The final episode of Series 5 of the BBC detective drama left the viewer hanging with a couple of people lying on the floor injured from a shooting. We were left to question whether they were dead or would survive. Sitting on pins and needles is not fun but it is the result of good television and this is what you can sum this British series up to.
Detective Chief Inspector George Gently (played by Martin Shaw) is a very intelligent police detective who is governed by his strong sense of morals. He is no rookie as he is a veteran of World War II. After the war he married and Italian woman only to see her murdered while he was on the job. The death of his beloved wife affected him deeply and this complex man sought refuge in the quieter North East.
The series is shot in the stark environment of the North of England in Durham. Its great stories and acting is ably helped out by the high production values making it an all-around pleasure to watch. Each episode is almost 90 minutes allowing the minds behind it to take their time with the stories.
Episode 1: Gently Between the Lines: We are roughly six months after Gently and his partner were shot. Gently is thrown when his partner Detective Sergeant John Bacchus (played by Lee Ingleby) hands in his resignation. He does, however, understand how the shooting has affected the policeman.
Episode 2: Blue for Bluebird: A young girl’s (played by Pixie Lott) body is found on the beach at Saltburn. She was wearing the uniform of the Bluebird Holiday Camp where Gently and Bacchus uncover she worked despite the disapproval of her mother. Bacchus had spent time at the camp with his former wife and daughter so memories are flooding back.
Episode 3: Gently Going Under: During this the late 1960s the north of England was suffering economically. In Northumberland the coal mining industry was no longer flourishing. In Burnsend, a body is found in the mine. Gently and Bacchus have to fight against the community’s tensions in order to uncover who done it.
Episode 4: Gently From the Cold: While working on a case involving the drug LSD, Gently reaches out to someone from the past. It occurs to Gently that this might be part and parcel of a Cold War conspiracy. While working on the case Gently finds himself pulled towards the person from his past he is partnering up with.
Special Features: An Interview With Pixie Lott, Behind the Scenes, The Making of George Gently, Photo Gallery, 1969 Facts, Martin Shaw Interview, Lee Ingleby Interview, Lisa McGrillis Interview
