Unforgotten

Hands down the best British crime drama I've ever seen.

yes, it's a murder and a 'whodunit' but it is so much more than that.

the characters are well directed and acted and feel totally believable. the detective work builds as the story unfolds and leaves you wanting to know what happens next.

it's not like any wam bam cop story from the US which may not be to everyone's taste. it's just far more realistic and solid with each character 3d. there's some humour and some sadness and lots of realism. the characters are real people, they don't have ridiculous hair, teeth and smiles or know things in a semi mystical way. they work it out and have hangovers and sometimes cry. You know, like real life.

I thoroughly recommend that you watch this.

May be British shows are for a specific type of audience. I cant figure how they pick any genre and just transform it into a beautiful story with emotions and personalities. The focus for most shows is on how people think and do what they do. I have to say Unforgotten hits the right mark. Starting with the pilot, they showed a hint of each character - Simple and normal people you would meet everyday and end it by making them all people of interest in a 40 year old case. And how the show has developed since then with marvelous twists and turns, powerful performances and a real and beautiful London in the backdrop. I have reached only till the fourth episode as of now, and I have to say it is easily one of the best crime dramas I've ever seen.

Because of personal experiences, I usually avoid brutal/graphic shows and movies, but Unforgotten handles these issues better than most so I always watch. Exploring just one case per season works well. It's such a multi-faceted show, covering a much wider range of topics and isn't stereotypical, so comes across more realistically to me. If you want something similar but real-life, watch The Pembrokeshire Murders.

We enjoyed Ms. Walker in Spooks (Mi5) and River. She seems ageless. In some of her roles, she look like your aunt, while sometimes being very pretty (I mean that in a good way). In this entry, she leads a homicide team checking out, in the first two seasons, 2 separate cold cases. We get to know Nicola's character, and most others quite well (a Hallmark of Brit cinema).

As well as good conflict & character development, the show benefits from crisp pacing (6 episodes of 45 mins instead of 8x65). If you are a binge watcher (thank you Netflix and BritBox), you can sample a season in 2 days without booking off work! We found Season 2's storyline superior to the first one. There is a whodunit element to the series, but, as I wrap up Season 2, I can honestly say the writers have played it close to the vest. Enjoy!

Footnote: Both seasons involve cases involving 'deviant' sexual behaviour, which is not shown, but discussed, as related to the crimes being investigated. Hence, proceed at own risk.