Hunter

There are so many crime dramas nowadays that it's hard for them to distinguish themselves. 'Hunter', a second outing for the characters who previously appeared in BBC TV's 'Five Days', is more conventional in plot structure than its predecessor; but as with that earlier series, concentrates heavily on the procedural elements of policing, and even lacks the maverick cop who is a staple of the genre. However, it does involve devious killers with unlikely an master-plan (another regular feature of such dramas), and Claire Holman (once of 'Inspector Morse' fame) again playing a police doctor. Bits are convincing, others less so; but the real problem is a certain lack of conviction, as if the writers knew they aren't saying anything really new. 'Hunter' isn't awful; but it pales compared to 'Prime Suspect', it's most obvious inspiration, which had generally better writing and acting.

A good cast, and a good series to spin-off and create a new series. The original season of Five Days was rather good and so a spin-off was spawned. Instead of the slow evolving web seen in Five Days, the season being five episodes taking place on specific days from day one to seventy-nine, you get a mini-series attempting to put all the twists and turns into a two episode run playing out over the course of a few days. If you have ever watched something and thought, 'They tried to cram too much into too little time and ruined something great' then you have seen the chief failing of Hunter as opposed to Five Days season/series one.