Customer Reviews

Sutherland's Law [DVD] [2008]

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have fond memories of this series. It has stood the test of time in my opinion and as I am a Scot and know the West highlands well it is a wonderful walk down memory lane. The characters are authentic and the plots well written. I knew people just like them. I hope there will be another DVD release of any further episodes.

It was an immense pleasure to revisit the world of Sutherland's Law for the first time in more than thirty years. Filmed in Oban, (recast as the fictional town of Glendoran) the series revolves around the work of John Sutherland, Procurator Fiscal (a sort of local Director of Public Prosecutions or District Attorney), who oversees the local law enforcement community. Iain Cuthbertson as Sutherland is quite superb.

The stories are all entirely plausible, thoguh in this first series there was a definite tendency towards the bleak. Very tightly written, and perfectly acted, these episodes are a definite antidote to today's violence drenched crime series.

I remember watching this great series with my Dad in the 1970s and I can't wait to turn the clock back with this DVD. Iain Cuthbertson was the perfect embodiment of a straight-talking, hard-nosed PF, John Sutherland, who was never one to shy away from conflict in order uncover the truth and get to the bottom of a crime that had been committed.

Sutherland's Law [DVD] [2008]

I am watching this dvd at the moment. It really takes me back. It is set in the Scottish countryside with terrific scenery. The acting is good on the whole. The dress reminds me of my youth, perhaps that is what makes it attractive to me. It is good value if you like the old television stuff.

Sutherland's Law came onto our screens in 1973 and brought a fresh slant on the justice system, being set in Scotland in the office of Procurator Fiscal John Sutherland (public prosecutor).

Iain Cuthbertson gave an inspired performance as no nonscense John Sutherland aided by his new depute Alec Duthie played by Gareth Thomas and legal secretary Christine Russell played by Maev Alexander. The other regular character was police sergeant McKechnie played by Don McKillop.

There are 10 surviving episodes of the original 13 of series one, with one surviving only in black and white. The stories are varied and gripping by a team of writers including series creator Lindsey Galloway.

After watching all the episodes I was wanting more and hope that series two will be resurrected from the film achieve soon.

Good to see this landmark series available even though many of the original episodes were lost by the BBC. Also a must to any collector of old series and we did quite enjoy the different stories on the discs. However, there is a distinct lack of back-story and character development. There was little to warm you to Sutherland as he was very gruff and unpleasant, even to his staff. Also when you consider it was filmed in such a beautiful art of Scotland, there were hardly any outdoor shots other than those which could have been street scenes anywhere. Few scenic shots - you certainly couldn't recognise it as Oban. None the less, an interesting curiosity and I enjoyed seeing some other excellent actors appear who became better known later on, particularly in Scotland.

Unlike the other reviewers, I have no knowledge of the Highlands nor did I see the series when first broadcast. I chose to purchase this series because I was trying to find work of a certain genre, and this seemed to be what I was looking for.

It is charming. The characters are basically kind people, although each has his or her stubborn streak. All of them at one or other time defy the norms either of conventional behaviour, or of modern justice or simply do what is not expected of them, but it is always for the good of humanity and in the interests of those they are trying to help.

Standing head and shoulders (literally and figuratively) over all is the star of the series - the Procurator Fiscal, played by Iain Cuthbertson, a commanding presence. He is irritable, impatient, fatherly, logical, kindly, and always one step ahead of everyone else. The role is ably balanced by his junior assistant, played by Gareth Thomas who represents education and youthful enthusiasm and a welcome bit of light is found by the secretary played by Maev Alexander whose colourful 70s clothing gives a brightness against the rather sombre Scottish situation played out against almost uniformly grey weather.

This is by and large a pleasant series. It is well put together, evocative of a world different from one's own, but still one whose characters we would like to get to know better. However there are also some really dark moments. "The Prodigal," which features Rachael Kempson has an unexpected ending which borders on horror. This and other such moments in other episodes give it that pungency which makes for a little more depth than just a thought-provoking court-room drama played out in a little-known corner of the world. I loved it, and wish there were more episodes available, but it might be a little slow for some, and certainly, the greyness of the surroundings creates the need for a conscious effort not to allow it to affect one's expectations. This is Highland weather, and those of sunnier climates have to remember that, and not regard it as a mood-inducing metaphor.

For a series made nearly forty years ago the technical quality of each episode is not at all bad, though the opening titles are a bit grainy. On the whole though, the visual and audio quality is at least as good as other BBC DVD titles I have from the same period. Also, when Sutherland's Law first aired, Iain Cuthbertson was Chancellor of Aberdeen University and often dined with us in Johnston Hall. Whenever he did we'd always nudge each other and whisper,

`Look! There's Sutherland's Law.'

Happy days.

I mention this to explain my favourable bias towards this set, a bias that newcomers may not entertain. Yet, while those used to more modern dramas may find the plots extremely slow and lack-lustre, that was how they did things in those days. So this set will probably appeal most to folk my age who saw all the episodes first time round and have very fond memories of them. Otherwise students of legal affairs may welcome the insight they give into Scottish legal procedures, which are distinct from those in the rest of the UK. As far as I am aware Sutherland's Law was the first TV series to accurately lay bare the work of a Scottish Procurator Fiscal (District Attorney) and the Scottish legal system in general.

At the same time you should be aware that this series portrays a Scotland that had been long gone by 1973. I think many my vintage would agree that Sutherland's Law wasn't a hundred per cent representative of Scottish life and how most Scottish people behaved at the time. It rather depicts how the producers wished the world to perceive Scotland and The Scots in the 1970s. Consequently, when first broadcast, Sutherland's Law reminded me of the BBC's mid-60s production of Dr. Finlay's Casebook, starring Bill Simpson, Andrew Cruikshank and Barbara Mullen. The tartan shortbread tin, the wee white Westie and the sprig of heather lurk menacingly in the background. Whereas, by 1973 Scotland was far from the`traditional' image of it that the media inclined to purvey. Although this might have been good for tourism it was broadly despised by cynical young Scots unconnected with the tourist industry.

But don't let my witterings put you off. I recommend Sutherland's Law for its nostalgia value and fine acting by stalwart Scottish actors, some of whom are sadly no longer with us. (Look out for Charlie Sim, he of STV's renowned ONE O'CLOCK GANG).

Furthermore, if you like Iain Cuthbertson, try the BBC's earlier production of Tom Brown's Schooldays [1971] [DVD] in which Mr C makes a great job of playing the headmaster of Rugby school.

I remember the series and this DVD was a refreshing reminder of series which I enjoyed when they appeared on television

I think there ought to be a more prominent warning that The Family is in black and white. I thought there was something wrong with my DVD player until I found out on Google that other people had been caught out. The quality of viewing on this episode was obviously much lower than with the other episodes. Otherwise it was a good DVD.