Wonderful character development!

This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

This is a gorgeous movie made by a gorgeous spirit.

It is interesting even when nothing much happens, which is for most of its 3-hour running time. Read full review

Dour and dark with little realism as a program. Helen Mirren is a very fine actor but does not seem comfortable in this role. Her character is not a likable or even realistic person, and if the idea is to have some kind of gender message it fails as her character becomes worse than the blokey guys she takes over from.Real shame.

There are many great mystery/detective dramas out there, and 'Prime Suspect' is one of the best and consistent there is.It is also by far the best series of Lynda La Plante's work, with 'Trial and Retribution' being absorbing but inconsistent with the early seasons being significantly better than the first and 'Above Suspicion' having some good things but also a lot of weak elements.'Prime Suspect' is stylishly and cleverly filmed, and there is a consistently wonderful atmosphere throughout. The scripting is some of the most best there is of any mystery/detective drama, being superbly constructed and intelligent. The story is complex and easy to follow, with an incredible intensity.The depiction of the police force avoids being sexist and is unique for a mystery/detective drama. The characters are engagingly written, and written with complexity, Jane Tennison is one of the most interesting detective characters there is. The acting is superb across the board, Helen Mirren's performance is one of sheer magnificence, Tom Wilkinson impressive as always and John Bowe is deceptively charming and sinister. Ralph Fiennes, in an early role, has been better, but shows genuine emotion without going overboard.All in all, really incredible. If anybody is a fan of mystery/detective dramas, 'Prime Suspect' is a must see. 10/10 Bethany Cox

I bought the box set of all the Prime suspect shows and started with Series 1 (obviously).This really is top quality police drama. At 3 hours 20 minutes in length the makers were able to take their time developing the plot and showing the nuances of the characters. For example we see a lot of the domestic life of the prime suspect, leading us to have sympathy for him and wonder if the police have the wrong man. John Bowe is superb as the charming, but possibly murderous Marlow.We also get to study the slow but inevitable breakdown of the relationship of DCI Tennison(played by Helen Mirren) with her partner, as she becomes obsessed with her first murder case. It clear that she willingly chooses to prioritise her career over everything in her life.It's not for the faint hearted either. I was surprised with the graphic nature of the post-mortem scenes, especially since it was made in 1991.Sexism in the Metropolitan Police is also a major theme in the show. There is huge resistance from the detectives when Tennisson takes over the case though are gradually won over by her by her ability.Written by Lynda La Plante this is definitely a classic of British crime drama on TV.

Watching Prime Suspect again makes me realize and appreciate every episode. Dame Helen Mirren is always worth watching whether Prime Suspect or anything else. Her role of Jane Tennison will go down in history as one of the best female roles ever written and acted by this wonderful dame. The writing is superior to anything else on television. More than ten years after its first showing in America, Prime Suspect is classic television. The series itself has also some award winning performances by Zoe Wanamaker as the unsuspecting wife of a serial killer. Even though we suspect it, it is fascinating to unravel the mystery. When we see the female corpses, it is a gruesome look into reality. For us, it is entertainment. In the real world, they are somebody's daughter and the killer is inhuman. When we finally solve the mystery in this addition, we will have more questions and answers. The biggest question is why does this happen to begin with.