A brilliant film that helped define a genre

When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

There are a number of things that set this series apart from other British crime shows.First, is the bizarre spaghetti western theme music.The next is the way people react realistically to murders and police questioning. They are royally freaked out. Usually people react with the sang froid of James Bond. The acting by unknowns is excellent and convincing.Next are the bad guys you want to personally strangle. They are not just the person who did it for some inscrutable reason. They are EVIL.Next are the many teen actors, usually playing horrible brats.Next is the improper behaviour of the lead detectives, and their squirming not to get caught. It is a Damoclean sword, threatening to cancel the series.There is a very peculiar relationship with a young male policeman with an obsession for an elderly female one. She had a one night stand with him, but she does not want a relationship. I keep thinking his psychotic mood swings are a joke of some kind.The episodes all thread together, with lots of foreshadowing and back references. The episodes of a traditional murder series are totally self contained.There is no whodunit here. Pretty well the first suspect is the guy who did it. The problem is proving it.My main complaint is sometimes there is boring filler dialogue that just wanders off for about 5 minutes at a stretch.

I will continue to watch this because there are 3 female leads, and I am a feminist at heart. This program shows that women can be inventive, thoughtful, insightful and that interviews do not need to be horrifying. On the downside, Rachel really has to get control of her alcoholism and it should be recognized as a problem for her and those around her. Ideally, this should be done on screen. It is apparent that this is a show run for and by women, but you have to stop disposing of men so indiscriminately. One or two "for the girls" but the just dropping like flies thing just make the concept seem silly. The portrayal of the chief (the 3rd woman) really needs work.

But they could be supermarket workers or computer operators and the dynamic would be the same,just rather less bloody,I guess. They watch each other's back,slate each other's men and get drunk together - because it's what friends do. In the police environment both are empowered and use their position to advantage themselves on occasions,and that's what real coppers do,even female ones,because they are only like the rest of us except they can stop us doing what we want to and make us do what we don't want to. It's part of the contract we have with them.The other part is they help us when we need them,and this also is what Scott and Bailey do.Perhaps rather more than supermarket workers and computer operators. They are surrounded by men none of whom are worthy of lacing their shoes,some of whom may well be incapable of lacing their own shoes as it happens. Neither Scott nor Bailey is an angel.Both they are both profoundly human with all our frailties(and Bailey has added frailties,I must say). Because of that "Scott and Bailey" is compelling television.

This series looks very appealing,in the tradition of Cagney and Lacey. Unfortunately, I can't understand much of what the characters are saying. I tried to guess by just watching the scenes and trying to infer from what I see but I've given up on understanding what's going on.It is partly the English accents but I don't have a problem,for the most part, understanding Downton or Doc Martin or,actually any of the other English programs.I will tune in now and then to see if I fare better. It's a shame to miss what looks like a good series. At times, the characters seem to be mumbling and slurring words.