Jane Tennison

At The Cinema                            Best Series Ever (Confirmed) Salesmen will understand.  When I find something that excites me, I am compelled to tell people about it.  I'm also  naturally prone to over-hyperbole stuff, even afterjust  a short test drive. This sometime comes  back to bite me in the ass, like when I waxed all flowery about LILLIE: "This BBC series is magnificent on several levels, not the least of which is it's intimate look at Victorian Age London ..." Problem was, I had only watched  a few episodes when I wrote that. When the action  moved from London to America, the whole thing fell apart.  The characters were  boring and not believable;  the sets cheesy.  I immediately jumped ship, but felt guilty at having led others into a trap.  An event that would naturally send them cursing and to pretermit future recommendations.  Same thing happened with SPOOKS.  Almost immediately calling it "the best television action series ever made," it went into full blown, anti George Bush BBC liberal mode.  I have since skipped several episodes, but am recently  rewarded when Adam Carter gets blown away.  The BBC is no more to be trusted than NBC. But, Prime Suspect.   In April I called it the "Best Series Ever."  I just watched the 15th, and last episode, and it is all of that.  Confirmed with a ++. Premiering in December 1992, it lasted until October 2006.  Helen Mirren's 30 year career as Detective Inspector Jane Tennison evolves, almost in real time.  In those 14 years she ages gracefully, but noticeably.  I fell in love with Mirren, and this week's public rant fits perfectly Jane Tennison, who by the end had  become an alcoholic.  Bravo. Best Ever. By the bye, it happened that just afterwards I watched what I thought was the 81st, and last, episode of Midsomer Murder.   There was no great acting here, nor brilliant screen play.  And it was decidedly  about showing the worst side of Britain's landed gentry. But it was like chicken soup, or a sail on the bay.  Something to exorcise demons after a day of too much Obama. I just now discovered it has continued,  with retired Chief Inspector Tom Barnaby's  cousin, John,  taking over for him.  That series in not in the NetFlix line-up, but I assume it will pop up soon.