Reviews

I've found the majority of British crime dramas/procedurals to be at least watchable and at least less insulting to our intelligence than their American counterparts. But Suspects, with its "Get this evidence fast-tracked to tech, please" and "Let me get these two photos sent off to facial recognition" and high-def, color CCTV footage and immediate lab results ("We have your DNA all over the base of this broken bottle!") seems like a way, way dumbed-down version of its predecessors. I can't believe that it's much better than Bones or NCIS or other American prime-time fare. I hope nothing about this show signals a shift in how Brits do the bulk of their crime TV-- i.e., without gimmicks and for a thinking audience (Prime Suspect, Trial and Retribution, Poirot). The cinema verité look they're going for in Suspects backfires. It feels contrived and dated. And the unscripted/improvised dialogue gives the impression that the actors are trying--really, really trying--to look and sound unscripted. Avoid.