Aside from cultural sensibilities and tone of humour, one of the most noticeable distinctions between the American and British television models is that they do not follow the same schedule for airing a series. While most American broadcast and cable networks follow the 13 or 22-episode season model, with episodes airing at roughly the same time each year, several of the more well-regarded series have aired episodes in a more erratic order, often with months or even years between serials. It’s a model that may appear chaotic, but it also means they’re not working on a strict timetable and my schedule.
About Prime Suspect Series:
Lynda La Plante created the British police procedural television drama series Prime Suspect. It stars Helen as Jane, one of the Metropolitan Police Service’s first female Detective Chief Inspectors. They advance to the rank of Detective Superintendent despite systemic discrimination within the force. Prime Suspect 2 continues up where the first series left off, a little more than a year after the successful conclusion of the George Marlow investigation. Tennison has won the respect of her department and the force as a diligent, though unusual, investigator when the skeleton of a teenage girl is discovered in a back garden with very little proof.
The Plot of Prime Suspect:
Jane Tennison (played by Helen Mirren), a no-nonsense female Detective Chief Inspector (DCI), is an officer in the Metropolitan Police, starting at the fictional Southampton Row police station. The story depicts her ongoing battles to prove herself in a male-dominated profession: Detective Chief Superintendent Mike Kernan and Detective Sergeant Richard Haskons’ loyalty. Tennison is moved to alternating responsibilities in later episodes, including a vice team in Soho and a gang unit in Manchester. In Series 4, she is promoted to Detective Superintendent and quits from policing at the end of Series 7.
The Cast Members of Prime Suspect:
Detective Chief Inspector Helen Mirren Jane Tennison, firstly of Central London’s Southampton Row Police Station, later Detective Superintendent in Series 4. Detective Superintendent Michael Kernan is played by John Benfield. Detective Constable Richard Hawley Haskons, Richard. Detective Sergeant Bill Otley is played by Tom Bell. Detective Inspector Tony Muddyman is played by Jack Ellis. Detective Inspector Frank Burkin is played by Craig Fairbrass. Stephen Boxer as Detective Superintendent Thorndike, afterwards Detective Chief Inspector Thorndike. Commander Traynor is played by Stafford Gordon. In season 6, Mark Strong plays Detective Inspector Larry Hall, who later becomes Detective Chief Superintendent. Robert Pugh plays Detective Sergeant Alun Simms. Detective Constable Jones is played by Ian Fitzgibbon. Philip Wright plays Detective Constable Lillie. Detective Constable Rosper is played by Andrew Tiernan. Gary Whelan plays Terry Amson.
How does the Plot End?
In this mini-series, Dame Helen Mirren reprises her role as Jane Tennison for the final time. Detective Superintendent Tennison is about to retire, but as her career ends, the death of a missing schoolgirl is discovered, and the hunt for her killer starts. However, the emotional aftermath of the murder begins to take its toll on the battle-scarred investigator as Jane and her colleagues’ attempt to identify their top suspect. As the investigation begins, Jane is grappling with her father’s impending death and alcohol addiction that she is frantically trying to conceal. As the popular award-winning series reaches its sad conclusion, there are plenty of twists and turns as Jane faces her most challenging struggle yet—herself.
Review of Prime Suspect:
“The Final Act” is a fantastic finale of a (usually) compelling series. As with the best crime dramas, the focus is on the core characters rather than the storyline or “whodunnit?” And if Helen Mirren almost outperforms them, that’s just a bonus for the audience. The tension is created not by the murder storyline (adequate but predictable) but by Mirren’s riveting portrayal of the firm and all-too-human Jane Tennyson as she walks the tightrope of her career’s final days. She gives us a woman who balances angels and devils in her character without ever veering into the predictable or unbelievable. That’s what keeps you squirming in your seat.
And they make good use of it, as the second season of Prime Suspect lives up to the possibilities laid out in the first while forging its path as a plot. While the first season was deeply psychological, the second season appears to be more of a traditional procedural, with the mystery’s core structure stripped down and translated into an episode of Law and Order, NCIS, or Cold Case. This makes it less effective in terms of craft, but it’s also a far more accessible story, with almost everything that worked in the first instalment carried over.
