George Gently Series 1 [Blu-ray] [US Import]

"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 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 : Pilot & Complete BBC Series 1 [2001] [DVD]) 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 - The Complete Collection (Series 1-5) [DVD] [2002]; and Midsomer Murders - Series 1-2 - Complete [DVD] [1997],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 some 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 [DVD] [2003]). Guest stars in Series 1 include Richard Armitage (Robin Hood : The Complete BBC Series 1 Box Set [2006] [DVD]); Phil Davis (Vera Drake [DVD] [2004]); and John Kavanaugh (The Tudors - Series 1-3 - Complete [DVD]).

The well-written, absorbing mysteries unfold against a beautiful backdrop we're intended 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. 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.

Please make it obvious that both the DVDs you are selling are the same. I now have 2 copies of series one when I wanted the other programmes which I had seen on TV some time ago.