Prime Suspect 1

Starring:Helen Mirren, John Benfield, Tom Bell, John Bowe, ZoÃ« Wanamaker, Bryan Pringle, Tom Wilkinson, Gary Whelan, John Forgeham, Jack Ellis (III), Philip Wright, Craig Fairbrass, Ian Fitzgibbon, Mossie Smith, Andrew Tiernan, Richard Hawley, Mark Spalding, Tom Bowles, Dave Bond, Seamus O'Neill
Director: Christopher Menaul
Studio: Anchor Bay
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com essential video

Helen Mirren's Detective Chief Inspector Jane Tennison, the only female DCI on an old boy's club London homicide squad, is like a phantom lurking around the edges of the action while the men rush through their latest murder case, joshing and winking in the kind of male camaraderie the cop genre has celebrated for decades. When DCI Shefford dies of a sudden heart attack, Tennison demands to take over. Despite her superintendent's resistance ("Give her this case and she'll start expecting more."), she becomes the squad's first woman to head a murder investigation. Scrutinized at every moment by her superior officers, Tennison is faced with a case that spirals out from a single murder to a serial spree, a second-in-command who undermines her authority and her investigation at every turn, a team resistant to taking orders from a woman, and a private life unraveling due to her professional diligence. Lynda La Plant's script is a compelling thriller riddled with ambiguity that turns dead ends, blind alleys, and the mundane legwork of real-life cops into fascinating details. Mirren commands the role of Tennison with authority, intelligence, and a touch of overachieving desperation. Superb performances, excellent writing, and understated direction make this BBC miniseries one of the most involving mysteries in years. Look for future British stars Ralph Fiennes and Tom Wilkinson in supporting roles. --Sean Axmaker

Description

Helen Mirren (Teaching Mrs. Tingle/Gosford Park) introduces the character of Detective Chief Inspector Jane Tennison in the first of the series PRIME SUSPECT, which aired on PBS in January 1992. There will be five series in all, with a sixth currently set to air in the summer of 2004. When a young woman is found brutally murdered and the DCI in charge is unable to take up the case, it is passed to Jane Tennison, the first female DCI to handle such responsibility. Between a slippery suspect and resistance from her team of detectives, Tennison has her hands full. But she's got the strength to take them all on.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent show.......2007-05-08

Detective Chief Inspector Jane Tennison (Helen Mirren) is in charge of the investigation to uncover a serial killer who rapes, tortures, and brutally murders prostitutes in London. Tennison is put in charge after one of her fellow DCIs has a heart attack and dies. She inherits the murder case and soon comes across the connected second murder. If trying to solve not one but two rape-murder cases is not enough, Jane's work is complicated by the hostility of her staff. The members of the male-dominated police department feel humiliated and have problems following the orders of the female boss, no matter how intelligent, tough, organized, and fit for the position she is. Tennison's obsession with the cases and fighting for credibility and respect from her colleagues don't help to her relationship with the boyfriend Peter Rawlins (Tom Wilkinson), either. Helen Mirren is superb as DCI Tennison playing the character that is sympathetic, tough, vulnerable, bright, very clever, and sexy - all at the same time. Mirren was voted the sexiest 60+ star in the word few months ago. I think she's been always incredibly attractive and desirable - and always will be. She definitely lit the screen at 46, in her first season of "Prime Suspect" (1991). Creator of the show, Lynda La Plante wrote the story that ranks among the best police procedures and it is terrific - complex, dynamic, with unexpected turns, and interesting multidimensional characters. Ralph Fiennes played one of his first roles as a boyfriend of a murdered girl and he was memorable in a very emotional scene opposite Mirren. I look forward for more DVDs with the rest of the seasons coming from Netflix.

Wow! Puts the American police procedurals to shame!.......2007-04-15

I was amazed by the character development, plotting and overall quality of this program. Graphic and gritty, this episode really creates a sense of what working as a detective must be like. I also appreciate the genuine London setting rather than the usual Southern California film set. I'm looking forward to watching the rest of the series soon.

Very Brittish!.......2007-04-10

This series is exactly what the English love about mystery and crime. It's a tad bit dull compared to what we are used to with cop shows and series like "The Shield". That being said, this series is well done and does capture you over time. Rather than individual crime stories, this series contains only one crime investigation. If you like drama and cop stories, this is a good one.

Great actress, great series!.......2007-02-12

I think Helen Mirren is one of the finest actresses alive today, love this series (all the seasons of it), and love seeing her over the years in this series.

Prime Suspect 1.......2007-01-10

This is brilliant gritty British TV at its best. Every one in the series is excellent, I thoroughly recommend it to anyone who enjoys great acting (Helen Mirren is fantastic) and strong story lines.

Average customer rating:

Excellent show
Wow! Puts the American police procedurals to shame!
Very Brittish!
Great actress, great series!
Prime Suspect 1

Prime Suspect 1
Starring: Helen Mirren , John Benfield , Tom Bell , John Bowe , and Zoë Wanamaker
Director: Christopher Menaul
Manufacturer: Anchor Bay
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Similar Items:

Prime Suspect 2
Prime Suspect 3
Prime Suspect 4
Prime Suspect 5
Prime Suspect 6 - The Last Witness

ASIN: 6304911599
Release Date: 1998-04-07

Amazon.com essential video

Customer Reviews:

Excellent show.......2007-05-08

Wow! Puts the American police procedurals to shame!.......2007-04-15

Very Brittish!.......2007-04-10

Great actress, great series!.......2007-02-12

I think Helen Mirren is one of the finest actresses alive today, love this series (all the seasons of it), and love seeing her over the years in this series.

Prime Suspect 1.......2007-01-10

This is brilliant gritty British TV at its best. Every one in the series is excellent, I thoroughly recommend it to anyone who enjoys great acting (Helen Mirren is fantastic) and strong story lines.

Prime Suspect 1 / Prime Suspect 2 (2 Pack)

Average customer rating:

Prime Suspect 1 / Prime Suspect 2 (2 Pack)

Manufacturer: Anchor Bay
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video
ASIN: B00020E29I

Product Description

In the first Prime Suspect, Helen Mirren's ballsy woman Detective Chief Inspector Jane Tennyson battled the boys club and their sexist barbs to prove herself in a chauvinist department. In Prime Suspect 2, she's assigned to head a racially charged murder investigation in a largely African/Caribbean neighborhood. It's politics as usual in the image-conscious organization, so the superintendent adds to the team black Detective Robert Oswalde (Colin Salma), a sharp but hot-headed investigator who has just broken off an affair with Tennyson. Now Tennyson grapples with her own conflicted feelings while fighting political and public-relations battles both in the media and within the police system itself in the midst of investigating the labyrinthine case. Between the scant clues left to sift, a prime suspect on the verge of death himself, and divisions in her own team that result in a devastating death, Tennyson soon begins to suspect she's been hung out to dry by the department. Screenwriter Allan Cubitt dives into the murky waters of volatile racial and social relations to create an even more complex and compelling mystery in Tennyson's second appearance, and Mirren rises to the challenge to explore the contradictions of an uncompromising cop in a compromising position.

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