An outstanding convergence of police drama and high technology
585141
I discovered this show in the middle of the second season and was hooked by the outstanding actors and well written story lines.  Since I had missed almost a season and a half of the show I naturally wanted to go back to the beginning.  I purchased the blu-ray edition of the first season from Amazon for $19.00 and have not been disappointed.  I have added the show to my DVR along with my two other favorites Homeland and the Walking Dead, which is high praise indeed.  If you have not seen the first season of this show on TV then this is the perfect way to immerse yourself in the characters and see how they have developed over time.  Highly recommended!
4873605
Best TV Detective series ever. Don't expect car chases, and lots of running around with guns. This show aims to be more realistic than others, and it works on every level. Slow start, but Stick with it, and you will be richly rewarded.

The acting and writing is completely on another level to anything you might have seen in this genre before. Stunning, moody, atmospheric and wonderful music. The isolation and not being City centred added a special kind of intriguing magic, which I loved.

Amazingly, I did guess who the killer was; early on, only because of a true life case, with a similar MO, which happened in my area, around ten years ago.

The voodoo; pagan content, was an inspiring extra, which added to the chill factor.  And I have to point out; that; I was not disappointed that; I guessed who it was,  because there was so much else going on not to feel, in the least bit cheated. Just watching two sublime actors, at the top of their game, was enough to please, right up to the exciting end.
I hope True Detective can get another season, because it is, with doubt, outstanding, and worth waiting for.
2018399
Based on the novels by Val McDermid, Wire in the Blood is a gritty, rivetting, suspenseful psychological crime drama; it is also, without a doubt, one of the best series of that genre around.  Robson Green (Touching Evil, Reckless, Me & Mrs. Jones, The Student Prince, The Gambling Man, Grafters, Soldier Soldier) stars as Dr. Tony Hill, a clinical psychologist who moonlights as a criminal profiler for the police.  Tony is brilliant in his ability to gain insights into the criminal mind, but his brilliance comes at a cost, compensated as it is by an equal degree of social ineptitude.  Like an absent-minded professor, Tony has a mind so focused that he easily becomes oblivious to his surroundings and to those around him.  It doesn't help matters that he talks to himself or that he finds it helpful to physically act out various aspects of the crime in question--things that are best NOT done in a public place!  Though the storylines are very serious--even chilling--the very nature of Tony's character provides the occasional welcome moment of lightness and humour.  Those familiar with Robson Green will know that this is the type of character at which he excels--characters which are, at the very least, just a little bit odd.

Tony's connection with the police is via Detective Chief Inspector Carol Jordan (Hermione Norris--Cold Feet's Karen Marsden), a shrewd, hard-working cop, who is well aware of Tony's brilliant mind and of his value to the police.  There exists almost from the start--and always beneath the surface--a mutual attraction between Tony and Carol, and it is here that Tony most poignantly feels his lack of social skills.

There are, at the time of writing, two sets on dvd (with set three due for release in February 2006).  Set one contains three episodes (each presented as two back-to-back 50 minute episodes); set two contains four 100-minute episodes.  DVD extras on set one are limited to brief text-based bios, but set two consists of interesting and informative interviews with Robson Green, Hermion Norris, author Val McDermid, and the production team.

Though this is a series, each episode is movie length, and I would challenge anyone to find a Hollywood crime drama as good as any one of the episodes in this outstanding series.  If you enjoy top quality, impeccably-acted, gritty, dark, intelligent psychological crime drama which draws the viewer right in--shows like BBC's Waking the Dead, for example--you will definitely enjoy this series, and I recommend both sets without hesitation.  I enjoyed the series so much that I bought McDermid's latest Tony Hill novel, The Torment of Others (2004), which I also thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend.  Personally, I can't wait for the release of set three, and I hope Koch Vision continues to release future sets as they become available!

Very highly recommended!
98617
An unassuming university professor and his research team are awarded an unexpected and thrilling opportunity: to program a cogniscent supercomputer: one with such awesome processing potential that its powers seem almost magical.
The team's intent is simple - the results are beyond imagining. In a spate of events that leave the reader breathless, the computer eschews human communication in favour of talking with dolphins, reveals mysteries of the sea hidden for generations, then lets its human questioners into the biggest secret of all: the origin of human life on earth.
It would be too much to expect that such an earth-shattering mystery should remain exclusive to one small group of academics (and the dolphins), and darker forces emerge, intent on the abuse of the supercomputer's power and the destruction of its ill-prepared stewards.
This is no ordinary Science Fiction novel.  Stylistically, it resembles hard and dirty American cop fiction in the Ed McBain mould more closely than it reflects Hoyle, Asimov or Banks.  Realistic, unstilted conversation, plenty of action, the hint of authorial knowledge and authority beyond that of a mere civilian all provide a unique vehicle for such cosmically challenging themes as the history of Man, the future of technology, the secrets of the ocean and the enigmas of the universe.  An ambitious precept, stretching credulity at times, yet masterfully executed.
The result is a thoroughly enjoyable, stylish, pacy, highly intriguing reading experience.  Big questions, daring answers, and a message from the dolphins that we ignore at our peril.
1360658
There's a lot to this series . The action is intense at times. And then there are thoughtful philosophical discussions about the implications of technology on society. There is an interesting discussion about politicians and how many of them operate.
4050571
Top notch intense police drama, very realistic, with excellent characterization. Very humanistic depiction
of both the good guys and the bad guys in the Police Department and on the street.
2634703
This is a cop's cop show. Eight episodes track a serial killer case to its conclusion with enough twists and turns to screw up a Google car. There's something here for everyone. Season Two is in the works and I can't wait.
2564345
Mr. Allison hurls us into 21st Century detective procedures with a vengeance.  No longer does the hard-boiled gumshoe detect through tailing the suspect, take pictures of malfeasances and finally grapple directly with the evil-doers.  Now it is all through the Internet, cell phones, virtual machines scattered around the world and a wide array of digital devices and procedures most of which the author explains with care and certitude although there were several occasions when I just had to accept that something worked without knowing why.  Even his car is fitted carefully with digital care.  But that old standby, the gun in the glove box remains.  In this case a Glock.  Our man might be digitally adept but he retains that which we like in our PIs: a willingness to shoot without hesitation.

We still have personality quirks though.  A hero named Chaucer (his father had been an English Professor) but prefers the name Chalk.  The academics faint distaste of business and its dealings. A dislike of sartorial splendor. And a mental illness that requires frequent medication.

The story opens with a dying movie magnate, glorying in the sobriquet Hollywood Hyena, seeking Chalks aid in finding his three sons.  Not an easy job since the three were by different mothers each of whom had received the magnates sperm through California Cryo Futures, a sperm bank that maintains the anonymity of both its donors and recipients.

The three sons are traced and found.  They all three have a certain similar characteristic - a taste violence.  During the tracing several pharmaceutical robberies occur at each of which a strange message is left always the same words and numbers just in different order each time. Old kidnapings that had involved the Hollywood Hyena come to the surface.  Military veterans start receiving mysterious packages fill with medications and the note Use or sell signed GR.

Since this book is planned as the first in a series we spend a lot of time learning about Chalk and his background. Ex-FBI, divorced, childless, Bi-polar and paranoiac.  I have read several novels recently in which the protagonist has some form of extreme, for lack of a better word, illness and the reader finds how this affects the plot just as other, more mundane backgrounds (FBI, Soldier, sailor, etc) do. Also I believe that as happens to many writers Mr. Allison suffers from the Curse of Knowledge in that some of his explanations depend upon a more intimate knowledge of the digital subject, so familiar to him, than I think his readers share.  It is, however, a good book, well-written leaving us with a taste for more Chalk.
2096784
As a lover of good cop shows my viewing as been a little flat since the ending of The Wire and The Shield. Fear not however the second series of the French TV cop show Spiral has filled the void nicely. Whilst not up to the standard of the Wire, but then what is? Spiral 2 is as good if not better that the Shield and way ahead of both Law and Order and CSI (Yawn)and better that Spiral 1.

As an Anglo/Saxon I am not sure I always understood the workings of the French legal system and the relationship between the police and the examining magistrates, who are confusingly called judges but are more like an American DAs. However I cannot say that this stopped my enjoyment of this excelent series. In a nutshell a group of French police investigate the burning alive of a drug dealer in a poor Parisien suburb and this leads them to uncover a large drug ring. Throw a couple of corrupt lawyers and we have an excelent example of the genre.
As an aside, do not expect French elegence. These flics must be the scruffest coppers on British, US or French TV.
Hope season 3 is a good.
1627105
Numb3rs is an awesome show with a stellar cast:  Rob Morrow ("Northern Exposure", "The Whole Truth"), Judd Hirsch ("Taxi", "Independence Day"), David Krumholtz ("Partners" and lots of character roles), Peter MacNicol ("Ally McBeal", "24", "Grey's Anatomy", and even dozens of animation voicings).

This show takes a unique perspective on crime dramas.  Don Eppes (Rob Morrow) leads an FBI team headquartered in Los Angeles.  One part "rough and tumble" and one part thoughtful detective, he initially dislikes having to involve his brother, Dr. Charlie Eppes (David Krumholtz), a math genius professor at nearby "CalSci", in a case.  Math to the rescue.  A new crime-fighting dynamic duo (with plenty of help) is born.

The show's producers found a wonderful mix of action/adventure, drama, and the show's math backdrop.  At least once in each show, we are treated to Dr. Eppes' explanation of how he applied math to help solve the problem.  He uses comparisons, common life situations, and even the occasional story to enlighten us without making us feel lectured or foolish.  The graphics interjected by the show's producers while he talks adds to the affect, though I wonder how the poor FBI agents survive without them!

The interaction and relationships among the characters adds to the show's appeal.  These brothers are, well, brothers--loving, supportive, and also competitive.  Parental flavor is added by both dad (Alan Eppes played by Judd Hirsch) and Charlie's mentor and friend, physicist Dr. Larry Fleinhardt (Peter MacNichol).  Love interests show interest here and there, as required for all TV.

This is a fun show and fairly kid friendly, though parents should remember that violent crimes are a common foundation for story lines.
2646928
My lucky streak reading great books here at the end of 2014 holds true, and this one is among my favorites of the year. I had no expectations, really, other than that it was a technology driven thriller (quickly becoming my go to genre for reading fun). It turned out to be that, but also a very dark and gritty street level mystery with private detectives, serial killers, hacking, and absolutely no sci-fi, which I did expect initially, all set in a dangerous LA and California environs. Interestingly, the technology angle reads like sci-fi in so many ways, but is firmly rooted in reality. The protagonist (the P.I.) is engrossing and quirky, and there is a much deeper story in him that goes untold in this particular novel. I hope the author intends to bring that story up in a future novel, because I am already there waiting to read it. Recommended with a capital R!
2814285
We are thoroughly enjoying this show.  It's new and different for a cop show.  The lead actors are well matched and believeable.  Show centers around a new division of the police force.  Where four officer's/detectives (one is a psychologist) who all deal with cases involving  mental suspects or victims.  Check it out.  I highly recommend it.
3852792
It's the future and it's shaped by a revolutionary innovation: digitization of the human cortex. At birth, a cortical stack that assumes the function of the human cortex is implanted the brain and it stores all experiences digitally. Nobody dies, at least not unless they experience Real Death, the (often homicidal) equivalent of the organic passing away. Cortical stacks are re-implanted ("sleeved") into dormant bodies (of criminals whose stacks are in long-term storage), synthetic bodies, or clones (for those who can afford them) to enable continuation of life, light speed travel or rapid aggrandizement of troops on a remote star system. A special class of troops, the Envoy, are trained to psychopathic proportions to excel in this new reality; they can swap bodies like gloves, absorb cultures like sponges, wage war with or without weapons, and manipulate people like puppet masters. Altered Carbon is the story of a renegade Envoy known as "Kovacs", who is forcefully sleeved on Earth and plunged into a complex murder mystery involving some very long-lived, powerful, god-like people.

This book is so thoroughly enjoyable that have to tear yourself off of it when you need to sleep. The plot is flawless, the texture is thick and while Morgan does not invent very many new concepts, he masterfully constrains existing ones into believability. The writing is excellent. Morgan makes you chuckle and at times laugh out loud. Literary devices like Kovacs' hallucinated conversations with his dead friend and occasional citations of remembered lessons of Envoy philosophy add color and depth to the narrative. There are no paragraphs that don't goad you onto the next one. All in all, this is great science fiction - riotously fun and thought provoking at the same time.
2067541
Having been a big fan of HBO's other dramatic series, such as Oz, the Sopranos and Six Feet Under I was looking forward to the premiere of the Wire enthusiastically.  Unfortunately, I found the show far too complicated and confusing to follow along via the regular television broadcast schedule.  The DVD set remedied this for me quite nicely.

The Wire is much more sophisticated than those other shows, and unlike any other cop drama I've seen on TV.  It goes into detail about the conflict between the Major Case Unit and the Barksdale drug gang.  It portrays the administrative hurdles the cops face in order to get warrants, as well as the behind the scenes politics that ultimately open and close big cases.  It treats the drug gang with no less attention, showing the individual drug dealers and their struggles all the way up the ladder.

Its critical to watch these episodes in order because its easy to get lost.  The dialogue is filled with cop and drug dealer jargon, and the connection between one scene and the next isn't always apparent.  The DVD set makes this possible, and once you get a feel for what's going on you get hooked on this series quickly.
3981154
You would have thought that police series have been done from every conceivable angle over the years, and it is almost an achievement in itself to come up with one which is at all out of the ordinary. However, the script writers have managed to achieve just that with Death in Paradise which is quite an offbeat drama. The series is set on the fictional Caribbean island of Sainte-Marie, but was in fact filmed in Guadeloupe.

Episode 1 sees DI Richard Poole of the UK Metropolitan Police seconded to the exotic island from less than exotic London suburb of Croydon, to assist the local police in investigating the murder of an ex pat detective. We quickly get the Caribbean flavour of the island with an under resourced and often laid back police force - as an example, in the first episode we have a goat wandering around the local police station, presumably to emphasise the informal nature of the operation. Poole is quite unaffected and goes about business in what one presumes is his normal modus operandi whilst constantly mopping his brow. How he survived the climate decked out in a dark lounge suit without going down with heat exhaustion is quite a mystery in itself!

Murders appear to abound in this tropical paradise. However, it is hard to take it all too seriously between the stereotypical locals and the quintessentially British Poole. I think that some of the plots are so convoluted that they are often more humorous than tense which I imagine is intentional and does make for quite reasonable entertainment. Although in a very different time and setting, Poole's style put me in mind of Poirot - carefully taking everything in and then employing the 'little grey cells' to analyse and pronounce his verdict.

This first season consists of eight episodes and we have a second season and hopefully more to come. The final episode finishes with Poole softening his straightlaced outlook somewhat and being reluctantly set to stay on Sainte-Marie.  Its really good news that these are now being produced in Region 1 North American format.
3651641
An excellent series that briefly hit mainstream TV in the  wee small hours. Thankfully I am a night owl and got to watch it. Yes, it has more of a connection to Blade Runner overall - but it does use the Recall concept quite elegantly. What I particularly liked was Ian - the incredible artificial life form more human than human - and the medical examiner which was a wonderful character that pre-dates our popular forensic shows like CSI. It didn't need a lot of fancy gizmos to sell the story because the stories were strong and the direction spot on. It just worked! Gone too soon, though and hard to find now.
3829476
I love this show. The characters and story lines are so well done. You get a police procedural detective show with issues about government, poverty, addiction, corruption, and more. So good.