While not a particularly familiar face on this side of the Atlantic, Robson Green has starred in many a fabulous TV show in England, and I must confess to having something of a secret crush on him. I don’t know if it’s his boyish, cheeky charm or his Geordie accent but I would probably watch him in just about anything. On second thought, I take that back. He has several shows about fishing…not seen any of them. There are three in particular, however, that are well worth the watch, although two of them are a bit gruesome.
Touching Evil After taking a bullet to the head and briefly dying, Dave Creegan makes a full recovery and becomes part of an elite team of detectives. The Organized Serial Crime unit focuses on stopping the deadliest of Britain’s serial killers, pedophiles and psychopaths. Yep, a strong stomach is needed for this show. It’s dark and intense and revels in the seediness of human nature. It’s frequently graphic and violent so don’t watch if that sort of thing isn’t your cup of tea. Creegan, as can often be the case with British telly detectives, doesn’t really like to play by the rules. He’s intensely passionate about his job and tends to rely more on instinct than procedure. This, of course, can lead to him butting heads with those around him, especially when mistakes are made. His partner Susan (played by the wonderful Nicola Walker) is equally intense but is more practical in her approach and she finds herself reining in her partner on more than one occasion. Storylines are complex and perhaps a touch befuddling at times, but the strong writing and brilliant acting by all involved keep it firmly upright on its feet.
Wire In The Blood From 2002-2008, Robson played Dr. Tony Hill. While another crime drama, this time our protagonist is a psychologist who treats serial criminals. With a deep knowledge and understanding of deviant behaviour, Dr. Hill is able to penetrate the criminal mind and help the police solve their cases. The approach in this show is a little different in that we usually know who the killer is well before the end. The emphasis becomes the workings of the criminal mind and what makes it tick as opposed to how the murder is solved. The suspense is in trying to figure out how to stop the killer before he kills again. Tony himself is a rather eccentric, somewhat socially inept character which lends him an edgy quirkiness. Indeed, Tony’s idiosyncrasies create many odd situations which can be very funny, making it several notches lighter than Touching Evil.
Grantchester Almost 20 years on and Robson Green is still trying to catch the bad guys in Grantchester (PBS). I think perhaps the passage of time has softened Green some, for here the dark and gritty leans toward light and fizzy. In truth, this show really belongs to James Norton as Sydney Chambers, the ridiculously charming vicar of Grantchester. Sidney, a most forward-thinking vicar, is in stark contrast to the postcard-picturesque 1950’s Cambridge. He is a defender of blacks and gays and people who commit suicide. He loves jazz — but loves whisky more — and is perpetually concerned about his rather large consumption of it. But what’s most intriguing about Sidney is that he is more than willing to break a few commandments in his search for the truth. Green plays Geordie, the policeman Sidney turns to for help solving a death he believes is murder. At first, Geordie refuses to play ball but after some badgering, the two pair up and over time develop a relationship which today would surely be labelled a bromance. It’s all very sweet and traditionally charming in that mid-century way. What gives this show its richness though — and my favourite thing about it — is Sidney’s inability to see things as black and white. He inhabits the messy grey areas of humanity which has a tendency to undermine his religion. This forces him to question his faith, or the absoluteness of it, and fuels intriguing debates with Geordie, a non-believer. As always there is a great supporting cast who wear their quirky traits well and lots of sparkling banter which makes this show a pleasure to watch.
Also a great watch (albeit a little long in the tooth now) is Reckless in which Green plays Dr. Owen Springer, a surgeon moving from London to Manchester who begins an affair with Anna Fairley whom he meets on the train. Unfortunately, it turns out that Anna’s husband is Owen’s new boss. Ouch! It’s a great show and well worth the watch if it pops up for streaming somewhere. Just don’t watch the sequel — it’s bloody atrocious.
