Virdee

This had a lot going for it. Especially the location in Bradford and the unusual characters involved.

The acting was pretty good.

But just a few things let it down - I'm not sure if it was the directing or the director of photography but why oh, why focus on a coffee cup in the last scene?

Why oh why leave the door open when you're about to do something nefarious?

And surely everybody has seen silence at the lambs now. And certainly the writers had. So wouldn't it be sensible to come up with something a little bit different?

Or at least introduce some humour around it?

I started liking some of the characters but by the end I was pretty bored with them. Again, too many lingering shots of handsome faces.

And repetitive dialogue.

Nice try - try again please!

Virdee 2025 BBC 6 x hour long episode.

Detective thriller set in Bradford, ready for its City of Culture status.

Throwing in a multicultural mix, drug dealers, armed cops and robbers, dastardly Eastern European, mix race marriages, same sex relationships, family squabbles, LGBQT club culture, and wait for it the best one yet is a wronged serial killer with a grudge who has a thing about bugs which he likes to plant in his victims (have we seen that before?). What have you got Virdee, a sprawling mess of a series. Acting is poor, lots of side glances and looking away when wronged , quivering lips and tear filled eyes.

The amount of money that has been spent on this is criminal, it is a big production, movie length scale, it is clearly aiming for mass appeal and no doubt commercial sales. Its set for a follow up, with loose ends tied up giving us pointers for the direction of season 2.

2/10 for the story, 8/10 for the production , but overall for this embarrassing failure 4/10 PS I have avoided any racial stereotyping unlike this series.

Detective Harry Virdee desperately tries to track down a vicious killer, one with sadistic methods.

First of all, some of these reviews, I have to question if they're based on the whole series, or ten minutes of episode one.

If you're missing Luther, this may just give you your much missed fix, there are certain similarities, it's high octane, action packed, gritty, violent, and we have a charismatic, maverick Cop.

Stick with it is my advice, it's perhaps a little slow to get going, but when it does, it transforms into a gritty, addictive series. Episode 4 sees a big switch up, that's where it really does hit top gear.

Expect plenty of violence, and a couple of grim sequences, I haven't actually seen scenes like this on The BBC since the last run or Luther.

Bradford, The City of Culture plays a huge part, and it looks exactly what it is, a working class, Northern City.

Staz Nair is excellent as Virdee, and if you're a fan of handsome guys, there's no shortage here! At times Aysha Kala really is the star of the show, and Saima is a truly fascinating character, although there's no shortage of those, Harry's father and brother in law, Riaz both play a big part.

I just wish Elizabeth Berrington had played a more active role, such a talented actress, she seems to get better and better.

9/10.

I wasn't sure after the first episode, but the second had me hooked. Strong cast led by Staz Nair, who is a commanding force on screen in the title role of Harry Virdee. All the supporting cast are also very good. Storyline is compelling, as are the side stories about the characters personal lives.

The overall tone, characters and story really reminded me of Luther, which is no bad thing.

The setting in the Asian community in Bradford offers something refreshingly different and highlights another side to British life not often seen on TV. And as someone not part of that community, I also found it educational.

Don't judge in the first episode. Keep watching as it does take a little while to get into the characters and the story, then before you know it you are drawn in and you get taken on a great journey. Raw and gritty, the tension builds up nicely and It's full of action and lots of thrills. It also has some very emotional and thought provoking scenes giving a good balance and understanding of the characters. Feel that the main actor grew into his character and he gave a stellar performance. The main actors are cast really well and all the interactions between them set up the foundations of the story line. Absolutely brilliant! Thoroughly enjoyed it and was sat on the end of my seat. Couldn't wait for the weekly watch, but had to binge watch it on iPlayer! Story is very well written and complete and the ending leaves it very nicely set up for the next series and I can't wait!