Kidnap & Ransom

Compelling Entertainment
The first episode of Kidnap and Ransom was released in early 2011. It was so good that we suspected that we may be seeing more before very long. Trevor Eve, who many viewers will remember from his role as DS Boyd in Cold Case, plays the part of Dominic King who works for insurance companies as an international hostage negotiator. The series starts off dramatically with King paying over a ransom, but receiving a corpse back rather than the hostage and this shocking event weighs heavily on him subsequently. The main story concerns a kidnap in South Africa which proves to be very complex and had viewers on the edge of their seats as they had to wait until the following week for the next episode on TV.

We had to wait a further year before Dominic King appeared again in a new three part series of Kidnap and Ransom. King was very obviously doing his own thing in the first series, but this time round, if anything, he seemed to be even more of a maverick and a complete law...

Impressive Drama
This is the first production to come out of Trevor Eve's own production company, Projector Pictures, and is a very competent three part drama. Eve plays the part of Dominic King, a Brit who works for insurance companies as an international hostage negotiator. The starting point is his latest case in South America. King has a career of successful negotiations behind him, and pays over the ransom money expecting to get the hostage back. However, what he gets back is a corpse. This shocking event subsequently weighs heavily on King during his next assignment.

He moves on to South Africa where an employee of a drugs company has been kidnapped. Without wishing to spoil the plot, more competent kidnappers than the original gang get involved and settle for a surprisingly small ransom. However, is there more to this than meets the eye.........

I saw this on TV and waiting a week for the next instalment did make it all a bit disjointed. I imagine that most people will get...

Kidnap & Ransom
A ghood short series only 3 episodes but it was a very well made tv short series. The acting quality was good and the scenery was spectacular. I couldn't agree with the ending but then I didn't write it and I use the American sense of justice rather than the British .

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Thomas & Sarah

A Thoroughly Enjoyable "Spin Off" of a Classic Series!
Fans of Upstairs Downstairs (a series which I highly HIGHLY recommend, by the way) will be familiar with Sarah (Pauline Collins), the vivacious, conniving, mischievous, tale-telling under house/parlour maid who entered the Bellamys' employ in the first episode of that series, and who, like a bad penny, managed to turn up on the Bellamys' doorstep periodically during the first two series. Thomas (Collins' real-life husband, John Alderton) was the Bellamys' capable-but-just-as-conniving chauffeur. With a pregnant Sarah in tow, Thomas left the Bellamys' employ in order to start up his own garage, and we saw the last of those two characters at the end of the second series.

It is a good many months after their last appearance at 165 Eaton Place that this 1979 "spin off" commences. It really goes without saying that it is for fans of Upstairs Downstairs that Thomas and Sarah was made, and if you enjoyed the former series, the latter really is a must see. Unlike Upstairs...

A Delightful Spin-Off of Upstairs, Downstairs
Although I had seen all of "Upstairs, Downstairs," I didn't even know that "Thomas and Sarah" existed until I read about it as an offering from Edward Hamilton, Bookseller. He listed it for $20 so I immediately bought the DVDs.

I'm so glad I did. Within a few days, I'd watched the entire 12-episode season. "Upstairs, Downstairs" fans will already be well acquainted with Sarah, the under-house parlor maid, and Thomas, the chauffeur of the Bellamy residence.

This series, a spin-off, concerns the couple's further adventures. Each episode is completely different as they try to make a living in various occupations, often involving one mischievous scam or another. It's hardly surprising that Pauline Collins and John Alderton have perfect chemistry together, being husband and wife in real life, which makes whatever they do highly watchable. But no matter how outrageous or devious or cunning their frequently lawless activities on screen, their charm and likeability...

A Thoroughly Enjoyable "Spin Off" to a Classic Series!
Fans of Upstairs Downstairs (a series which I highly HIGHLY recommend, by the way) will be familiar with Sarah (Pauline Collins), the vivacious, conniving, mischievous, tale-telling under house/parlour maid who entered the Bellamys' employ in the first episode of that series, and who, like a bad penny, managed to turn up on the Bellamys' doorstep periodically during the first two series. Thomas (Collins' real-life husband, John Alderton) was the Bellamys' capable-but-just-as-conniving chauffeur. With a pregnant Sarah in tow, Thomas left the Bellamys' employ in order to start up his own garage, and we saw the last of those two characters at the end of the second series.

It is a good many months after their last appearance at 165 Eaton Place that this 1979 "spin off" commences. It really goes without saying that it is for fans of Upstairs Downstairs that Thomas and Sarah was made, and if you enjoyed the former series, the latter really is a must see. Unlike Upstairs...

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Vexed

Hysterically Funny
I had no idea what to expect when I started watching this series (the title does nothing for the show, in my opinion), but from the opening apartment-hunting scene through each of the three well-scripted episodes, I found myself laughing outloud.

The murders are just an excuse for the "bada-bing, bada-boom" back and forth here. But there is enough there to make it work. And the supporting cast is all quite good.

I know, I know. You are suspicious when other people tell you that something is funny. Trust me on this one.

Crude, vulgar, beyond politically incorrect... and hilarious
Two self-obsessed cops who can't seem to edit what they say, a supporting cast ranging from cerebral to insensitive, and a lot of slide-off-the-sofa-laughing humor make these three episodes from "Vexed" fun and worth seeing.

This is one of those shows that takes banter and wit to a politically incorrect extreme, and I'm embarrassed by how often I laughed, out loud, watching the first three episodes. Then, I recommended the show to my husband and I laughed even harder, watching these episodes with him.

I saw this show (in the US) during a short run on Acorn TV, but the lack of captions required several rewinds to understand the fast-paced dialogue and slang. Mostly, what these detectives say and do can be so appalling, I had to pause and replay sections to be sure that, yes, they really were that insensitive.

So, I came to Amazon looking for this show on DVD so I can have a version with closed captions.

I was already impressed with Lucy...

A pair of LOL BBC London DIs
FUNNY! London's crime stopping copper couple relate like chalk `n cheese as they turn homicide into humor. Sarcasm constantly erupts--even around corpses. Cop incompetence & underachieving public servants. You'll LOVE them. Witty, this klutzy blonde and arrogant stud will keep the laughs going like a pair of stand-ups. Like no, ha-ha.... other, tee-hee.... investigative series.

Toby Stephens plays DI Jack Armstrong (Jane Eyre), a single, crass, laid-back but successful sleuth cop who commonly borders on `jerk.' His newly arrived partner is DI Kate Bishop (Lucy Punch- Doc Martin's receptionist) is married, eager to prove her worth. Their irreverent manner toward each other makes the show's humor.

SDH SUBTITLES for all three 58 minute episodes
~~~~1 A blond blue-eyed man is suspect in multiple murders. The Honeybee loyalty card data base seems a link. Hot beautiful Naomi Bentley (Mutual Friends) as Loren Roberts gets hit on by Jack. Kate goes undercover...

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