh not the next tv detective that's why his name is in the title.

Yes there are broken obnoxious vile men, reference Filth & trainspotting, alongside brilliantly strong women. The cast is excellent Dougray Scott has never been better.

There are also some beautifully drawn characters like Ray's Dad along with the side story of Trudi. If you just want a whodunnit watch midsommer murders this ain't generic tv detective it's pure unadulterated genius!

And for those moaning about the Scottish accent...it's set in Edinburgh what exactly did you expect !?!

DI Ray Lennox is tasked with finding a schoolgirl, Britney Hamill, who's been snatched of The Streets. Lennox is teamed up with DS Amanda Drummond, he's convinced her disappearance is linked to a series of child killings.

What a captivating series this is, well worth your time. To start with, I'd have to be a little critical of the scheduling, I saw it when it first landed on Britbox, it took so long for ITV to show it, but then it was on so late, hopefully series two will get a better deal.

The story is great, it's an intriguing, suspenseful mystery, it put me in mind of a cross between Rebus and Prime Suspect. We've been starved of Scottish crime dramas, think of Taggart and Rebus, hopefully this show will run for some time.

It's very well made drama, it looked great, the music was spot on. The pacing was spot on.

The best element of it, the acting, the acting is genuinely off that scale, Dougray Scott delivers a masterclass, he's phenomenal, Lennox is damaged, determined and dealing with serious addiction issues, he's from perfect.

Scott is awesome, but the supporting cast are terrific, Ken Stott, John Simm, Angela Griffin etc, all deliver.

I can't wait for the second series, this was truly a captivating watch.

9/10.