you_me557 It was one of the best series I have watched in a while. It is of such a compelling high standard but with an interesting twist in the last episode, which brings in the human element. The story line was quite different and shown a different part of policing otherwise never seen before. Dramas from the UK always impress me with the great scenery, even if it is in the middle of London. The cast of Elaine Cassidy as Detective Amy Harris, Emma Fielding Detective Superintendent, Jonas Armstrong as the support detective was well cast and scripted, however I felt that the casting of 'Amy' as such a young detective may be unrealistic, but maybe thats part of the cover.very enjoyable

terim-1 I really enjoyed this 8 part series, largely due to the lead character's convincing evolution from episode to episode. It is not light stuff, and the good cop bad cop plots tackle serious issues of law enforcement ethics and the slippery morality of undercover "internal affairs" cops. Though the lead good cop, played by Elaine Cassidy, succeeds in most of her missions, the result is rarely satisfying to the character or the audience, as tragically flawed cops get caught in traps and slippery career-minded superiors operate behind the scenes. Cassidy is quite good, creating a character who progresses from gung-ho righteousness to grim determination; she is both manipulated and manipulating.In some ways, the blurry morality and internal affairs theme reminds me of The Shield. For an American who doesn't watch a whole lot of British cop TV, it also provided an interesting insight into police work on that side of the pond. Unfortunately, the photography and editing can be distractingly bad, and yet the excellent acting and thought provoking perspective on police ethics more than make up for technical shortcomings. Kudos especially to Cassidy, who has proved herself an astonishingly versatile actress in recent years.

grant-wray In the first episode we follow a police complaints division investigation into brutality accusations at a police station. The drama is shown from the point of view of Amy, a young female officer who's 'collar' is murdered in an interview room. As she tries to clear her name during the 'lock-down' no-one can be trusted, and the division between right and wrong blurs remarkably. This is a well made TV drama that shows off the talents of Elaine Cassidy well. My only gripe is that the makers had the chance to break the mould for this kind of drama and chose not to do so. Too many drama series produced today make use of the narrative style of showing things from the viewpoint of a single central character; it has become a writers cliché. The obvious conclusion of the first episode was that Amy was going to join the undercover squad after showing her mettle; she gave such a strong performance right from the outset that it became a foregone conclusion. How much more intriguing (and difficult) it would have been had they used the tension created during an internal investigation by showing it from the point of view of the people it affected, moving on to a new investigation and new central character each week.

nat365 This is the first really gritty police drama I've seen for a long time. I am a big fan of CSI, Law and Order SVU, Without A Trace. But unlike those shows, that have the shine of Hollywood on them, this really feels dirty. It's portraying police work as it is. No false glamour, just real people, doing a job that most people wouldn't have the stomach for.SPOILERS:I loved the first episode of this, when Amy got into the 'Ghost Squad'. She was forced to turn on her friends, and although she didn't like it, she did it. It was a great introduction to the series, and to Amy's character.The second episode was far less straightforward. In fact, for most of it I was confused as to who was undercover, who was undercover with the people who were undercover, and who were the straightforward bad guys (although it's possibly my fault, for not giving the program my absolute full attention during the first half). However, I equate this confusion with a good programme. It made me think, and many TV shows are scared to challenge their audiences in this way.Lots of swearing, but that's to be expected in real life, so that's what you get here. I'm always amazed that Jack Bauer gets through each of his horrible days, swearing so little.Anyway, to sum up, this is a brilliant new drama, full of promise. I hope it lives up to it's first couple of episodes, and from what I've seen so far, I'm sure it will.