The British have a way of elevating the simple detective series into a sort of cool TV event that creates huge stars in the process.* Prime Suspect* put the spotlight on Dame Helen Mirren. Before he was a *Harry Potter * and James Bond player, Robbie Coltraine was Cracker. And *Touching Evil *made Robson Green into that guy you see on every show ever aired on BBC America.
The latest contenders for this renowned list to hit DVD come to us from ITV and Acorn Media -- The Commander and Trial and Retribution. Both created and written by Lynda La Plante (the mind behind Prime Suspect), the shows pack that powerful blend of compelling writing and sharp, contained acting that make them easy pickings for an American rip-off.
The Commander features the constantly working Brit actress Amanda Burton as the leader of a troubled detective division -- not unlike Mirren's character from Suspect. Meanwhile, Trial and Retribution examines one complicated case per episode with a multiple-camera, multiple-perspective image similar to the split screen seen on 24.
Complete sets of both shows are out on DVD now -- with a second season set of Trial and Retribution coming soon.
Image courtesy ITV
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