George Gently: Series One
by Euros Lyn
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Lee Ingleby, Martin Shaw, Philip Davis, Richard Armitage, Shaun EvansDirector: Euros Lyn
Brand: Acorn
Writer: Alan Hunter
Writer: Peter Flannery
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Subtitled); English (Original Language)
Format: Box set, Color, DVD, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.66:1
Running Time: 265 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2008-11-11
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Acorn Media
Movie Reviews of George Gently: Series One
Movie Review: Complex Plots Driven By Vivid Characters -- And Strong Women
Summary: 5 Stars
"George Gently: Series 1" is a television series of British mysteries/police procedurals that debuted in the United Kingdom on BBC1 in April 2007, and debuted on DVD, in the United States, in November 2008. The series is set in Northeast Britain, Geordie country, in the 1960's. It stars respected, award-winning actor Martin Shaw (Judge John Deed: Season One & Pilot Episode) as Commander George Gently, and is based on the long-running series of detective novels by Alan Hunter. It has been compared to Foyle's War: Series 1-5 - From Dunkirk to VE-Day; and Midsomer Murders: Set 16, for its combination of clever writing, stylish direction, and strong casts. It comes in a boxed set that includes the series' first three feature-length episodes, running approximately 88 minutes each, for a total of 265 min.; a text interview with, and biography of its star, Martin Shaw; and, thank goodness, subtitles, as Geordie-speak falls hard upon American ears.
Gently is an inconveniently incorruptible top cop, disliked almost as much by his colleagues as by criminal elements, and, therefore, bounces from Scotland Yard to Northumbria. There he finds an unexpected ally in ambitious young Sergeant John Bacchus, an overeager, opinionated young man who tends to play fast and loose with police procedures, a part played by Lee Ingleby (Nicholas Nickleby). Guest stars in Series 1 include Richard Armitage (Robin Hood: Season One); Phil Davis (Vera Drake); and John Kavanaugh (The Tudors - The Complete First Season).
The well-written, absorbing mysteries unfold against a beautiful backdrop we're meant to think is rural Britain, though as the series was partly financed by the Irish Film Board, I wonder if we aren't looking at beautiful rural Ireland. Characters discuss the famous Hadrian's Wall that runs across Northumbria, and was built by the Romans during their pre-Christian era occupation of Britain, to keep those wild and wooly Scots out, but we never actually see it. No matter, the entertainment has lovely backdrops, and is nicely filmed. The BBC has clearly thrown money at the screen - there are excellent supporting casts, extras aplenty, and the characters' clothing and cars are appropriate to the era, when Britain was just beginning to think about shaking off its post-war deprivation and depression, and London was -possibly--just beginning to dream about swinging a bit. None of this had reached the Northeast yet, of course - and, I can't help but wonder, did it ever? Never mind.
The mysteries are:
"Gently Go Man." Gently's wife is killed in a hit-and-run accident; he reacts with bitterness, plans to take his pension, and retire somewhere to fish. Until he discovers that Joe Webster, (played particularly strongly by Phil Davis), the sadistic criminal whom Gently believes is behind his wife's murder, has been seen in Northumbria. Gently follows Webster there, and finds himself facing murders in a local motorcycle gang; also that his incorruptible reputation has preceded him, and is making the local cop shop quite uncomfortable.
"The Burning Man." A body is found in a local wooded area, shot once through the head, then burned beyond recognition. Only clue: gold ring engraved "Wanda," found in the victim's stomach. An emotionally satisfying, complex plot, dealing with IRA gunrunners and a disreputable man named Empton from the Criminal Investigation Department's Special Branch who's suddenly on the scene. Features some strong local women, too, dissatisfied with their pre-ordained roles in life.
"Bomber's Moon." Gunter Schmeikel, a German bomber pilot who was shot down during the war, and billeted locally with a friendly pig-farming family, returns to visit. He's a fun-living, very successful businessman now, but he's got a dark side. And his body is fished out of the harbor. The detectives find anti-German feeling still strong locally and Schmeikel's cold and arrogant son hard to handle. If you've read down this far in the reviews, you've likely seen that a number of reviewers have taken strong exception to a very brief scene, of an eyeball, in this episode. Frankly, I didn't find it "euuw"-making: the scene, like the rest of the series, is not, to me, bloody, gory, or unduly violent.
These are complex plots, driven by vivid characters - and strong women--and I found them quite gripping. Shaw plays the title character as a man of gravitas, and an insightful detective. The 60's setting was a little problematic to me, as the quality of the film work was so obviously top-notch modern that, until and unless I was caught short by a brief scene of people smoking where they ought not to today, or heard a price given in the old money, pounds, shillings and pence, I really kept forgetting the series' historic setting. A minor quibble, to be sure.
Summary of George Gently: Series One
In 1960s Britain, an upstanding detective takes on a dangerous world
Award-winning actor Martin Shaw (Judge John Deed, The Professionals) stars as Commander George Gently--an incorruptible, uncompromising cop transplanted from London?s Scotland Yard to England?s North Country in the mid-1960s. Gently?s reputation for honesty and relentlessness makes him almost as feared among his colleagues as he is among criminals. But he finds an odd ally in John Bacchus (Lee Ingleby, Nicholas Nickleby)--an overeager, opinionated young sergeant who plays fast and loose with police procedures. Together the two tackle cases involving murderers, drug dealers, gun runners, and more.
Based on the long-running series of novels by Alan Hunter, these feature-length modern dramas boast clever writing, stylish direction, and strong casts, including guest stars Richard Armitage (Robin Hood), Phil Davis (Vera Drake), and John Kavanagh (The Tudors). The powerful mysteries unfold against the beautiful backdrop of rural Britain, a region just beginning to feel the rumbles of the era?s social and cultural quakes.
DVD SPECIAL FEATURES INCLUDE text interviews with Martin Shaw, Lee Ingleby, and writer/executive producer Peter Flannery and a biography of Martin Shaw.
The British love their mystery miniseries, but this new one, George Gently, has special historical flair for those curious about just how wide the generation gap was in Britain pre-cultural and sexual revolution. Each of Series One?s three feature-length dramas, based on novels by Alan Hunter, are set in 1964, a year rife with political cover-ups, biker gang conflicts, kids popping "dexies" to fuel all-night dance club parties, and elders, like Commander George Gently (Martin Shaw), scrambling to alleviate the rampant crime situation. In episode one, "Gently Go Man," the Commander is about to retire when his wife is killed, sparking his renewed dedication to catching thugs. Relocating from London?s Scotland Yard to rural Northumberland, where he suspects criminal Joe Webster (Philip Davis) may dwell, Gently teams up with dapper detective Sergeant John Bacchus (Lee Ingleby), who admires Gently but more casually approaches infiltrating youth culture for information. The series is propelled by the father-son relationship that builds between the two officers, as they successfully solve the murder of young motorcyclist, Billy Lister (Christian Cooke). Billy?s gang, including the fiery Lawrence Elton (Shaun Evans) and sensitive Ricky Deeming (Richard Armitage), unravels as sexual tensions between the boys are exposed, pointing to the necessity of an upcoming sexual revolution that theoretically occurred to prevent future tragedies such as those relayed in this story.
The subsequent two episodes, "Bomber?s Moon" and "The Burning Man," have more political bent, as Gently and Bacchus team up to solve the murder of Wilhelm Schmeikel (Christian Oliver), linked to various underground organizations. Schmeikel?s children, Gunter (Wolf Kahler) and Trudi (Nathalie Boltt), play key roles in each drama. Once Gently?s Criminal Investigation Department nemesis, Empton (Robert Glenister), is assigned to the case, the mystery increases exponentially as corruption infiltrates the effort. In the harrowing episode, "The Burning Man," Schmiekel is found with a charred stomach full of egg, chips, and an eternity ring with the woman's name, Wanda, carved on it. Turns out Wanda (Pooky Quesnel) is the most multi-dimensional character in Series One, as she reluctantly aids the police with manipulative finesse, maintaining a cloying, sex-crazed persona that spices up these extremely hard-boiled tales. Though Gently is a fabulous character, not to mention a brilliant detective, the crimes he is solving are so complicated that one must pay close attention to avoid being completely left behind. For crime mystery lovers, this will be a plus, while for others, watching George Gently Series One may feel like one is enrolling in detective school, so bring a notepad. --Trinie Dalton
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