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Shadow Line

carly burn
carly burn Posts: 19,499
edited May 2011 in Not Sports Related

Anyone else watching it? Fantastic piece of British police drama.

Makes me laugh how there is a never ending torrent of cack television put out on a Saturday night and this gets tucked away on BBC2 on a Thursday night.

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Comments

  • Chirpy Red
    Chirpy Red Posts: 7,587
    Found the first episode a little difficult to follow. It was very bitty and I thought was trying to be too clever for its own good. Glad I stuck with it as the second instalment was brilliant and it is looking like an excellent series. Just hope it doesn't have the crap ending that so many dramas seem to.
  • CHG
    CHG Posts: 4,532
    edited May 2011
    Great telly, Spall plays a fantastic lunatic.
  • ChrisWhytesBaldhead
    ChrisWhytesBaldhead Posts: 239
    I love this programme as well. Really well written and acted. Nice to see something which doesn't have the standard cliched police drama characters.
  • Fanny Fanackapan
    Fanny Fanackapan Posts: 18,757
    Pretty black drama but great acting and addictive....
  • EGAddick
    EGAddick Posts: 532
    Watched two episodes and it's boring, predictable and I think this is cliched, Spall is about as believable as a book of Scientology.  Problem is everything on TV now tries to be like The Wire and fails miserably, The Shadow Line is no different.
  • carly burn
    carly burn Posts: 19,499
    I can see where you get the wire from.Cops and drugs. But honestly,the two programmes could not be more different.
  • EGAddick
    EGAddick Posts: 532
    I'm not really trying to compare it, I'm just saying that too many programmes look at how The Wire chose not to moralise stroylines between good cops and bad drug dealers and try and emulate it.  I think The Wire went deeper though, for starters it assessed insitutions and the effects they have on the individual.  The Shadow Line just bumbles along like a typical cops and robbers story, the characters are not believable at all and it's dialogue is just a mess.  I sat cringing at the scene where the female copper was tailing that man and then ended up in a fight with him, pathetic.
  • golfaddick
    golfaddick Posts: 33,736

    I'm quite liking it and as Carly and Chirpy have said its getting better episode by episode..............didn't see that shooting happening !

     

    I'd much rather watch this type of telly than any X Factor/Realty TV / Celeb Ice dancing etc etc

     

     

  • carly burn
    carly burn Posts: 19,499

    I know it's no wire,but my initial impression it is better than any other British police drama for many a year.

     

    Plus the fact it has Kierston Wareing in it (pure filth) makes it a winner for me.

  • Chirpy Red
    Chirpy Red Posts: 7,587
    What is this Wire you speak of? American trash I expect....

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  • redman
    redman Posts: 5,293
    Best thing BBC have done for a while imho. How have they tucked this away on bbc2 with the crap they normally have on amazes me 
  • Greenie
    Greenie Posts: 9,172
    I thinks its great, Sky+ed it and enjoyed it immensley, fwiw I gave up on the Wire, I got bored with it after about 3 episodes!!
  • Covered End
    Covered End Posts: 52,062
    Found the first episode a little difficult to follow. It was very bitty and I thought was trying to be too clever for its own good. Glad I stuck with it as the second instalment was brilliant and it is looking like an excellent series. Just hope it doesn't have the crap ending that so many dramas seem to.
    I found the 1st episode hard going as well, so wasn't going to bother anymore. However, after your recommendation, I watched the 2nd on "catch up" and obviously saw the 3rd episode last night. Think it's very good and that Rafe Spall is one scary bas*ard. Stephen Rea who plays "Gatehouse" used to be in "I didn't know you cared, with Uncle Mort "I heard that pardon". He's pretty scary as well. He was in something recently where he played an Irish terrorist or villain or such like
  • Chirpy Red
    Chirpy Red Posts: 7,587
    edited May 2011

    Covered End -

     "I found the 1st episode hard going as well, so wasn't going to bother anymore. However, after your recommendation, I watched the 2nd on "catch up" and obviously saw the 3rd episode last night. Think it's very good and that Rafe Spall is one scary bas*ard. Stephen Rea who plays "Gatehouse" used to be in "I didn't know you cared, with Uncle Mort "I heard that pardon". He's pretty scary as well. He was in something recently where he played an Irish terrorist or villain or such like."


    Isn't it nice that someone who was once you superior at work (25 years ago) has enough respect for you to take on board your comments and act positvley on them.

     

    Haven't seen part III yet, we + it and save it for Sunday nights.

  • Covered End
    Covered End Posts: 52,062
    There's always a first & last time  :-)
  • Chirpy Red
    Chirpy Red Posts: 7,587
    Brilliant 3rd episode. The ending just throws everything up in the air. Real quality drama.
  • cfgs
    cfgs Posts: 11,494
    last nights episode was the best yet, the bit in the clock shop was great watching.  Lots of oddball characters that ooze evil intent
  • suzisausage
    suzisausage Posts: 11,502
    loving it, although think we're a week behind on the sky plus. Loving Rafe Spall. 
  • 3blokes
    3blokes Posts: 4,610
    I'm enjoying it but I'm not really sure what's going on :-) Gatehouse unaccountably reminds me of Mr. Carreidas, the mean tycoon from Flight 714, which makes it a bit difficult for me to take him seriously! :-)
    It's a bit style over substance imho, but it is very watchable with some good scenes.
  • Fanny Fanackapan
    Fanny Fanackapan Posts: 18,757

    Still enjoying it but have to agree with 3blokes as to some ongoing confusion.

    Nothing new there as Dr Who leaves me scratching my old 'ead....

     

     


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  • les_says
    les_says Posts: 934
    I'm enjoying it but I'm not really sure what's going on :-) Gatehouse unaccountably reminds me of Mr. Carreidas, the mean tycoon from Flight 714, which makes it a bit difficult for me to take him seriously! :-)
    It's a bit style over substance imho, but it is very watchable with some good scenes.
    it's the style that sets it apart from so many other british crime dramas. very sinister and the slow pace increases the tension brilliantly.
  • suzisausage
    suzisausage Posts: 11,502
    We have had to look up the characters on IMDB/Wikipedia after every episode to work out who is who.  Same with Game of Thrones. 
  • sillav nitram
    sillav nitram Posts: 10,173
    I'm enjoying it but finding it hard to follow and to know who's who?
  • ChrisWhytesBaldhead
    ChrisWhytesBaldhead Posts: 239
    I'm loving it. Really brilliantly shot, great characters and engaging story. Could havebeen terrible but because of the caliber of the actors and the director has been excellent.

    Best British series for a very very long time
  • Chirpy Red
    Chirpy Red Posts: 7,587

    This is simply brilliant TV. I haven't got an effin Scooby what is going on but it's the quickest hour of the week.

  • seth plum
    seth plum Posts: 53,448
    I like it too, but really don't have a clue whats going on, there was a great sequence set in Dublin, but I don't for the life of me know why.
  • johnny73
    johnny73 Posts: 4,567
    agree that it's the cast which raises this to another level. stephen rea (from the crying game) is brilliant in this.
  • les_says
    les_says Posts: 934
    This was amazing last night. Only one episode to go and it's finally coming together (I think, well, some of it).
  • cfgs
    cfgs Posts: 11,494
    "Beep"
  • sillav nitram
    sillav nitram Posts: 10,173
    i still haven't really got clue whose who but enjoying it all the same.

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