DAVID BIANCULLI

Founder / Editor

ERIC GOULD

Associate Editor

LINDA DONOVAN

Assistant Editor

Contributors

ALEX STRACHAN

MIKE HUGHES

KIM AKASS

MONIQUE NAZARETH

ROGER CATLIN

GARY EDGERTON

TOM BRINKMOELLER

GERALD JORDAN

NOEL HOLSTON

 
 
 
 
 
Acorn's 'Suspects' Improvises On Police Drama
February 22, 2016  | By David Hinckley  | 7 comments
 

You might think there are only so many ways to tell a police drama, until TV shows like Suspects prove different.
 
Suspects, a British series that arrives on American television screens Monday courtesy of Acorn TV, sets itself apart because all its dialogue is improvised.
 
Yup. All of it.
 
To fit the mood and style, it’s also framed in a documentary style. Scenes look as if they were shot on hand-held video cameras or pulled from closed-circuit TV, the kind you find in an interrogation room or on the wall behind the counter at convenience stores.
 
Yes, there’s considerable risk here. Suspects could just end up looking gimmicky, like other shows that have dabbled in these techniques.
 
There’s an even greater danger that in a given episode or scene, all that improvised dialogue just won’t work, like a Saturday Night Live sketch gone bad.
 
That does happen sometimes. The fact the scenes don’t all look polished is fine, because that’s the point, but there are times when the dialogue meanders and falls out of the flow of the story.
 
The good news is that most of the time it all holds together. Between the real-time feel of the filming and the skill of the actors at blending in with their characters, Suspects more often than not feels fresh and different in a good way.
 
The actors make credible cops whose cases naturally all seem to have sensational elements: 2-year-olds missing and apparently murdered, pedophiles killing to cover their crimes, that sort of thing.
 
The three main characters are Detective Constable Charlotte “Charlie” Steele and Detective Sergeant Jack Weston and Detective Inspector Martha Bellamy (Damien Molony and Clare-Hope Ashley, top, with Fay Ripley, left).
 
Martha runs the East London precinct where Suspects is set. She didn’t get to that position by showcasing her soft side.
 
Jack and Charlie are smart street cops with a few flaws and insecurities, though we see very little of their private lives. Suspects focuses on the police aspects of the story and that’s a good decision, because it keeps the show moving at a fast clip.
 
It also enables the actors to focus their improv attention on the cases and not have to wonder when they need to break off and insert something from their childhood or their relationships.
 
Acorn rolls out the first season of Suspects on Monday, with the second season following on Feb. 29. Seasons three and four have also already aired in the U.K., with season five scheduled this year.
 
This being British TV, a “season” is a relatively brief affair. Season one is five episodes, each playing as a self-contained procedural, while season two is four episodes with a serialized story that runs through all four.
 
Remaining seasons are also four episodes each.
 
Acorn TV, which specializes in bringing dramas from the U.K. and other foreign lands to America, is available through www.acorn.tv as a subscription service offering a wide range of dramas, comedies, historical series and other overseas production.

 
 
 
 
 
Leave a Comment: (No HTML, 1000 chars max)
 
 Name (required)
 
 Email (required) (will not be published)
 
WHLQL
Type in the verification word shown on the image.
 
 
 Page: 1 of 1  | Go to page: 
7 Comments
 
 
We machining inserts will showcase your brand images and will increase your market. We created these products with the ability to withstand high temperatures during the machining process. We produce a variety of sizes and geometries of these products to fit with existing tool holders. Therefore, no matter where you use it, you can guarantee it perform and work better.
May 31, 2024   |  Reply
 
 
Being a provider of total solutions, you can surely benefit and enjoy the best possible production conditions. We integrated into research and development, production, marketing, and exporting services., welcome to our website to learn more about carbide inserts:https://www.estoolcarbide.com
Mar 7, 2024   |  Reply
 
 
Estool cutting tool inserts features include dished, unground, chip breaker, and indexable. The insert attachments can be screw-on or no holes. The thickness and other specifications will depend on application and request., welcome to our website to learn more about carbide inserts:https://www.estoolcarbide.com
Feb 28, 2024   |  Reply
 
 
Our services come in great value and reliable. We make sure that our products provide satisfaction to all our customers. Together, we can create a better future in manufacturing., welcome to our website to learn more about carbide inserts:https://www.estoolcarbide.com
Jan 29, 2024   |  Reply
 
 
One-stop shopping. Due to the diversity of metal processing, we can offer expert advice on specific design criteria,products customization are offered, without shape and size restriction. Special department to integrate resources for your other needs, except for carbide inserts., welcome to our website to learn more about carbide inserts:https://www.estoolcarbide.com
Jan 29, 2024   |  Reply
 
 
Kelly Bradford
I love British television,especially British Detective shows. One show in particular is Suspects and the character Jack who is too overzealous and arrests someone in every scene which is a little bit rediculous . His character should lighten up some which would seem for real.
May 12, 2018   |  Reply
 
 
Angela
I'm happy to see your critiquing Acorn shows. Lately I've been watching very little American TV but rather many hours of online international shows so these helps me a lot.
Feb 24, 2016   |  Reply
 
 
 
 Page: 1 of 1  | Go to page: