Crime Traveller : Complete BBC Series (4 Disc Box Set) [1997] [DVD]

Crime Traveller fits much more comfortably in the genre of drama as the time travel experience itself receives less emphasis as the events that occur because of it. Every episode can become complex due to the various aspect your watch the show from. Often the same scene will be in an episode two or three times, each time from a different angle and as a viewer you know more of the story until it all falls together at the end - captivating!

This box set is a must buy to own every episode as a second series was sadly never commissioned.

Essentially the story focuses on a detective - Jeff Slade and Holly Turner, the police stations science officer. Holly, buildng on the work of her father has developed a time machine which allows her and Slade to travel back (a limited amount of time mind you) to view a crime as it happens and allow them an advantage on solving it.

The character themselves are great fun. By the second episode or so you get a real sense of mutual respect and trust between the two main characters. The smaller characters are of no real consequence but for comic relief they are tip top form.

The logic of time travel the show built up was actually quite clever in places. And you may have to watch an episode more than once to actually appreciate what going on. Temporal scisms or loop of causality - you name it this has got it. But it never takes a step into technobabble which is a plus. The writer sticks to the rules and it pays off. And the time machine itself is although a bit clumsy looking is great fun to watch at work. Jeff Slade when he first goes with Holly back in time asks her 'have you just photocopied us?', which is quite apt when you watch the time machine working.

As a plus there is an interview with the writer who reveal quite a few details you may want to know about Crime Traveller. Why there was never another series made (thanks to the BBC controller); he also cruelly states that there were talks with US companies to purchase the Crime Traveller format that never came to fruition. But why hasnt any authors decided to continue the adventures in a novel format? Star Trek did it quite successfully.

The other extras are pretty poor such as the dodgy trailers for some of the biggest load of tripe ever to grace a DVD. Also the trailer for Crime Traveller consists of clips from the series, no real effort was made.

Saying that the quality of the script writing, character development, humour and the writer giving credit to the intelligence of the audience. It makes for excellent viewing.

Its a shame that the BBC lost its bottle and let Crime Traveller go. It was getting into the swing by the end of series one, promising so much yet never getting the opportunity of developing the series to new levels in the next series. Instead the BBC chose to the develop trashy television like the 'Royle Family', cheap easy programming at the expense of intelligent and witty works like Crime Traveller.

Crime Traveller was the one that got away, the DVD set is a tribute to one of the gems of the late 1990's television. Sit back, relax and watch the whole series one episode after another. Its a rich series that is sure to entertain.