Product Description: Follows the adventures of the underrated, overlooked, and old-fashioned British police officer, Detective Dangerous Davies. Genre: Television Rating: NR Release Date: 31-OCT-2006 Media Type: DVD
Amazon.com: Peter Davison is one of Britain's finest, most versatile actors, and creates a complex, counterintuitively compelling lead character in the British mystery series The Last Detective. The second series finds our unassuming detective inspector, "Dangerous" Davies (the nickname's ironic, blokes), quietly piecing together mysteries that the rest of the police force can hardly be bothered with. Davison makes Davies one of TV's unlikeliest heroes, and one of its most appealing: we see his self-doubts, personal pains (a not-quite-ex-wife whom he still loves dearly), and detective thought processes all expressed fleetingly across his craggy face. In one of the four excellent episodes here, "Dangerous and the Lonely Hearts," for instance, the case begins with the inconsequential incident of a child's shoplifting--but because of Davies' dogged investigation, layers of malice and intrigue are pulled back, revealing immigrant desperation, a shady matchmaking agency, and murder. As Dangerous methodically explores the case, his coworkers affectionately deride him and he struggles with his own demons. Yet almost obliquely, Davies manages to home in on the human weaknesses that inevitably lead to bad behavior--sometimes, his own included. Davison, whose storied British career includes standout roles in All Creatures Great and Small and Dr. Who, only gets better as an actor over the years, and this offbeat but oddly endearing series is a knockout showcase for his acting talents. Extras include a biography and bibliography for Leslie Thomas, author and creator of the Dangerous Davies mystery novels; a photo gallery, and filmographies of the impressive cast. --A.T. Hurley
Tthe Last detective ^ I had never seen this series when it was on PBS and I wasn't happy until I had found all four series. They are funny along with solving serious crimes.
I wish they would have more such series.
Great Series ^ I had a little trouble getting into the very first episode, but once I did I was hooked. This is really a great series. It has good plots and great characters. I recommend you give it a try if you like British mysteries ( low on special effects, great on story line)
A Witty Police Procedural that's New to Us ^ The second of the sleeper hit British television mystery series, "The Last Detective, Series 2,"now finds its way here. The series, a witty police procedural that we've never had a chance to see televised on this side of the Atlantic, is light-hearted, in the vein of Midsomer Murders: Set 13; or Rosemary & Thyme - The Complete Series. As released here, it consists of four new, full-length puzzlers. It is based on the Dangerous Davies novels by Welshman Leslie Thomas; was produced by the British firm Granada for Britain's Independent Television (ITV).
Peter Davison (All Creatures Great & Small: The Complete Series 1 Collection) plays the title character, a rumpled, clumsy, lowly detective constable. He is called "Dangerous" Davies ironically, as he is of hardly any danger to society's criminal elements - he's much more dangerous to his friends, family, and co-workers. Furthermore, his boss has labeled him the last detective, as in "You're the last detective I'd ever put on a case, except a crap one." And, as if to emphasize his light weight in the greater scheme of things, Davies works in Willesden, an unimportant, out-of-the- way North London precinct. Nevertheless, working in his plodding fashion, he generally gets his man, or woman, succeeding where his slicker co-workers fail.
Davison gets great support from Sean Hughes (the guy from Eejit records in The Commitments), playing his eccentric friend Mod. Hughes brings a lot to the character, and makes Mod much more than just a sounding board. The beautiful, and voluptuous Emma Amos does well as Davison's estranged wife Julie; Davison, a born nice guy who doesn't very often come in first, frequently finds himself mending her fences, or plunging her toilets, while she takes off for sunny foreign places with her beau of the minute. Rob Spendlove gives us a fully-inhabited, full of tics, tough supervisor, Detective Inspector Aspinall. Charles De'Ath as DS Pimlott and Billy Geraghty as DC Barrett contribute a great deal to the particular flavor of Willesden's police station. In addition, the series is chock-full of enjoyable characters, expressing themselves in the typical North London accent, to add to the enjoyable "local," but foreign, flavor. The series is certainly character-rich and character-driven.
Davies, who's nice even when he's drunk, is unfailingly polite to all. The mysteries in this second of the series, some of them based directly on the works of Thomas are complex and flavorful. They are: 1. "Christine." Wealthy would-be painter Maurice Leyman dies drunk in a fire while shut up in his studio. So Davies, with many possible candidates for the perpetrator among the unpopular man's acquaintance and family, faces the classic "locked door" mystery. Even the newly widowed Christine doesn't seem too upset at her husband's death. 2. "The Long Bank Holiday." It's Easter, and Davies had plans. But some computer thefts from government offices, a possible suicide at the rail yards, an absconded lifer on the loose, and a grisly find of human bones in a suburban garden all conspire to ruin the detective's holiday. 3. "Benefit to Mankind." Henry Winton's body is found in a canal. He seems an open-and shut suicide, with a history of depression, a booze-filled bloodstream, and a high-pressure job in big bucks medical research. But Davies has a feeling about SwanMed, Winton's employer, particularly when Winton's pretty young coworker goes missing. This episode guest stars the greatly admired actor David Threlfall, who starred as Smike in "The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby." Frankly; he seems wasted in his part here. It also co-stars Susan Wooldridge, who starred as Daphne Manners in "The Jewel in the Crown." 4. "Dangerous and the Lonely Hearts." A waifish Eastern European girl is brought to the station for shoplifting. Davies soon finds her pretty mother strangled. All clues seem to lead to a video dating service, where Davies finds some surprising suspects.
This series is a great find: it's witty, entertaining, and intellectually and emotionally satisfying. But: and now presents the De Pue closed captions report: there are none, and they are needed. You'll find that the cast does rapid-fire North London dialect, without regard for us country cousins over here. So you're going to have to work at it.
good work ^ Keep on putting Mr. Davison's work on dvd. The scripting template is a perfect match for him. His partner and dawg are perfect.
Good mysteries and good characters = great series ^ My only complaint is that each season is only four episodes long! In season two we get further into Davies's personal life. In the case of a lot of mystery shows I'd say this would take away from it, but this show has always seemed more about Davies than the mysteries. He's such an interesting, loveable character (c'mon, don't you just want to feed him tea and cookies?) that the mysteries take a back seat. This isn't to say they aren't good - they are well-paced and would work even without such a good cast - but they just can't compare with the characters.
Even the side characters (his landlady, his best friend, his dog) are just so unique and interesting, though not in a completely unbelievable, over-the-top way. The only character I want to dislike is his wife, and somehow I can't even manage that. You just know there's a lot of storyline left unsaid, and it's going to keep me coming back for more.
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