Rent Dalgliesh: Series 1 (2021)

Watchable - Dalgliesh: Series 1 review by SB

I have seen the first two stories in the series, Shroud for a Nightingale and The Black Tower. Carvil turns in a quiet, thoughtful performance as Dalgliesh which contrasts greatly with previous portrayals but is valid on its own terms. The supporting casts are mostly good., and the period details (set in the seventies) seem mostly fair enough. It is a pity that the scriptwriters seemed to feel a need to enhance the storylines in places. The first one, Shroud for a Nightingale, is spoilt by an over-the-top portrayal of a sergeant whose attitude would never have been tolerated, especially at that time.

Subsequently I have also watched A Taste for Death on Disc 2. This is probably the best of the three stories, although it suffers from the same defect of an unrealistic portrayal of a cocky subordinate. It also adds racism to the sexism of the original story, in a rather heavy handed way. But overall, it is the best.

The extras also on this disk are okay - as usual the 'making of' feature starts well and then descends into a mutual admiration society; and very badly, the content of the second feature, about Dalegliesh, virtually all appears in the first feature anyway. The first feature also includes statements about earlier adaptations which are very debatable.

Update - Having recently re-watched the Roy Marsden ITV versions of these stories, I have realised how much has been cut out of all them in order to get down to a certain length. This is a serious flaw.

Something to while away the hours - Dalgliesh: Series 1 review by IR

Not the most compelling performances I have come across in recent years. There was definitely a vintage feel to the production, which was convincing. However, I felt absolutely no engagement with any of the characters, and while the acting was competent, it was rather wooden in places. There was a distinct lack of momentum to both of the stories.