The Last Detective, Series 4 / 2008 Acorn Media / 342 Minutes / http://www.acornmedia.com /
The Last Detective originally started as a mystery/drama show on ITV, before being shown at different times on different channels in different countries. The series is centered around Constable “Dangerous Daviesâ€, and takes a great deal of influence from the similarly named set of novels by Leslie Thomas. Peter Davison (fifth Doctor Who, All Creatures Great and Small) is Davies, while Emma Amos (Goodnight Sweetheart, The Fastest Clock in the University) plays eir ex-wife Julie. The fourth series of The Last Detective shows an evolution in the relationships held by the characters; Davies finally gains more in the way of respect from eir colleagues.
The show itself gained an additional episode, moving from the four episodes of the first three series to five episodes for the fourth series. Davies really acts as the beacon, the fresh face, in eir part of the British Police Force. While it is by no means a direct comparison to Hot Fuzz, Davies’ character is similar to Simon Pegg’s character in that film, as the dedication that both have for their job puts them at a distanced position to a number of their coworkers. The pacing of the five episodes are stellar; where a number of US mysteries are limited to a half-hour or (if they are lucky) an hour, each of the episodes in the fourth series of The Last Detective has around an hour and a half (made a little shorter by the bumpers that were originally present).
The Last Detective is a stellar show, and while I did not have the luck to see the first three series, the episodes are so well written that no previous education into the characters is needed. Acorn Media understands that, but provides individuals with a little bit more in the way of information in the boxed set. While we as viewers are all caught up with the episodes that have been aired on ITV now, I have no doubt that there will be other episodes to come, and barring that, Acorn can find a number of shows that have not been put on DVD for the American market. If you like mysteries set in the current period, give The Last Detective a try. While it may be a good thing to pick up the earlier series, I believe that the fourth series is the best of all, and will provide individuals with the most bank for their buck.
Rating: 8.2/10