Product: Prime Suspect [VHS] (1992)
Rating: 5.0
Prime Suspect 1 - Prime viewing
It is hard to remember that 15 years ago this was a groundbreaking portrayal of police procedures and investigations. The issues of sex discrimination and entrenched ideas were very relevant when this was first broadcast. Helen Mirren's portrayal of the ambitious DCI Jane Tennison who gives up so much to be successful drives this very riveting police drama. It's realistic portrait of a murder investigation set the tone for police dramas to come. This is not a glamorous world, but one of petty jealousies, of family bitterness, of hours of mundane work, and the occasional breaks that we now take for granted in a dramatic series.This should be on anyone's "must have" list, along with the rest of this compelling series. Unlike so many other detectives from England, Jane Tennison is not someone who provides a familiar feeling, the neighbor, the co-worker. Yet her drama is what lifts this production above any contemporary story and can be enjoyed many times without the sense of it being a rerun.The only problem is that there are only 6 of these remarkable stories to enjoy.