What is it? Suspects, Seasons 1-2, nine episodes on three discs from Acorn Media
How much? $49.99
When? Now
Who are the suspects? There are quite a few of them, actually.
This English procedural drama follows Detective Inspector Martha Bellamy (Fay Ripley), Detective Sergeant Jack Weston (Damien Molony) and Detective Constable Charlie Steele (Clare-Hope Ashitey) as they search for missing children, hunt down rapists and try to get to the bottom of a number of suspicious deaths in London.
The emphasis is on "procedural." While the characters are well-formed, their private lives and any potential personal demons are definitely not the point here.
So, it's your typical police drama? Not quite. This one has a unique style you won't find in a lot of police series.
For one thing, it's shot documentary-style. Lots of hand-held camera work and peeping through windows and open doorways.
Also, it's primarily improvised. The cast was given the basic outlines of a scene and then set free to feel their way through. Apparently the main cast was also given some sort of course in police work.
The result is a heightened level of realism you wouldn't find on most series. The tense and awkward moments, off-the-cuff comments and friendly ribbing come across as very natural.
How is it? Well, the stories themselves are hardly unique. A suspicious drug-related death at a nightclub. A missing toddler. A series of brutal attacks. These are stories you'd see on your average episode of a Law & Order or a CSI. But it's the style of the show that makes a difference here.
The acting is great and the series as a whole feels very much like the audience is spying on a genuine police case.
Are there extras? No, which is too bad. Some sort of cast and crew interviews about the improvisational style could have been enlightening.
New this week: The 100, Season 3; Bitten, Season 3; The Magicians, Season 1; Orphan Black, Season 4; Person of Interest, Season 5 and complete series; Royal Pains, Season 8; Sisters, Season 5.
Next week: Jack Irish, Season 1; Mystery Science Theater 3000, XXXVI.
Style on 07/17/2016