Prime Suspect 1973 [Blu-ray]

DVD Wholesale Quick Overview:

The subtitle of this series is “A Life of Crime Begins”, which is odd. It makes it sound like Jane Tennison was a crook. In any case, this is the back story, how 22 year-old Probationary WPC Tennison starts the process of becoming Detective Chief Inspector Tennison.

She’s Probationary because she is in a testing period before becoming a full-fledged member of the Hackney police department. Tennison works in Comm (dispatch) which hardly stretches the little gray cells. But two crimes are about the hit Hackney, and all-hands-on-deck means Tennison is thrown into the thick of things.

First, the body of a 17 year-old woman is found in the abandoned garage of Kingsmead Estate (a housing project). Secondly, though the police don’t know it yet, a big heist is being planned by the Bentleys, senior and his two sons.

But before that, it would help if Tennison could get to work on time. She straggles in late (though we know she has a good reason) and Sarge is not amused, “You turn up for duty late. Looking like you’ve just been wrestling a pig. You’re supposed to be making up for last week’s traffic screw-up so I have something positive to write in your first probationary report.”

Since this is a prequel, I’m not giving anything away to write that Tennison will pass in her reports, including not fainting at her first post mortem. But it’s not a simple matter of doing her job. Ethics raises its ugly head, or at least its inconvenient head, as she’s told: “It’s the way the game works.” This makes for good drama and good character evolvement. I’m also happy to report that there is no Hollywood ending, and you’ll see what I mean.

I am dismayed that there will be no Series 2 of “Tennison”. British ITV announced in June, 2017, that it could not come to an agreement with Lynda La Plante for a 2nd season. In case you didn’t know, Lynda created and wrote the original and extraordinary “Prime Suspect” TV series starring Helen Mirren, Prime Suspect Complete Collection (1991-2006, it used original screenplays and was not based on previously published books). “Tennison”, however, is based on La Plante’s prequel book, Tennison (2015).

“Tennison”, which has been nick-named “Prime Suspect 1973”, originally aired March 2017. It’s six episodes total a little less than 6 hours. If you purchase the DVD or BluRay, you have the option of English subtitles on the episodes and the Bonus Features.

Bonus Features:
….A.. “Cars of the 70s” (2 minutes) Commentators include Stefanie Martini (plays Tennison), Joshua Hill (plays DC Edwards), Lex Shrapnel (plays John Bentley), Lester Dauton (back projectionist), Sam Reid (plays Bradfield) and Thomas Coombes (plays Dwayne Clarke).
Period vehicles are used, and Martini says, “The 70s police cars are, actually, I think they’re quite funny. They’re quite twee.”
….B.. “Dressing the 70s” (3 minutes) Additional commentators include Amy Roberts (costume designer), Tommy McDonnell (plays DC Hudson), Blake Harrison (plays DS Gibbs), Rosie Day (plays Pam Tennison) and Nick Sidi (plays Andrew Tennison).
Hill: “All the [70s] clothes are tight. There’s no stretch.”
McDonnell: “I think every bloke on this has split their trousers.”
….C.. “Grading the 70s” (2 minutes) Additional commentators include Julian Court (director of photography). Grading is adjusting the light on scenes or part of scenes.
….D.. “Hair of the 70s” (2 minutes) Additional commentators include Marella Shearer (hair and make-up designer) and Daniel Ezra (plays DC Ashton).
….E.. “Policing in the 70s” (2 minutes) Additional commentators include Cass Sutherland (police advisor).
Sutherland: “I think what’s been quite rewarding is Stefanie, Sam, some of the others, asking me about what the period was like, and quite often, ‘Was it really like that?’, and I said, ‘Yeah, it was!’ ”
….F.. “Prime Suspect, The Legacy” (4 minutes) Additional commentators include Jessica Gunning (plays Kath Morgan), Alun Armstrong (plays Cliff Bentley), Geraldine Somerville (plays Joyce Tennison) and David Caffrey (director).

This is one of the best new mystery series to come out of England during the past year. And I can’t get enough of mystery series!

-Happy Reader

Like 1st season of Endeavor there is a lot of the character you’re waiting to develop. I thought the story was good but for the time, would have liked to have seem 2-3 cases instead of 1 drawn out over 6 – 45 minute episodes. DCI Tennison is iconic and we’re waiting to see more of the rebel come out of the character. A good start.

-Alexander O. Teitz

My mind was made up to hate this show simply on the strength of its previews. The lead was too pretty, too “modern looking”. She looked nothing like a young Helen Mirren. There was no way a “take off” could stand up to the classic original series. My mistake.

While watching the new series, I slowly began to judge it on its own merits, which truth be told, is really the only correct way to avoid the disappointment of impossible expectations.

This new series succeeds admirably in its portrayal of a young, idealistic female officer who has to come to grips with the reality of police work in a male-dominated force and in a hard-as-nails metropolitan environment. It hints that Tennison’s sharper than average intelligence will fuel her advancement, while showing a number of experiences which will temper her vulnerability and toughen the personality of the future DCI. It also lays the groundwork for her problems with alcohol in the future.

Knowing that the show had already been cancelled made me watch it closely, trying to guess what “artistic differences” might have led creator Lynda La Plante to pull the plug. This show had the makings of another great British crime drama.

– JC

DVD Wholesale Main Features:

Actors: n, a
Directors: n, a
Format: NTSC, Widescreen
Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo)
Subtitles: English
Region: Region A/1
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Number of discs: 2
Rated: PG-Parental Guidance Suggested
Studio: PBS
DVD Release Date: July 11, 2017
Run Time: 360 minutes
ASIN: B06XC64YLF