JANUARY 2022 - FILMS + TV (HOME-VIEWING)

Some cracking TV shows watched in January and not so much film - only two and one of those I must have seen three or four times already (or at least parts of)....

Taggart (1983-2010) - ITV Crime Drama - 27 series

One of the satellite channels we watch is airing this series from front to back and I've set the boxy-gismo-thingy to record the lot. I caught some on and off over the years and enjoyed them. I missed a load as there was a long spell when I worked an evening job for extra dollar. 

I'm enjoying the 80s Glasgow vibe, the clothes, the fashions, the music and of course the characters and the cases. It's an on-going watch with about 110 episodes in all to plough through. No rush though.

I've enjoyed these early ones when Mark McManus was slightly fresher-faced than in his latter years.   

From Wikipedia...

Taggart is a Scottish detective fiction television programme created by Glenn Chandler, who wrote many of the episodes, and made by STV Studios for the ITV network. It originally ran as the miniseries "Killer" from 6 until 20 September 1983, before a full series was commissioned that ran from 2 July 1985 until 7 November 2010. The series revolved around a group of detectives initially in the Maryhill CID of Strathclyde Police, though various storylines were set in other parts of Greater Glasgow and in other areas of Scotland. The team operated out of the fictional John Street police station. Mark McManus, who played the title character Jim Taggart, died in 1994. However, the series continued under the same name.

Taken (2008) - TV Film

Easy viewing when you've seen it a few times before. I enjoy seeing Liam Neeson putting people to the sword and recovering his daughter. I still think his wife was a bit of a dick, for setting things in motion. That said it wouldn't have been much of a film if she hadn't.

From IMDB...

A retired CIA agent travels across Europe and relies on his old skills to save his estranged daughter, who has been kidnapped while on a trip to Paris.

Around the World in 80 Days (2021-22) - BBC Drama series

A modern dramatisation of a famous old story. This one features David Tennant as Fogg and is excellent. Highly recommended. The supports cast, both back at the club in London and assisting him on his travels are marvellous. A couple of episodes still to go.

From Google...

Gentleman adventurer Phileas Fogg sets out on a quest to travel around the world and back home in a period of 80 days.

Four Lives (2022) - BBC Drama series

Incredibly sad and also infuriating when you realise what opportunities the police missed to halt a killer before he got fully into his stride. The investigation and the support (what support?) offered to the victim's families was absolutely disgusting. Decent cast, great acting, sober viewing.

From Wikipedia ...

Four Lives is a television series, first aired from 3 to 5 January 2022 on BBC One. It follows the true story of the families of four young gay men (Anthony Walgate, Gabriel Kovari, Daniel Whitworth and Jack Taylor) who in 2014 and 2015 were murdered by Stephen Port. Facing failings by the Metropolitan Police, they fought for justice for their loved ones. Stephen Merchant plays serial killer Port with Sheridan Smith as Sarah Sak, the mother of Anthony Walgate, Port's first victim

Ragdoll (2021) - TV Drama series (Alibi)

An alright watch. If I'm honest I'm not one for murder by dismemberment. I think I prefer investigations and fiction that concern accidental murder or crimes of impulse or passion, not the twisted sicko type.

From Wikipedia....

The series follows the murder of six people who have been dismembered and sewn into the shape of a grotesque body, "The Ragdoll". As detectives begin to investigate, the killer begins to taunt them.

Jesse Stone: Benefit of the Doubt (2012) - TV Film

Watched early January and if I'm honest I can't recall too much about it. I enjoy seeing Tom Selleck on screen and I like the moodiness and melancholy of his character. I'm tempted to try the books by Robert B. Parker, but to be honest it's not like I haven't got enough to read already.

From Google....

Jesse, a cop, who returns from his forced retirement after his replacement is blown up in the town police car. He is forced to solve a shocking and horrifying mob-related crime on his own.

The Last Detective (2003-2007) - ITV Comedy-Drama Series

Another enjoyable old series which we are working our way through. I like the dynamic between Peter Davison and the late Sean Hughes. There were five series of this one in all and it's another I might have caught the odd episode of. Dangerous Davies, the main character originated from the pen of author Leslie Thomas. There were four books in all and they are cheap on Kindle. I shouldn't but I probably will.

From Google...

`Dangerous' Davies is one offbeat flatfoot who takes the stuff at the bottom of the pile - the cases nobody wants. In his usual comical way, Davies and good friend Mod help unfold events that usually end up in disaster, but somehow they still manage to nab their man. Maybe if Davies wasn't such a nice guy, his coworkers would take him a tad more seriously. The comedy-drama is adapted from the novel by Leslie Thomas.

The Outlaws (2021) - BBC Comedy-Drama series

Last couple of episodes of this one watched and I liked it. Love a bit of Christopher Walken and still can't believe he was in this.

From Wikipedia...

The Outlaws is a crime thriller comedy television series created and directed by Stephen Merchant. It is shown on BBC One in the UK and Amazon Prime Video internationally. Filming halted in March 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In January 2021 it was confirmed that a second series had been ordered, with series one to restart shooting in February 2021, with both series being filmed back to back.

Plot

The story follows seven strangers from different walks of life who are forced together to complete a Community Payback sentence, set in Bristol. However, their luck changes when they discover a bag full of money, unaware that some dangerous people are looking for it.