Spiral (Engrenages) 2005-2020

Don't know if anyone else has seen it, but the French copshow Spiral has just returned to BBC4 for a third series. You can read all about it  here and maybe catch up on it with iPlayer.

The female characters are probably the best on TV right now. The frigid ginger is my favourite:

Quote :

Joséphine Karlsson is a talented and fiercely ambitious young lawyer. Determined to get to the top at all costs and undeterred by scruples, she will take on any case that will prove advantageous to her career but has sometimes exercised poor judgement in the choice of company she keeps.

:)

A ginger lawyer? Really Ambler?

You're just a glutton for punishment, aren't you? ;)

Salomé wrote:

You're just a glutton for punishment, aren't you? ;)

I believe in paying for my pleasure.

Tonight's episode brought us a woman who can only orgasm while being sodomised by her father; a guy who keeps his flatmate's balls in a plastic bag; a policeman who accidentally shoots a passerby in the lung; and a Russian whore who makes Rave look like Mary Poppins. Damn, the Parisian walkways sure are tough.

Started watching this week, quite the series. That Laure is a tough cookie and the redhead, well -ding dong and the rest.

Gilou should get his own series, some kind of Dirty Harry series.

Hilly wrote:

Started watching this week, quite the series.

Hilly, you can catch all the previous episodes on iPlayer.

ambler wrote:

Hilly wrote:

Started watching this week, quite the series.

Hilly, you can catch all the previous episodes on iPlayer.

this is what I've been doing :) My apologies.

Though I'll find other ways to watch the first two series.

Two great episodes back to back this evening. Everyone is intent on betrayal.

Spiral is so much better than drama produced in Britain these days, and it's because its characters are all so flawed. The BBC creatives need to realise that the portrayal of human weakness is essential for great drama, but they're too afraid of offending viewers and interest groups. The result is sterile, box-ticking pap.

Δ

Series 1 is recommended, Sharkus. I'd hold fire on S2 though. It didn't impress me much.

All of S3 is still available on iPlayer. Try those first, though it only becomes interesting about midway. At first it seems a conventional police procedural albeit with Gallic indifference.

Certainly is a lot better than our stuff. Though good throughout the recent pair of episodes feels a step up in gear.

Hilly wrote:

Though good throughout the recent pair of episodes feels a step up in gear.

Yes, I felt that too. It's become quite dense. Not a show you can watch while doing something else. Always a good sign. :)

ambler wrote:

Hilly wrote:

Though good throughout the recent pair of episodes feels a step up in gear.

Yes, I felt that too. It's become quite dense. Not a show you can watch while doing something else. Always a good sign. :)

agreed, though I fear I can't do something else as my French is quite poor :)

The French idea of a magistrate is completely alien to Anglo-Saxons. Maybe that's part of the appeal of Spiral.

Logical if slightly predictable ending to S3 last night on BBC4. Interesting that the writers felt no need to make the police and the magistrate's investigations intersect - many would regard that as screenwriting 101. And the lovely Josephine - always one step behind...

Really a very good police procedural. Whole series still available free in the UK on iPlayer at http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01075w0/Spiral_Series_3_The_Butcher_of_La_Villette_Episode_1/

Incidentally, my French is not great, but 'con' doesn't translate as 'bastard'. BBC subtitlers, we are not so easily fooled.

Caught up on the final double last night. Overall an excellent series, better than most we put out here in Blighty. In some ways the final episode was a bit limp, predictable as you say Ambler. Laure got all Ahab with Ronaldo (creepy looking swine if there ever was one). If anything proved a little surprising it was Arnaud's fate. Thought Gilou was going to cop it though, this before he gave Vlad a good kicking in the cell.

I've not done much digging but not sure if they'll be a fourth season. If there is it might help if I saw the first two just to even things up. Oh, and trivial thumbs up for Josephine's blue dress number in episode 11.

Blowing dust off the thread what with the second series getting a re-run from next Saturday (9th) 9pm BBC4. Considering I started with Season 3 the re-running of the first two helps and indeed was a joy (as much as you can get joy from such a programme).

Hopefully Season 4 follows shortly thereafter. Vive Gilou.

c

Erica Ambler wrote:

Is S4 out then, Hilliam?

In France it is, but we should get by the end of the month, so they say.

Edit- seems we have to wait until Spring 2013 looking at their FB page.

c

Erica Ambler wrote:

Just checked on amazon, seems the UK gets it on DVD on 5 November 5, 2012. Apparently, Laure and Joséphine end up in a cell together.

BBC seems to be messing about with the release. As for Laure and Josephine in a cell together. As nice as the image of what could be is, it wouldn't end well otherwise :)

c

Nothing to do but wait. Be nice if the Beeb or someone could show that A Village in France. Features Gilou and Ms Audrey Fleurot. The latter seems to get frisky a lot more in that than Spiral.

c

Erica Ambler wrote:

Not heard of A Village in France, but Gilou and Red are about 50% of what I like about Spiral so it has a head start with me.

meant to track a village from the German invasion in 1940 through to 45. Looks like Red is quick to hop into bed, literally, with the Kommandant.

Otherwise, yes they tend to be what I watch Spiral for though series 2 was a tad light on Gilou moments. No throwing crims through windows for one.