Jericho Of Scotland Yard (Mystery!/WGBH)

 

Picture: C+     Sound: C+     Extras: D     Episodes: B-

 

 

In yet another police procedural, Jericho Of Scotland Yard had to come up with some kind of twist because too many of such shows are being produced.  WGBH Boston Video has issued two two-part shows starring with Robert Lindsay as the title Inspector Michael Jericho and takes place in the 1950s.  A Pair Of Ragged Claws offers a one two punch of a major social figure being kidnapped and young black man being murdered in what turns out to be the a neighborhood with serious racial problems.  It is actually Notting Hill, making the recent film seem even sillier.  The Killing Of Johnny Swan has the title athlete turn up dead after his British track team upsets the Soviet Union’s, who were considered the frontrunners.  Is it the KGB or something more personal?

 

Well, I’ll give the show point for trying something different and coming up with an interesting approximation of Britain in the 1950s, if a little cleaned up.  Lindsay is enjoyable in the role, supported by David Troughton from Foyle’s War and a decent cast all around.  However, this eventually cannot cover the syntax of the procedural formula.  The only twist not played up enough is differences from the time in living and technology.  Otherwise, it is at least a nice change of pace that will interest the more diehard fans of such shows.

 

The letterboxed 1.78 X 1 image is soft and color limited, something that would have been less of a problem if this had been anamorphically enhanced.  The stylized shooting is not half bad.  The Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo has no real surrounds and plays back best in regular stereo.  There are no extras, unless you are wowed by weblinks.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo