International TV Roundup: A Quality Quartet From The BBC In 2014

Inside No. 9

Former League Of Gentlemen cohorts Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith team up for their finest work since the League called it a day with this anthology series of six standalone stories. Though tone and character shift dramatically from episode to episode all are united in their embrace of ultra dark comedy and the simple fact that all occur in a location branded Number 9, whether that be a house number, apartment number or other such thing. If you've only got time to check out one of these make it episode two, a comedic tour de force featuring Pemberton and Shearsmith as burglars in a story that plays out almost entirely without dialogue.

Hinterland

The BBC has a long, long history of quality crime series and having created quite the local cottage industry in importing the best Nordic crime shows over the past few years that influence is now showing through in their local productions as well. Richard Harrington takes the lead in this Welsh production, playing DCI Tom Mathias freshly moved out to the middle of nowhere following some just barely hinted at turmoil back in the big city. Harrington has a natural gravity to him that is put to great use here in this stories of small town murder, each of which is allowed to stretch out over a lengthy 90 minute run time. Snow Cake and My Little Eye helmer Marc Evans directs the pilot, which gives you a hint as to the overall quality.

Bluestone 42

A military comedy set amidst a still-active conflict? That takes a certain amount of balls to even consider and not only does the Afghanistan set Bluestone 42 go there but it delivers big laughs while doing so. The key, I think, is that while the show is ostensibly about a squad of soldiers tasked with seeking out and dismantling roadside bombs there's very little actual soldiering going on. Like hospital comedy Green Wing - a great favorite in these parts with which Bluestone 42 shares two key cast members - the setting provides environment and a cross section of characters rather than plot line and it's all the better for it. You could think MASH too, I suppose, though that had a far more wry tone to its comedy than this, which aims much broader. Mileage can very a bit episode to episode - sometimes even scene to scene - but the cast is all very strong, the writing generally very very good, and when everything synchs up Bluestone 42 is very funny, indeed.

Shetland

The cream of the current crop, Shetland adapts the Jimmy Perez crime novels by Ann Cleeves with the absolutely sterling Douglas Henshall playing the recently bereaved big city cop moved back to the remote Shetland Islands for a quieter life where his step-daughter can be closer to her father and surviving family. Each story in Shetland plays out over two hour long episodes so they have ample room to breathe, the direction is fabulous, the writing even more so, characters rich and complex, and the acting absolutely top notch from top to bottom. Hell, they had the great Brian Cox guest early on and he was overshadowed by Henshall, which is no easy thing to do.