Acorn Media
Release date: Jan 20th, 2009
MSRP: $99.99
Stars:Peter Davidson, Emma Amos, Sean Hughes
Based on the books of Leslie Thomas The Last Detective follows Detective Constable Dangerous Davies(Peter Davidson) as he gets dumped with cases that no one else wants to take. Dangerous is a nice guy and that may be part of his problem, but it also works to his advantage as he almost always manages to solve the case.
Dangerous is a very average guy in the scheme of things and for me that’s part of the appeal. He’s in an office with two other detectives who want the flashy cases and want to move on. His boss, DI Aspinall just wants to get through the day and go have drinks. Davies gets on his nerves for just this reason, rather than write off a case as a suicide or accidental death and move on he wants do dig into it. As it happens Davies is almost always right and closes a lot cases as a result.
The back story for Davies includes a wife he’s separated from (Julie, played by Emma Amos)who he still loves madly. The series starts with them living separately with contact between them happening because of the St. Bernard they own together. This aspect of the show doesn’t detract from the stories and adds a nice depth to the series. Davies also has a friend named Mod played by Sean Hughes. Mod doesn’t have a
steady job, ever. He’s a nice guy and Davies is loyal to him, but he’s the kind of guy that would make most people crazy. Strangely he and Davies are great together and he is often, usually by accident, instrumental in helping solve cases. The dynamic between Mod and Julie is what makes us like him, it’s his doggedness and perseverance that make him a good copper, or at least an entertaining one for the viewer.
Viewers will most likely recognize Davidson, he was Dr. Who for a while and also played Tristan on All creatures great and Small. He’s aged well as an actor and is perfectly suited for the role which he plays to a T.
The Last Detective is a wonderful series for fans of British procedurals, and while it may be a bit tame for some, it is actually quite charming and at times engrossing. My only complaint is that I wish there was more.
The set has 17 episodes and also a bonus of the 1981 movie featuring Bernard Cribbins as Davies. The whole set comes in at 20 hours plus 110 minutes of bonus features.
Order The Last Detective from Amazon.
Jon Jordan
For more reviews from Jon, and the rest of the Crimespree crew, check out the index of reviews.
