Posted: 08/21/2011

Prime Suspect: Series 1

(1991)

by Ruben R. Rosario

Coming to DVD August 23rd, 2011 by Acorn Media.

Acorn Media’s release of Prime Suspect: Series 1 is an amazing work of British television and a benchmark in the police procedural genre. The great Helen Mirren stars as Detective Jane Tennison, a hard boiled female detective who has been passed over and undermined at every turn of her career. When another detective that’s on a murder case dies of a heart attack, Detective Tennison gets the chance to prove herself to her superiors and the male dominated police force to make a difference in the case. This first series boasts an impressive cast, intricate plotting, and plenty of twists and turns to make any person a fan of this seminal series.

Mirren’s performance as DCI Tennison is commanding and magnetic. With admirable dedication to her work and tenacity in the face of adversity, DCI Tennison is an easy character to root for as she tracks down the killer in the series. Tom Wilkinson does an excellent job as Peter, the loving husband that gets frustrated as his wife is consumed by her work. Their relationship is a very interesting one due to the way the gender roles work in reverse within their family. While their relationship ends on a sad note, it gives the show much more of an edge and carefully places Mirren as a flawed, yet humane individual. Another great performance in Prime Suspect is the suspect himself, George Marlow, played by John Bowe. Bowe does such a great job as playing the innocent victim that we believe him as he’s investigated by the police.

Not only is the acting excellent in this first series, the writing and pacing are top notch, as well. We see every single step of the procedural as they look for the serial killer connected to the murders of various prostitutes. Every little step closer keeps you glued to the screen to find out what really happens. The tension built by gender politics between the male dominated squad and Tennison keeps things very tense and provides a great narrative compliment to the tension in finding the killer. The show ends with one craving more and grants the viewer the opportunity to reflect on the interesting character that is George Marlow.

Acorn Media’s Prime Suspect: Series 1 DVD comes with no features or video enhancements on the disc. While it would have been nice to see the series in a decent transfer, the age of the series almost helps to support the notion of how gender roles have played in the past within the police force. Everything else about the show is so well put together, that it doesn’t need any sort of extra features or commentary in order to make the show any better.

Prime Suspect: Series 1 is one of the best shows ever made for television and a fine addition to Acorn Media’s catalog of shows from the UK.

Ruben R. Rosario is a graduate from Columbia College Chicago with a degree in Audio for Visual Media. He works as a freelance location sound mixer, boom operator, sound designer, and writer in his native Chicago. He’s an avid collector of films, comics, and anime.

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