The Last Detective
| The Last Detective | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Drama |
| Created by | Leslie Thomas |
| Written by | Richard Harris |
| Starring |
Peter Davison Sean Hughes Emma Amos Rob Spendlove Charles De'Ath Vineeta Rishi Elizabeth Bennett |
| Composer(s) |
Rupert Gregson-Williams Alastair King |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of series | 4 |
| No. of episodes | 17 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) |
Michelle Buck Tim Vaughan Damien Timmer |
| Producer(s) |
Nick Hurran Robbie Sandison Deirdre Keir |
| Running time |
70 mins (2003–2005) 90 mins (2007) |
| Production company(s) |
Meridian Broadcasting (2003–2004) Granda Productions (2005) ITV Productions (2007) |
| Distributor | ITV Studios |
| Release | |
| Original network | ITV |
| Picture format | 16:9 |
| Audio format | Stereo |
| Original release | 7 February 2003 – 31 May 2007 |
The Last Detective is a British TV drama series, broadcast on ITV between 7 February 2003 and 31 May 2007, starring Peter Davison as the title character, Detective Constable "Dangerous Davies". The series is based on the "Dangerous Davies" series of novels written by Leslie Thomas, and was filmed in the north London suburbs of Willesden, Neasden and Harlesden. The gentle but engrossing nature of the series was in stark contrast to other hard-hitting police dramas of the time, but this appeared to be a winning formula, becoming a surprise rating success.
The first series aired in 2003, with three more series following it. The first, second and third series all consist of four 70-minute episodes (90-minutes with advertisements). The fourth series saw the format change to 90-minute episodes (120-minutes with advertisements), and is slightly longer, encompassing five episodes in the series. After a total of seventeen episodes, production company Meridian Broadcasting (later Granada Productions), who produced the programme, stated that the series had been axed due to falling viewing figures, and that the fourth series would be the last.
The Granada series was not the first time that the title character had appeared on television. He previously appeared in a TV movie, first broadcast on 4 January 1981, starring Bernard Cribbins.
Background
The series follows Detective Constable "Dangerous" Davies. Davies discovered a crime committed by a fellow officer at the opening of the series, and is treated as a pariah by his colleagues as a consequence. Moreover, he is committed to his work and is staunchly humane, leading to a view of his being soft by colleagues, and a degree of grudging respect from local criminals. Recurring themes include Davies solving the apparently minor crimes he is given, often resolving more complex and associated crimes (historical or contemporary), and Davies repeatedly being the target of practical jokes by younger but more well positioned detectives in his unit.
As the series progresses his reputation improves with his superior, Detective Inspector (DI) Aspinall, who realises that Davies' intelligence and fair but determined methods make him the best policeman in his squad. A strained mutual respect develops between the two characters as Davies increasingly finds the time to try to understand the troubled, hard drinking DI and his history (and demons).
The other major aspect of the series concerns Davies' private life, which centres on his estranged wife, Julie (played by actress Emma Amos). The storyline regularly integrates Davies' attempts to address the loss of his wife's respect and to repair the damage done to their marriage after his career stalls in the Metropolitan Police Force; for instance, the estranged character returns to pick up a dog whose custody he shares with Julie (see below), to serve as her occasional chauffeur, and to carry out routine household maintenance at the family home (occasionally intersecting with Julie's new relationship interests).
His work and personal life intertwine in interactions with his friend, the irreverent and rather feckless Mod (short for Modesty) Lewis, played by the Irish comedian Sean Hughes, which include their park bench talks about cases and life, Davies' chauffeuring the unlicensed Mod, and Davies' walking his dog—an unnamed, but consistent character, a Landseer in early episodes, and later a St Bernard. Other recurring plot elements are the now "semi-detached" Davies' interactions with various female characters, episode by episode, and his relationship with Mrs Fulljames (Elizabeth Bennett), the romantic daydreaming landlady of the Bali-Hai Guest House, where he resides for a period.
Cast
- Peter Davison as DC "Dangerous" Davies
- Sean Hughes as Modesty "Mod" Lewis
- Emma Amos as Julie Davies
- Rob Spendlove as DI Ray Aspinall
- Charles De'Ath as DS Pimlott
- Billy Geraghty as DC Darren Barrett
- Vineeta Rishi as WPC "Zsa Zsa" Kapoor
- Colin McLachlan as Sgt. Timothy Stone
- Michele Austin as WPC Cheryl Holmes
- Elizabeth Bennett as Mrs Dorothy Fulljames
Series overview
| Series | Episodes | Originally aired | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First aired | Last aired | ||||
| 1 | 4 | 7 February 2003 | 28 February 2003 | ||
| 2 | 4 | 13 February 2004 | 5 March 2004 | ||
| 3 | 4 | 29 May 2005 | 19 June 2005 | ||
| 4 | 5 | 3 May 2007 | 31 May 2007 | ||
Episodes
Series 1 (2003)
| Episode | Title | Written by | Directed by | Viewers (millions)[1] | Original airdate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The Last Detective" | Richard Harris | Nick Hurran | 6.25m | 7 February 2003 |
| Davies' investigation into the disappearance of a seventeen-year-old girl deepens when he discovers evidence which suggests she was murdered. | |||||
| 2 | "Moonlight" | Richard Harris | Douglas Mackinnon | 6.26m | 14 February 2003 |
| The disappearance of an elderly philanthropist takes an interesting turn when his abandoned car is found parked in the grounds of Heathrow Airport. | |||||
| 3 | "Tricia" | Richard Harris | Pip Broughton | 5.74m | 21 February 2003 |
| Davies discovers a link between three separate investigations - an armed robbery at a job centre, the disappearance of a pensioner and a routine house burglary. | |||||
| 4 | "Lofty" | Richard Harris | Matthew Evans | 6.18m | 28 February 2003 |
| Davies investigates the drowning of a local character known for collecting discarded scraps of paper - but did he stumble across someone's well kept secrets? | |||||
Series 2 (2004)
| Episode | Title | Written by | Directed by | Viewers (millions)[2] | Original airdate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Christine" | Richard Harris | Ferdinand Fairfax | 6.18m | 13 February 2004 |
| Davies investigates the murder of a former Lottery winner after he is burned to death, while drunk in a locked room in a suspected arson attack. | |||||
| 2 | "The Long Bank Holiday" | Russell Lewis | Moira Armstrong | 5.77m | 20 February 2004 |
| Davies has to juggle a possible suicide, a murderer who has absconded from prison, the discovery of human remains in a local garden and a spate of computer thefts. | |||||
| 3 | "Benefit to Mankind" | Michael Aitkins | Gavin Millar | 5.65m | 27 February 2004 |
| When the body of a medical researcher is found in the river, Davies suspects the case may be suicide - until the man's co-worker later disappears. | |||||
| 4 | "Dangerous and the Lonely Hearts" | Russell Lewis | David Tucker | 5.74m | 5 March 2004 |
| The case of a young Eastern European girl who is arrested for shoplifting takes a bizarre turn when police arrive to interview her mother - and find she has been strangled. | |||||
Series 3 (2005)
| Episode | Title | Written by | Directed by | Viewers (millions)[3] | Original airdate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Friends Reunited" | Kevin Clarke | A.J. Quinn | 6.37m | 29 May 2005 |
| Davies investigates a life-long feud between a group of thirty-something graduates, whose tensions have somewhat appeared to boil to the surface. | |||||
| 2 | "Towpaths of Glory" | Richard Harris | David Tucker | 6.18m | 5 June 2005 |
| A decorated war hero, with a history of domestic violence against his wife, is found shot through the head on a garbage pile at the local landfill. | |||||
| 3 | "Three Steps to Hendon" | Tim Vaughan | Moira Armstrong | 6.10m | 12 June 2005 |
| The lead singer of a rock and roll band from the 1970s is found dead, having been murdered with a whisky bottle stuffed down his throat. | |||||
| 4 | "Willesden Confidential" | Russell Lewis | Matthew Evans | 5.84m | 19 June 2005 |
| Davies investigates the murder of a stock car driver whose car exploded during a race at the local stadium due to a dodgy fuel supply line. | |||||
Series 4 (2007)
| Episode | Title | Written by | Directed by | Viewers (millions)[4] | Original airdate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Once Upon a Time on the Westway" | Matthew Thomas | Nick Laughland | 4.48m | 3 May 2007 |
| A notorious diamond robber, Jimmy Vincent, is released from prison, and within hours, an armed robbery involving the theft of diamonds is reported. | |||||
| 2 | "Dangerous Liasons" | Ed McCardie | David Tucker | 4.52m | 10 May 2007 |
| The death of an amateur photographer uncovers a snuff film made in the 1980s, which shows footage of a young girl who was later found murdered. | |||||
| 3 | "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Willesden" | Richard Leslie | Douglas Mackinnon | 3.98m | 17 May 2007 |
| The poisoning of a stand-up comedian working the club circuit leads Davies into the murky world of comedy rivalry and playboy nightlife. | |||||
| 4 | "The Man from Montevideo" | Matthew Thomas | Sandy Johnson | 4.34m | 24 May 2007 |
| Davies investigates the murder of a limousine driver who is found at the wheel of his limo, his neck having been slashed with a broken bottle. | |||||
| 5 | "The Dead Peasant's Society" | Ed McCardie | Martyn Friend | 3.92m | 31 May 2007 |
| Davies investigates the death of Daniel Boden, who is found dead at the wheel of his car on a football pitch, and uncovers a link to a local Masonic lodge. | |||||
Home media
The Last Detective: Complete Collection was released on Region 1 DVD on 20 January 2009 and includes all 17 episodes of the TV show, the earlier TV movie, and other features including an interview with Peter Davison. The DVD set is distributed by Acorn Media UK.
Further reading
- Robert Lloyd, 2009, "What You're Watching, DVD reviews: 'George Gently' and 'The Last Detective,'" LA Times (online), February 18, 2009, see , accessed 27 May 2015.
- Lars Walker, 2012, "Netflix Review: 'The Last Detective,'" Brandywine Books (online), October 30, 2012, see , accessed 27 May 2015.
- Lawrence Russell, 2007, "The Last Detective," Culture Court (online), August 2007, see , accessed 27 May 2015.
- Anon., 2015, "The Last Detective," TVTropes (online), see , accessed 27 May 2015.
References
External links
- 1981 film :Dangerous Davies - The Last Detective at the Internet Movie Database
- TV series :The Last Detective at the Internet Movie Database