My guess is they couldn’t afford the royalties to keep playing this song at the start of each episode! Anyway, a BBC1 drama starring John Simm, Phillip Glenister, Liz White, Dean Andrews, Marshall Lacaster. Written by Tony Jordan. On Mondays 9pm.
I can’t believe I haven’t reviewed this brilliant program sooner – I really wish I had now as it’s just got better and better. Hopefully they will repeat it soon so this review will be relevant again!
Anyway, the beginning of each episode does a little reminder about what has happened so that you’re not completely lost if you start watching mid-series. Basically, Sam, played by John Simm (Isn’t he gorgeous? I saw him at the Newquay VW festival, Run To The Sun a few years ago and despite being with a pretty blonde girl, he deliberately caught my eye. Twice! Ahh; one of those memories I can quietly smile to myself about occasionally) Where was I? Oh yes, Sam, played by the amazingly good looking John Simm, was a modern-day policeman until he got hit by a car and appeared in 1972.
The beginning and end of each episode sees some weird telephone ringing or girl on the telly talking to him incident reminding us that present day Sam is lying in a coma; but really the whole thing is an excuse to do a ’70s cop show. And a dam good one it is too. It’s a great mixture of drama, humour and a bit of will he/won’t he with the cute policewoman.
Mum tells me that it’s not just the scenery, fashions and old cars that are accurate; it’s the attitudes of people in general as well. Sexism is rife in the police station, as is ‘the old fashioned way’ of policing; things that would be totally unacceptable now. Whilst dealing with a different incident each week, Sam has to get used to all this and it actually brings to light, quite shockinlgy at times, how much things have moved on in 30 years.
Great telly. Highly recommended. Though how will they do another series? Will he go back to modern day and then have another near-death experience and go back to a different era? Will he actually die in modern-day, but stay on in the 70s? Will he find a way to visit the 70s whenever he wants? Or will I just have to accept that there won’t be another series?