DEBORAH CROMBIE: We are having such fun on Jungle Red with sneak peeks at not one, but two, new British crime dramas on Britbox. As I write British mysteries, you can imagine how much I love British crime shows, and today I get to talk about LINE OF DUTY, which is maybe the best British cop series ever.
I'm embarrassed to admit that I was a latecomer. I'd heard about it, of course, but a series run had never coincided with my trips to the UK. But thanks to Britbox my hubby and I started watching last year and we totally binged all five seasons. It was so compelling and we just couldn't wait to see what happened next. Then, lockdown happened. Filming on Season 6 was stopped, and we did lots of teeth-gnashing. Would we ever know the truth??
But now Season 6 is here, starting tonight, with episode 1!
So what's it all about? LINE OF DUTY follows the cases of AC 12, the anti-corruption unit of a fictional police force in Central England. (The show is actually mostly filmed in Belfast.) Martin Compston plays DS Steve Arnott, a firearms officer who is transferred to AC 12 after refusing to agree to the cover-up of an unlawful shooting by his own team. He's partnered with DC Kate Fleming, played by the wonderful Vicky McClure, and their team is supervised by Superintendent Ted Hastings, played by Adrian Dunbar. They investigate corruption within the force, and as the series progresses, the links of corrupt officers to organized crime, and the identity of the mysterious kingpin, H.
Talent abounds, and previous seasons' top-notch guest stars have included Lennie James, Thandie Newton, Keely Hawes, Daniel Mays, and Stephen Graham. In Season 6 Kelly MacDonald takes center stage as possibly corrupt DCI Jo Davidson.
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Check out this trailer!
Just WOW! The tension! The twists and turns! I can't wait to dive in!
Everyone in the cast is terrific, but I have a wee bit of a fan girl thing going for the Scottish actor Martin Compston, who plays the English officer Steve Arnott.
Here's a fun little snippet of Martin's recent segment on the Scottish talk show LORRAINE.
So Scottish, compared to his English character. It always amazes me that actors can change their accents so convincingly. Also, it's really nice to see Martin smile, as his character, Steve, doesn't get much opportunity!
REDS and readers, are you LINE OF DUTY fans? How do you feel about the one-episode-a-week format? It does give us lots of time to speculate on the latest developments!
And, lastly, is it YAY or NAY on THE BEARD?
I must confess I haven’t seen it, but after watching the little clips, I guess I need to watch . . . .
ReplyDeleteYou do, Joan! You will love it!
DeleteI don't know that I've heard of this one, but I don't hear about a lot of British shows.
ReplyDeleteI like the one a week format still. Gives you time to breath and a bit less time between seasons. Then again, I mainly watch shows on the traditional networks.
I don't actually mind the one a week format. We usually watch together on weekends and it's something to look forward to--especially in this last year when there hasn't been much. Although Line of Duty is so complicated that it can make it hard to keep up with the plot!
DeleteI admit that I have heard The Line of Duty mentioned many times, but I haven't watched it yet. I think I'll have to rectify that mistake. Five seasons to catch up on. That's a bit daunting to me, but I've done it before. In fact, I'd already decided to try and catch up on Keeping Faith, which has three seasons.
ReplyDeleteIt won't be daunting, Kathy, those episodes will fly by! They are not long seasons, either.
DeleteI have started Season 3 of Keeping Faith yet, but I will.
I love it and have been careful about avoiding any spoilers from UK folks. I adore Adrian Dunbar! I’m definitely looking forward to this. Thank you BritBox.
ReplyDeleteHave you seen QI? Hysterically funny if a bit irreverent.
Marianne in Maine
I've had to be careful about reading the spoilers, too, Marianne, especially as I was looking up facts about the show to write this post. Season 6 is finished in the UK so it's been in all the papers and interview shows there.
DeleteBest laughs ever
DeleteAlas, no BritBox here, but it does sound like a great show!
ReplyDeleteOh, and I like one episode a week. It's like a treat to look forward to. Can't wait for Call the Midwife to return!
DeleteEdith, it sounds like you can get it from the library.
DeleteCool. I will look! Thanks, Debs.
Deletethanks for sharing the preview with us Debs! John and I watched this episode and found it full of tension. Amazing hierarchy in their PD. I don't ever remember watching an American show where the cops had to keep calling in for permission to move on anything. (I know Vera Stanhope doesn't!)
ReplyDeleteRick, as a former police officer, has really enjoyed Line of Duty because it's more realistic. But the jargon! It makes the actors crazy--can you imagine having to learn those lines?
DeleteI highly recommend going back to the beginning of the series, Roberta!
I haven't seen this one either. Will have to correct that ASAP! As for once a week, as long as I can save them up and binge watch when I have time, I'm okay with it.
ReplyDeleteIt's so good, Annette. Anyone who writes tense mysteries will love it. (Started Death by Equine last night--what a great opening scene!)
DeleteInteresting question, Debs. I do prefer having the ability to binge something or at least going onto another episode without waiting a week. Haven't stumbled on Line of Duty yet, but I certainly will check it out now after your enthusiastic recommendation!
ReplyDeleteRe Britbox and all its permutations, we are binging Great British Menus on Prime. It is addictive and fattening, so beware. Julie just wrote a letter to our local PBS station, requesting more Britcoms. And I follow Kristopher for Netflix recs. Between the pandemic and a broken ankle, I've watched more TV in the past year than in my past lives! And read more. And tried very hard not to eat more, this being helped by my inability to bake bread.
Have a look at Kate & Moji, starring Brenda Blythen, Damned, with Alan Davies and Jo Brand, Benidorm, with a cast of thousands, Mrs. Brown's Boys, if you like outrageous, and Grace, of course. All on Britbox.
Line of Duty is such a big deal in the UK that the week in between episodes give everyone a chance to talk about it--it's a very social thing.
DeleteThanks for reminding me again about Great British Menus--must watch! I will look up the other shows as well. I love Alan Davies!
Sorry to poop out here, Debs, but I just haven't gotten back to tv yet. I do like British shows, though. We'll see.
ReplyDeleteJudy, they will still be there. Keep reading those books!
DeleteWe have Netflix, but I get tired of their endless suggestions that make no sense for me. They seem to be moving away from having a big inventory of movies to mostly their own shows, many of which do not appeal to me. Right now I'm subscribing to Acorn again for Brokenwood and other shows with new seasons, most of which add a new episode each week. Once I'm finished watching those, including Keeping Faith, I'll drop it, and renew with Britbox if a new season of Vera ever starts. It's better with a subscription service than with network TV, since I always forget to watch scheduled broadcasts.
ReplyDeleteI like beards, my husband has a goatee. I'm not sure it does much for Martin Compston.
That's a clever way to keep up with everything, Karen. I splurge on Acorn and Britbox, as we don't have premium channels like HBO and Disney.
DeleteMy husband has a goatee these days, too, which I quite like. But it's gray! I'm just not crazy about big, dark beards.
Another one to add to my list.
ReplyDeleteWe cut the cable over a year ago, and between Amazon, Britbox, and Netflix, we haven't missed it. We like to watch two shows a night, so I'd have to say we're not the "one episode a week" type. LOL
I think there are only seven episodes, Liz, so it can be your summer binge:-)
DeleteI've heard so many good things about Line of Duty but I can't watch anything that is dependent on the internet. However, I just found out I can request the DVDs from my library so I have requested the first one. Thanks for the recommendation!
ReplyDeleteGreat idea, Judi!
DeleteTHanks, Judi!
DeleteI love Line of Duty. I started watching it on Acorn TV years ago because of Lennie James. Yes to Martin Compston’s beard. The one episode a week is great so it lasts longer. Murdoch, Brokenwood, and Keeping Faith have all ended on Acorn so having Line of Duty to look forward to is brilliant. Currently I’m rewatching Mock the Week because I need the humor.
ReplyDeleteWasn't Lennie James great in Season 1? All the seasons guest stars have been amazing. And what a great structure, to bring in a new character every season that adds to the storyline.
DeleteLine of Duty--yes! and Britbox---yes, yes, yes! Thanks, Deb, for introducing me to both. The writer/showeunner Jed Mercurio is so talented--Bodyguard is one of the best thrillers ever made--and he brings all that talent to each episode of Line of Duty. I recently canceled most of my streaming services, including Acorn, but will rely on Britbox for outstanding dramas--also gardening shows! (Who knew?)
ReplyDeleteI meant to talk about Jed Mercurio, but was afraid it was too much info for readers who hadn't watched any of the series. For those of you who've seen Bodyguard, Jed was the showrunner on that production, too, and he brings the same quality to Line of Duty. Such an interesting guy--he's a medical doctor who got into writing and producing.
DeleteLine of Duty! I'll wait until the episodes are all posted, then watch one or two every evening. If I have a wait a week, I lose track of the plot. LOD is #3 on my all-time fav list, behind Shetland and Vera. Who cares about the beard? I care about "H" revealed at last.
ReplyDeleteAnd, we watched seasons 1-5 on DVD from the library.
H at last?? Well, we'll see, lol.
DeleteOne of my sisters and I share a love of British detective programs. She told me about Line of Duty a couple of months ago. I started watching on Prime, and I love it, but it’s so intense that I take a long break between episodes, just to unwind! It IS addictive!
ReplyDeleteDebRo
Yes, it is so intense, and you never know what's going to happen next!
DeleteI've been weighing adding one more streaming channel... and this sounds SO tempting. I'm thinking it will be Britbox. Thanks, Debs, for the enticement.
ReplyDeleteHallie,
DeleteIf you are a fan of the early Agatha Christie Miss Marple mysteries with Joan Hickson, then I think it is worthwhile to get Britbox. I subscribe to Britbox AND Acorn TV.
Diana
Deborah, thank you for sharing. Is LINE OF DUTY violent? I remember Martin Compton from many guest appearances on different mysteries.
ReplyDeleteWhen I lived in England donkey years ago, I remember watching shows like BLACKADDER and ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL. MIDSOMMER MURDERS did not exist yet.
On Britbox, I have been watching cozy mysteries like SHAKESPEARE AND HATHAWAY.
Diana
Diana, yes, it can be pretty violent. If you are more comfortable with cozies, it might not be your cup of tea. And it's Martin Compston, a different actor, I think. I don't think Compston has done a lot of guest spots.
DeleteDeborah, I may have gotten the name wrong. I remember seeing him in other mysteries when he was a teenager.
DeleteDiana
We have Britbox. I've been watching the Gillian Anderson version of Bleak House. Two episodes to go!
ReplyDeleteI hadn't heard of Line of Duty. I will have to wait for my mood to be receptive to realistic cop shows before I try it out! Frank and I will watch some of the same shows. He prefers to binge when all the episodes are out. I don't mind the one a week format. As for beards. . . it depends on the face!
Deborah,
ReplyDeleteWhen Comcast ran a Watchathon Week last year, I tried to check out Line of Duty via AcornTV. I started with the first season of course, but in all honesty, I couldn't get past the first or second episode. It was a tad bit boring to me.
I find that a little sad because the actor who played the apparent corrupt cop (I didn't find out if he was guilty or not) is Lennie James. I loved him when I was still watching The Walking Dead.
I did like that trailer for the 6th season (series) you included in the original post so maybe I just have to go back and give it another try and catch up.
As for accents, it is always fun to learn just how far someone has gone in changing their accent for a role. The British actors are amazing at doing it I would say. Hell, it took me quite a while before I learned that Idris Elba was British when I was watching him absolutely stun in the role of "Stringer Bell" on HBO's The Wire. So many of the cast of that show were Brits actually. But I didn't know about most of them except Dominic West.
On the other hand, American actors are at best hit and miss with English accents. Case in point: Kevin Costner in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. And pretty much no thespian of any nationality can do a convincing Boston accent.
OMG, Jay. Kevin Costner will never live that down:-) How about Andrew Lincoln's American accent in The Walking Dead? He was great.
Delete@Jay I think you have to be born with the Boston accent to pull it off!
DeleteWe are obsessed! Riveted hooked – – we adore Line of Duty, and it is what we look forward to every night! We are binging binging binging, and love every minute of it. I adore how it pulls no punches. And it is smart and in-depth and surprising every time. it has moved right up into our number one slot!
ReplyDeleteOur anniversary is Friday. Rick asked me what I wanted to do and I said "watch more Line of Duty." :-)
DeleteI completely agree. The character development is fabulous, the flaws in each person are amazing, the storylines are riveting and unique. I adore it. And happy anniversary, darling Debs!
DeleteI haven't watched the show, but I'm always Yea on the beard, no matter whose beard it is.
ReplyDeleteI knew you would be a yes on the beard:-) I think I have to go back and watch Compston again in Season 1-4, to decide whether I like him better with or without. He's an interesting actor, having started out as a professional footballer (soccer player) and auditioned for a part in the film Sweet Sixteen with no acting experience. He took off from there. Here's the Wiki link for the trivia nerds among us. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Compston
DeleteI loved it, Debs! I’m such a big fan and saw the most recent and last season - what a nail biter! Also loved the Obsessed with Line of Duty podcast helmed by Dot, the caddy played by Craig Parkinson
ReplyDeleteOooh, Cara, thanks! I have listened to the Parkinson podcast! All the peripheral stuff around Line of Duty is so much fun.
DeleteHow have I missed this? I am absolutely watching this one ASAP. Thanks, Debs!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the heads up!
ReplyDeleteI LOVE, LOVE, LOVE LOD! Just watched Kelly McDonald in The Victim - excellent. The show centers around a tough subject matter, but excellent acting and full of twists and turns.
ReplyDeleteOne of our favorite shows. And we watch shows on Britbox almost entirely. I didn't realize Season 6 was out. Yes to the beard.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the reminder. We started watching the series when it was on Acorn.
ReplyDeleteWaiting patiently for the new season. We watched it when it was first aired, such a long wait for more. So many twists & turns, and great acting. Karen
ReplyDeleteI've been wanting to watch Line of Duty and happily it seems to be also on Hulu and Prime now!
ReplyDeleteI've been tempted to watch and I think it can be accessed on Amazon Prime.
ReplyDelete