Brian S Dour and dark with little realism as a program. Helen Mirren is a very fine actor but does not seem comfortable in this role. Her character is not a likable or even realistic person, and if the idea is to have some kind of gender message it fails as her character becomes worse than the blokey guys she takes over from.Real shame.

Brigid O Sullivan (wisewebwoman) I let about 4-5 years go by before another session with Prime Suspect 1. And every single time it holds up for its plot, its originality, its underlying domestic upheavals and its politics.Helen Mirren is brilliant. Frazzled. Stressed. And with genius lurking in those eyes. Dogged in her pursuit. Making it, way back then, in a completely male universe.I've watched it 4 times now. And it engages me from beginning to end.The supporting cast are outstanding. Watch for very young Ralph Fiennes cutting his acting teeth on a bit part.Always a 10/10 from me.Groundbreaking.

isoldevansteijn Helen Mirren portraits the female DCI with dignity, courage and flair. She ís Jane Tennisson and every episode of this brilliant British crime series is worth more then any other series ever made before or ever made since. Mirren gets into the character from the very start and she slowly builds a genuine person of flesh and blood, that moves the viewer, because we understand her anger, her enthusiasm, her frustrations. There is an American Prime Suspect series now, but I don't want to watch it, because it can never be anywhere near as good as the original and that is solely due to Helen Mirren. This can never be topped. That goes for all the episodes.

paudie I bought the box set of all the Prime suspect shows and started with Series 1 (obviously).This really is top quality police drama. At 3 hours 20 minutes in length the makers were able to take their time developing the plot and showing the nuances of the characters. For example we see a lot of the domestic life of the prime suspect, leading us to have sympathy for him and wonder if the police have the wrong man. John Bowe is superb as the charming, but possibly murderous Marlow.We also get to study the slow but inevitable breakdown of the relationship of DCI Tennison(played by Helen Mirren) with her partner, as she becomes obsessed with her first murder case. It clear that she willingly chooses to prioritise her career over everything in her life.It's not for the faint hearted either. I was surprised with the graphic nature of the post-mortem scenes, especially since it was made in 1991.Sexism in the Metropolitan Police is also a major theme in the show. There is huge resistance from the detectives when Tennisson takes over the case though are gradually won over by her by her ability.Written by Lynda La Plante this is definitely a classic of British crime drama on TV.