User reviews

'The Last Detective' is again being shown on ABC1-TV in Australia late on a Saturday night. I reckon this is at least the third showing of some episodes, and I'm still watching them. So, what does this mean? If I can watch anything for the third time and still be entertained, then it's well written, well acted, and probably quite unique.

Peter Davison is perhaps best well known as playing Dr Who in the first half of the 1980's. As 'dangerous' Davies, he walks a fine line between being a hero and being a loser. Mostly he manages to squeeze into the hero role, much to the derision of his work colleages, DC's Pimlott and Barrett. PC Davies is an old-fashioned copper who would like an old fashioned life, but between being given the soft cases by his boss, DI Aspinall, and being given the shove by his bitchy wife - well played by Emma Amos - his life is usually one long uphill climb. Peter Davison handles this role with the skill we have come to expect from him.

Whist the scripts verge on the comedic, genuine light relief is provided by Sean Hughes as Mod, Davies' mate and confidant.

Mod: What do you call a dozen rabbits walking backwards?

Davies: What?

Mod: A receding hairline.

After which follows a discussion about whether a bunch of rabbits can be called 'hares', since hares are completely different from rabbits.

Gentle, but addictive and entertaining.

The Last Detective is a British series that combines good detective stories with a character study and a fair bit of humor especially for the genre.

Detective "Dangerous" Davies (Peter Davison) has the lowly rank of Constable despite having reached his middle years, he is kind and considerate to everyone, but his colleagues have mockingly nicknamed him Dangerous and his superiors have overlooked him. In fact Davies boss Detective Inspector Aspinall has said he will consider Davies to be last detective, the last to be considered for any investigation unless it meaningless and boring, in which case he will be first.

Davies in the midst of an amicable divorce from his wife and they share custody of their massive dog. His closest friend Mod is both philosophical and underemployed, because of this he often acts as a sounding board for his friend both for aspects of his work and his personal life.

The cases are often lesser crimes as befits his rank but sometimes they develop into other cases altogether, it's also somewhat refreshing to see something other than a murder being investigated. Davies despite his poor reputation amongst his colleagues is a fairly good detective mostly as a result of hard work as opposed to intuitive leaps.

Overall the cast is quite good, the bulk of the screen time goes to Peter Davison and he is very effective in low-key role, Sean Hughes as the eccentric Mod is also quite good and next in screen time.

I believe the series is best appreciated by those who are well acquainted with the British Police/Detective series although it's certainly not necessary. The majority of those series place considerable emphasis on rank, feature crusty or disagreeable detectives who are tolerated for their abilities and have little humor.

The series has thus far run four seasons, all of which are now available on DVD.

The excuse for this gem of a series that it was losing viewers just doesn't ring true. From 1990 onwards every single programme was losing viewers due to sky TV, I'd like to think that many were videoing this and it never lost many viewers at all.

Anyway to the important stuff. Peter Davison is as ever brilliant. I watched him when I was a lad in "all creatures" and having read all the books thought he brought Tristan to life exactly the way Herriot wanted. Sean Hughes is a great foil, I also remember him as a young comedian and his show. The rest of the cast are top notch and you believe every character....even the daft ones. The cast progression through the series is paced very well letting you into each one a bit more, Emma Amos in particular.

All good things must end and people move on to new projects so this series must be remembered for what it was, classic British comedy drama which is done better here than anywhere else. A must see.

I'm currently watching the latest series on ITV1 in the UK. This show works for me because of its treatment of the 'everyman' character of Dangerous Davies.

This is a man who you'll usually find in every workplace: the chap who just doesn't fit in. But that doesn't mean that he's not good at his job, only that his colleagues assume that he can't be very good at it because he's not 'one of the lads' at work.

He doesn't have the 'nasty' qualities (nor the ambition) that would help him to rise above the rank of detective constable in the CID. And it's this niceness that seems to be the reason why his marriage has failed.

Peter Davison does a great job of showing that 'nice guys finish last' most of the time, but not all of the time. Meanwhile the script has an appropriate balance of humour and drama. Sean Hughes, as Mod, is also a good character, not only laying on the comedy, but also as a device that allows us to see a bit more of Dangerous's character through their conversations.

I plan to read the books (although they were published a long while back), and will have a look at the Bernard Cribbins film version from the early 80s. But please, please keep this version going for at least another series ITV!!

I don't like violence or sudden nasty surprises in my watching, but I do like well-written drama/comedies/series and so have taken to this to the extent that I'm binge watching the whole lot at the moment - about to start season 4. I love that authenticity of the settings, the characters (there really isn't anyone who doesn't stand scrutiny) and the dialogue. It's very well written, in that while you know the good will out and a solution will be found (usually by Dangerous) , you are not spoon fed the answer and have to try and work it out yourself. I agree with the other reviewers, it's a pity there were only four series, but best to leave us wanting more. Excellent. I must try and find the books. Did they change the dog?

Ever since his "Dr. Who," ALL THINGS GREAT AND SMALL, his appearances on Diana Rigg's MRS. BRADLEY MYSTERIES series, as well as his engaging CAMPION, I've admired Peter Davison, as an apparently quite likable fellow off-camera and a warm, excellent actor in front of the lens. Now, a bit older, he's returned, in top form in "The Last Detective" series. Though at bottom in the gritty Brit Police Force pecking order, a pariah to his burnt-out colleagues, he still manages to solve crimes none of them thinks worth the time. It's good news that THE LAST DETECTIVE has run for three seasons. Let's hope that there'll be many more, and that Seasons 2 and 3 will also soon be made available on DVD. So that we Statesiders can enjoy it. For I have little hope that we'll ever see them on PBS, at least not soon. Good show, Peter!

Peter Davison is just right for this role. He plays Dangerous as a real person, who is actually clever and strong at the same time as being a soft touch, basically because of sheer niceness. This could easily be cloying or sentimental, but Davison avoids this pitfall with seeming ease.

As with so many detective series, our hero (who solves every case, while his colleagues and superior are getting things wrong) is seriously undervalued by the police force, so much so that he is still a detective constable when he must be close the the police retiring age. This is as unbelievable here as it always is.

His friend, played by Sean Hughes, is a handicap to the series in my opinion. He is supposed to be there for quirky comic relief, but I just find him irritating.

On the other hand, Dangerous' bossy hot-and-cold wife is a definite asset.

Having now watched all 4 seasons on DVD, I can also wish there was more to see. The acting is superb throughout, and the situations are a mix of amusing and true crime.

I found Dangerous' wife to be a truly irritating character in a bad way, the kind of woman who gives marriage a bad name. Luckily by the end of the series she had become tolerable.

On the other hand, Mod is irritating in a good way. He's the kind of guy I couldn't stand in real life for 10 minutes, but on the screen he's the perfect foil.

Given Dangerous' successes, it's hard to understand Aspinall continuing to treat him n the same way, esp. after Davies saves his career a couple of times.

Vineeta Rishii as the Anglo-Indian policewoman is great in a supporting role.

I like Davison which is what prompted me to watch it. It took a bit to warm to it since it is so different from most British mystery shows. There is no hoopla in this and you feel badly for his character from the start. He is ignored, picked on, made fun of but is the one who solves what others can't or waste time on. Not dark, boring or dragging on just good plots.

I've been on a kick to watch UK mystery series that last over an hour per episode. I feel like there's more depth to these kinds of longer mystery series and i get to know the characters better. Oftentimes these mysteries are a little more complicated and a little more challenging to guess right. That's not always the case (talk about disappointment with The Inspector Lynley series - almost always know who dunnit within the first few minutes), but oftentimes I'm not sure when watching The Last Detective. Much more enjoyable and engaging when I don't know.

I like Dangerous the detective. So why in the heck did they make his best friend, Mod, such an annoying know-it-all jerk? Mod oftentimes walks all over Dangerous. I just watched the episode where Dangerous is teaching Mod how to drive a car using his own car. Mod is terrible. Of course Dangerous leaves him in the car while he talks to a witness. Then we see Mod a few min later talking the car for a rough spin on a racetrack - complete with tires squealing, flying over bumps, and skidding through puddles. If I was Dangerous I would've slapped the heck out of Mod. Mod is oblivious to how and when he hurts others. Ugh!

And then there's Dangerous's on/off again maybe ex-wife. She's a rather sour selfish gal and takes advantage of Mod's undying love for her.

I guess, as I write this, I like watching Dangerous solve the murders while navigating the shark-infested waters at work. I just wish his close relationships were dumped and then the dog could be Dangerous' only sidekick.

The whole premise of an obviously brilliant detective, who isn't actually a detective but an ordinary constable, being subjected to ridicule by the moron characters around him was just plain irritating. It wasn't the slightest bit amusing.

After a few episodes Mod started to be annoying as well, so what we have to do is try and ignore these asides and try and focus on some half-decent plots.

Basically each episode could have been 30 minutes without all the other stuff.

I'm 32 years old and somehow this reminds me of what I imagine Dixon of Dock

Green was like.

Each story is layered out with care and attention, good humor and the sort of warmth that only Peter D. can put into a performance. See his previous work in 'A very peculiar practice' or 'Meet the Braithwaits' for examples of what I mean.

It will never be as successful as 'Inspector Morse' or as breathtakingly fresh as 'Spooks' but to count these as negatives would be a mistake. Its like watching a favorite uncle telling a familiar and yet fascinating story. You know your in good hands and its very safe, but you just can't help but love it.

Its the St. Bernard dog of detectives.

The Last Detective tv show is made after books by the author Leslie Thomas, I only know it from catching it on the box.

It's become a favourite show of mine,and something of a must see programme.

I have scarcely seen Peter Davison in anything else but I really like him in this show, he seems to fit the character like the proverbial glove.

So much so one might imagine that it could have almost been written for him.

I have not seen enough of Sean Hughes comedy routine to know if he is actually funny, but he certainly fits in well as Mod. There is great rapport between his character and Dangerous, such that its easy to imagine them hanging out together.

DC Davies is frankly something of a soft touch certainly, his ex spouse and work colleagues consider him as such. A regular doormat someone to walk all over, and clean their shoes on.

Any self respecting individual would get out from under PDQ, leave both the parasitical ex and the prats he is lumbered with at work.

But although they all dislike him they wouldn't ever dispense with his services, because he is too useful to them. Plus they are all mean spirited and spiteful, and he is too handy a target.

I really adored this series except for Davies wife. I hated seeing her appear in an episode. Of course I guess we were not supposed to like her, maybe.

Mod's character should have had his own spinoff, what a delightful quirky character. I loved him in the seires.

Dangerous was a real treat as well. He was awesome in this role and w. A handsome face to watch all of his facial nuances.

There is a Marple w. Gwendolyn in it' Murder at the Vicarage, almost every character is played to beautiful nuances of facial expressions, a raised eyebrow, a nodding glance of knowing a secret and more, simply full of wonderful actors.

Sadly many forget of this shows existence but it is one of my favorite detective series ever made. Starring Doctor Who actor Peter Davison, he does a fantastic job as detective constable Davis. A police officer who is mocked and ridiculed by his co workers but is probably the best officer in the station. This is not one of those shows with shoot outs and car chases all the time and thats what I feel sets it out from the rest, its a lot more realistic. And the stories are fantastic, I can recommend Dangerous Liaisons. Unfortunately the series only lasted 4 seasons which is criminal but I think much like many other underrated series, it just did not get the viewership it needed.

Making an enjoyable programme from the scenario of a hapless, passed-over, middle-aged DC in suburban London who is despised by his colleagues, unhappily estranged from his wife, and lives in a b&b sounds like too tall an order for even the best TV creative types but remarkably this series manages it - in the EARLY episodes. This is largely because of Peter Davison but also because of the absence of most of the things that are a turn-off in modern detective TV.

ABSENT are: car chases; final-scene punch-ups; Eastenders-style, shouting misery in the storylines; angst-riden misery in the detective's home life; pseudo-liberal, PC, lay-it-on-thick diatribes on race, sex, and sexuality; youth-culture; youth-obsessed plots; mumbling, brain-dead 13-year-olds masquerading as actors; foul-language masquerading as literary brilliance; staring-morosely masquerading as acting.

PRESENT are: interesting storylines; interesting characters who do not speak in the argot of a 23-year-old TV executive; a nice balance of plot elements with amusing and thoughtful sub-plots smoothly integrated into the main plot; a pleasant, normal, non-alcoholic detective whose company we enjoy.

Davison is perfectly cast. He makes Davies likeable without being syrupy, disappointed without being morose, and thoughtful without being pseud; a sort of grown-up Steven Daker from A Very Peculiar Practice.

Sean Hughes is very good as Mod, the counterpointing, philosophical, unworldly friend. Rob Spendlove plays the hard-drinking, cynical but ultimately professional DI without lapsing into caricature.

BUT somewhere towards the end of series 2 things start to slide.

Richard Harris's scripts for the early stories are beautifully balanced tales with the drama, soliloquy, and humour welded together in a highly professional manner to give each episode a feeling of momentum, light & shade, varied pace, and a satisfying structure reminiscent of the early Suchet Poirots.

But later episodes suffer from his absence. Plots and guest characters become rather clichéd, the pace sometimes slow, the atmosphere more ugly, and humour laboured.

The sub-plot of Davies, his wife, the dog, and Mod paints itself into something of a dramatic cul-de-sac with seemingly no-one on the creative team able to give it direction and refashion it into something more sustainable. It is this, more than weakness in the main plots, that is the programme's undoing.

This is a feel-good programme for people of all ages who like to watch a good story, spend time with appealing main characters, get a more or less positive ending, and then go to bed happy: the sort of people that modern TV executives hate; and that is why it didn't last longer. The 23-year-olds are always looking for a way to kill off the things that normal people enjoy and the weakening of the scripting in the later episodes would be enough of an excuse. Even Davison's marvellous performance (which for me still keeps up the enjoyment to the end) evidently was not enough to save the day.

I'm sad it didn't last longer but at least by expiring before the diversity zealots got hold of it we were spared it getting the Midsomer treatment.

Strong points: well casted. Well paced. Accidental Easter eggs for Doctor Who fans beyond Peter Davison.

If the character driven type of police procedural appeals to you, this series will scratch that itch.

Weak points: Some plots are really hollow and lack critical inspection to say "does this ring true?" The story arcs could have been better managed to pace the character development and not backpedal as if nothing happened.

Homophobic and misogynistic attempts at humor weren't funny when this came out, less so now.

Last episode was probably the worst written. I don't think it was written with the knowledge that the series would be canceled, it is very ham-handed and ends the series on a flat note.

I had never heard of this procedural comedy/drama and love it. Luckily, UKTV + has all 4 seasons available so I'm binge watching it.

As others have said, the part could have been written for Davidson. He's perfect for the role of a meek, unassuming and insecure copper who takes all the flack from his colleagues without bitterness and still loves his childhood sweetheart even though they are going through a trial separation and she's dating all sorts of other men.

He temporarily lodges with his best mate "Mod" who is a great comedic foil but also a good listener and often comes up with gems of wisdom that steer our Detective Constable Davies in the right direction. He cleverly solves all his cases.

The only thing I don't enjoy is the derision he takes from his boss and co-workers. They act as if he's hopeless yet he's the only one that seems to work and he solves all the cases he's given plus more. His alcoholic Guv actually has a soft spot for him after he saves his career a few times and, although he says he'd never be promoted, he does recognize his skills.

Having him be so meek is hard to accept but he makes it work. In one episode he tells his wife he's not like a sexy superhero but likes to put up the shelving on a Saturday... and I think it gave me insight into why he's so affable and not pathetic.

The plots are well-written and the acting and production values are great. I can tell I'm going to wish there were a lot more seasons.

If you have committed the crime Davies is dangerous as he WILL catch you. He is looked down on by two far less effective colleagues but in fact he is the top man who eventually win the respect of his boss.

His chum Mod is good in small doses. In the beginning Dangerous is estranged from his wife the lovely Emma Amos who has a number of affairs. They gradually got back together and this pleased me no end.

This is addictive viewing and I really recommend it.

Freeview has just reshown the "Pilot" episode of this series which included many of the "whos who" of UK TV from the day. The amazing thing, to observe 1st is that Davies (The Last Detective) is the "lowest" of a team of 4, but the other 3 dont have anything to do with him, leaving him to work on his own all the time. The PILOT starts with looking into one of the criminal brigade but turns into finding the body of someone missing for over 20 years. Slow and methodical he does achieve it. However, sadly, the lasting impression is of a team of cops for whom work is a very very dirty word - at the time this was made, I worked with folk who took the same view about office work!

Like a previous poster, I too thought of Dixon of Dock Green (which I remember from about 1956 - it was on every Saturday night) as I first watched "The Last Detective", which I just recently discovered. However, as I watched more of the series I began to realize that it's really quite different.

Firstly, Dixon was respected by his colleagues and bosses, whereas Dangerous is definitely not. Secondly, he lived with his daughter's family (his son-in-law was a detective in the same police station) and had a comfortable home life with people who loved him...again, totally different from poor Dangerous. Thirdly, Dixon refused promotion because he just wanted to be "an ordinary copper". I'm sure Dangerous would be delighted to be promoted, but because no one really realizes what a good job he does, it will never happen!

"Dixon of Dock Green" was made and broadcast on the BBC in the 50s up to the 70s, and certainly the ones I remember (50s and early 60s) featured cozy stories with happy endings and nothing really nasty. There were sad things, of course (like when the young policeman was killed) but mostly everything was all right in the end. "The Last Detective", while not wallowing in the nasty stuff, could certainly not be described as "cozy". Dangerous (wonderfully played by Peter Davison, a favourite since his Tristan days) is a very nice man, if a bit too ready to take all the abuse his colleagues heap on him. I would like to see him stand up for himself a bit more!

I am enjoying "The Last Detective" every bit as much as I enjoyed "Dixon of Dock Green" all those years ago and can't wait to see Series 4 on DVD.

I'm a native born (NYC) American and my Mom was a school teacher who taught English. She loved English Mysteries and told all of her children to read Agatha Christie! We all did and became big fans as well of English Mysteries!

I read everything that Agatha Christie wrote! Accordingly, I have become somewhat of an "Anglophile" when it comes to British mystery books and films.

I stumbled upon the TV series, The Last Detective and I was immediately "HOOKED!"

You have to get acquainted to the style of British Mystery writing to really understand how good they are in this genre! I don't like to go on and on with reviews because I don't want to reveal anything that would ruin the enjoyment for others!

Over the years, I've learned a lot about how the British speak, the different accents, jargon, slang, expressions, etc. I truly enjoy the British style when it comes to mysteries! Try this TV series and see if you enjoy it. In summation, I'll just say, "You can't beat British Mysteries!"