SnoopyStyle A woman is murdered. Lead investigator DCI John Shefford quickly identifies the victim as prostitute Della Mornay and the killer as her John, George Marlow. After Shefford dies from a heart attack, DCI Jane Tennison (Helen Mirren) pounced to break the glass ceiling. Shefford's right-hand man DS Bill Otley (Tom Bell) works to undermine the new lead investigator Tennison. She discovers that the victim has been misidentified and that Shefford had a relationship with Mornay. Tennison releases Marlow and then Mornay's long dead body is found. On the home front, Tennison is living with Peter Rawlins (Tom Wilkinson) who is trying to reconnect with his young son.This is a 2-part TV series running 3.5 hours. The first part is great. Helen Mirren is perfect but it's Tom Bell who delivers a great foil. The chain-smoking sexist environment is terrific. Tom Bell gets pushed aside in the second half. Tom Wilkinson loses his place as well. The story moves on without them which is fine but not as great. It's setting up to be more of a police procedural. Ralph Fiennes does have a small role but he's overacting a little here.

TheLittleSongbird There are many great mystery/detective dramas out there, and 'Prime Suspect' is one of the best and consistent there is.It is also by far the best series of Lynda La Plante's work, with 'Trial and Retribution' being absorbing but inconsistent with the early seasons being significantly better than the first and 'Above Suspicion' having some good things but also a lot of weak elements.'Prime Suspect' is stylishly and cleverly filmed, and there is a consistently wonderful atmosphere throughout. The scripting is some of the most best there is of any mystery/detective drama, being superbly constructed and intelligent. The story is complex and easy to follow, with an incredible intensity.The depiction of the police force avoids being sexist and is unique for a mystery/detective drama. The characters are engagingly written, and written with complexity, Jane Tennison is one of the most interesting detective characters there is. The acting is superb across the board, Helen Mirren's performance is one of sheer magnificence, Tom Wilkinson impressive as always and John Bowe is deceptively charming and sinister. Ralph Fiennes, in an early role, has been better, but shows genuine emotion without going overboard.All in all, really incredible. If anybody is a fan of mystery/detective dramas, 'Prime Suspect' is a must see. 10/10 Bethany Cox

keith-moyes There is little that needs to be added to the other highly appreciative reviews already posted on this site.The first Prime Suspect was a landmark in British TV drama. It had all the virtues of a good mystery thriller but was enriched by a densely-researched exposition of police procedure and closely observed characterisation. The cast and their performances are all outstanding. There had been nothing quite like it on British TV before.I am pleased to see that its merits are widely recognised wherever it has been shown, but I also note that there is a tendency to use it as a stick with which to beat American TV. I would only point out that this gritty approach to the cop genre was actually pioneered in America - particularly with Hill Street Blues. I suspect it was the success of that show that encouraged ATV to go ahead with this gruelling series. Without it, Lynda La Plant may never have been able to get Prime Suspect off the ground.It has one big advantage over similar American shows (before and since). It is a stand-alone serial. Free from the requirement to fill a 22 week season, it could be written by one person and tell a single coherent story over three and a half hours. Even the best US shows eventually suffer from multiple writers and directors trying to maintain a consistent vision that is ultimately not their own. Even a show as good as The Sopranos succumbed to the flattening effect of this conveyor belt approach to drama.This is equally true of Prime Suspect. Subsequent series had their merits and were consistently above average for TV drama, but ultimately they were all just sequels. As so often happens, they tried to replicate the success of the original series by simply ringing a few changes on all the elements that were once such a fresh and original mix.It is we who are to blame. When we see something we like, we greedily demand more and more, so the virtues of the original show soon get overwhelmed and diluted by the increasingly desperate attempts of the film-makers to make something that is seemingly different while being exactly the same.I doubt if there is more than handful of sequels in the whole history of cinema and TV that are truly better than the shows that gave them their inspiration.Prime Suspect Two, Three, Four etc. are not amongst them.

Niche "Prime Suspect" is a dark, sometimes cynical, sometimes inspiring, always disturbing series. I watched most of the series on PBS a few summers back, and found myself instantly hooked. Helen Mirren is simply one of the best actresses alive today. It's a police drama with little on camera violence and true human emotion; you'd be hard pressed to find such a series on American television.