TV Critics: The Murder Detectives; Storyville: FBI Undercover; London Spy

“There are no awkward police partnerships, troubled backstories, memorable cars or signature clothing, sexy pathologists working through the night in steely cold light or laconic Scandinavians acting alone and mainly on whims. On the killer’s side, there is no artistry or humour, no imaginative or macabre staging of crime scenes. There’s nothing glamorous about any of this. Having a more journalistic approach would in some way have taken away from the sense of it being a privileged glimpse at something you normally only witness in drama. The Murder Detectives is that: a privilege. And gripping, moving, original television.”
Sam Wollaston, The Guardian

“Films of Record, the company that made [The Murder Detectives], has always been interested in process, and however filmic this all looks, it is process we are witnessing. The other reason the programme keeps its virtue is the cops, who have not been ‘cast’ for their potential as reality stars. The notable traits of DCI Andy Bevan and the community copper Ifor Williams are instead humanity and work ethic. We discover these qualities, so rare in television drama, to be quite compelling.”
Andrew Billen, The Times

“It’s an observational documentary shot over 18 months, in the style of a drama and the result lingers in the mind longer than fiction. For viewers like me not familiar with police investigations, there were some surprises, like the sheer number of dishevelled, knackered officers working on the job 24/7. They made mistakes, too. At one point they convinced themselves and us that they had their man but then his alibi stood up. The twist at the end of the hour provided a motive: a gun, or lack of. You could make this stuff up, and they do, but real life always gets in the way.”
Sally Newall, The Independent

“Most people lead good lives – until the day comes when they make the wrong call.’ So began The Murder Detectives, an eye-opening insight into the fragility of life, the realities of police work and the messy randomness of crime. This was boldly conceived, cleverly made programming. A simple idea, superbly executed. Timely too: last week, hundreds joined a protest march against knife crime in London, where 13 teenagers have been fatally stabbed this year. Enough is enough. But one episode wasn’t enough of The Murder Detectives. I’ll be back, hopefully to see justice done, over the next two nights.”
Michael Hogan, The Telegraph

“The best documentary of last night – possibly of the autumn – would otherwise have been the Storyville on a paid FBI informer and his attempts to gain the confidence of a young Muslim radical whom the bureau fancies for a terrorist. FBI Undercover could have been filmed as farce. The mood, however, was melancholy. Terrorism has managed to make America a little free and easy with the liberties prescribed by its constitution. Yes, the FBI needs to do its dirty work but perhaps it also needs Andy Bevan.”
Andrew Billen, The Times

“Storyville: FBI Undercover’s creators had impressive access to the mechanics of a security organisation, but without consent. The result was a tense, gripping 90 minutes that left a feeling of unease. It was hard not to make comparisons with Showtime drama Homeland, which sees the FBI and informants blundering in a bid to infiltrate terrorist organisations. In the end, all felt let down by the system. Al-Akili was in prison on a firearms charge, Torres was back with his family but unemployed and depressed, and the FBI refused to comment. If anything, it crystallised a point: there is no perfect solution in these difficult times.”
Sally Newall, The Independent

“Sex-and-espionage saga London Spy reached its penultimate episode with revelations and raised stakes. Hero Danny (Ben Whishaw) had found his boyfriend, MI5 analyst Alex (Edward Holcroft), dead in an S&M dungeon but managed to steal a code-locked cylinder from his laptop before the police arrived. This series has hardly gone in for gritty realism. There were showdowns in graffitied warehouses, burlesque cabarets and tiled abbatoirs. Codes got cracked by scribbling on glass.Portentously elliptical speeches were made. If it wasn’t for the nuanced performances of Broadbent and Whishaw, I might have lost patience with the more pretentious aspects of London Spy. As it is, I’m desperate to see how it resolves next week.”
Michael Hogan, The Telegraph