Blue Murder - Set 1

• Factory sealed DVD.

A superb procedural, Blue Murder is anchored by Caroline Quentin, best known for comedy (Men Behaving Badly) but turning in an impressive dramatic performance. DCI Janine Lewis (Quentin) of the Manchester is not a brilliant super-detective; as she juggles her career, her recently failed marriage, and her four kids; she solves cases through diligence and doggedness. The result of this emphasis on gruntwork, far from being dull, is completely engrossing--in part because the everydayness cunningly balances the often sensational crimes, where murders are intertwined with homemade pornography, sex-slave traffic, incest, and racial unrest. (Plus, the producers do manage to slip in more than a few gruesome moments and high-tension scenes, almost always grounding them solidly in a coherent plot.) Throughout these six episodes, the plots are skillfully orchestrated, pulling together seemingly unrelated threads (a dead prostitute ends up linked to the hit-and-run of a schoolgirl) or subtly misdirecting attention (to provide examples would ruin half the show's pleasure). The show excels at drawing emotional parallels from Lewis' home life and her work, as well as capturing the human fallibility or manipulative impulses of the officers without painting them as bad guys. The entire cast--which includes Ian Kelsey (Touching Evil) as Lewis' closest ally on the force, whom Lewis might like to have even closer--is excellent, but Quentin unquestionably anchors the show. Her everywoman appearance s her character's determination and her sophisticated understanding of human behavior. Quentin had hinted at this dramatic strength in her previous mystery series, Jonathan Creek, but Blue Murder: Set 1 reveals a completely different side of her considerable talent. --Bret Fetzer