This has been a bumper year for detective series on the BBC. Wallander (currently running on Masterpiece) came back stronger than ever, and Sherlock will screen its premiere episode at Comic Con New York tonight. And then there’s Luther, a completely new and original detective series starring Idris Elba (The Wire), which premieres on BBC America next Saturday, October 17th. Frankly, we were a bit skeptical that new ground could really be broken in an urban police series, but screening three psychologically intense and plot-rich episodes dispelled any doubts. One wonders how compelling the pre-production buzz for this series was, because so many fine actors are in the supporting cast: Ruth Wilson (Jane Eyre – 2006), Paul McGann (Collision, Doctor Who), Indira Varma (Rome) and Steven Mackintosh (The Other Boleyn Girl – BBC). Watch for Paul Rhys (recently seen as Ivan in Being Human Season Two) as a completely different kind of vampire. Like many British actors, Idris made some of his earliest TV appearances on the BBC, most memorably paired with Patsy in the “Sex” episode of Absolutely Fabulous Season Three. The Luther DVD will come out just after the season’s run. More Luther is planned for next year.
ATTENTION Henry VII fans: We had hoped to bring The Shadow of the Tower to DVD last August, but an unexpected glitch had to be ironed first. Happily, the DVD is now slated for early next year.
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