uncle_adolph
Well, we recorded this as we would otherwise have missed the first two episodes. And then, seeing the poor reviews it had, I thought about deleting it....One evening last week we decided to watch episode 1. Seven nights of one-episode-a-night later we've finished it and all I can say is I am so glad I didn't press the delete button.So what if it's a rip-off of an older programme? There's scarcely a decent show these days which isn't. At least it's one where I feel I don't need a Mensa-type IQ to understand the convoluted plot....and it's British. And above all it is very well acted particularly in respect of the two main characters....Ash and Roach....which is as it should be. Trevor Eve in particular is superbly cast as the villain.As I say....very enjoyable!
Jackson Booth-Millard
In recent years I have always made an effort with most TV shows to try at least 10 minutes of the first episode in a new series, and if it grabs me I'll stick with it, this one from the BBC hooked me quickly, and not just with the recognisable cast, many who have starred in EastEnders. Basically the series revolves around top- secret UNIT (Undercover Narcotics Investigation Team), who track down, trace and try to capture and bust shipments of drugs, especially cocaine, and the criminals dealing, selling, distributing and buying them. Special Agent Marcus "Ash" Ashton (O.T. Fagbenle), an HM Revenue and Customs agent, is the most reliable member of the team who will spy on, identify and pursue the criminals involved in a large shipment, his big aim is to identify the man at the top of the chain, Roach (Trevor Eve). Ash's partner is Tommy (Robert Lonsdale), together they follow the criminals spotted, given the places and locations from tapped phone calls, including Roach's right-hand man Docker (EastEnders' Gary Beadle) and street-based criminal distributor Michael "Xavier" Duffy (Lee Boardman). The UNIT team consist of head Jack Cartwright (Titanic's Ewan Stewart), ex-UK Customs Valerie (Lorraine Ashbourne), ex-Met Police Flying Squad Kim (Anna Skellern) and ex-MI6 Martin (Charlie de Melo), and Ash gets some support from his wife Lorna (EastEnders' Jo Joyner) and their children. Also starring Anthony Grundy as Bernie, India Ria Amarteifio as Hannah, Denzel Assiamah as Footballer, Melissa Johns as Sadie, Rayne Obili as Chloe, Felix Scott as Connor, Jeany Spark as Gemmill, Nathan Whitfield as Kenny, Simon Armstrong as Stannard, Neal Barry as Smoke, David Troughton (Patrick's son) as Ralph, Bob Cryer as Rob Kane, Valeria Vereau as Sonia, Paul Kaye as Jago, Doctor Who's Adjoa Andoh as Anderson, Crims' Theo Barklem- Biggs as Buster, EastEnders' Tiana Benjamin as Mandy, Sacha Dhawan as Astin Ray, Dexter Fletcher as Scooter, EastEnders' Lisa Hammond as Alison, The Office's Ralph Ineson as Yorkie and The Royle Family's Ralf Little as Alex. I admit I have seen much more gripping things than this, but many of the moments, and of course the pursuit to get to the head of the criminal organisation, was good enough for me to stick with to the end, Fagbenle was very good as the title character, and spotting many faces I recognised from my favourite soap opera, if there is another series I suppose I would watch, it is a worthwhile enough drama. Very good!
ianlouisiana
Once upon a time there was a short - lived TV series called "By any means" which featured the splendid Miss G.Mckee in an unlikely mother hen role as a senior detective in charge of a bunch of undisciplined young mavericks working on the very edge of legality in pursuit of serious criminals whom orthodox police methods had failed to subdue. In "The Interceptor" we have a senior Customs officer shepherding a bunch of mavericks working on the very edge of legality in pursuit of serious criminals whom etc etc..... I'm afraid that on the evidence of the first two episodes there is very little to indicate that it will fare any better. Everyone does a lot of running about and shouting and stereotypical Eastern European criminals and Gangstas are given full vein but it all amounts to absolutely nothing we haven't seen before and better acted. The story is over - reliant on a technology that is ludicrously unlikely and would be no doubt illegal if it existed. The only hope the BBC might nurture is that the charismatic Mr T.Eve will take this show by the scruff of its neck and shake it like an angry pitbull.So far he has only exuded menace veiled by a cool confidence born of years of rescuing dead - loss TV shows by sheer force of his personality alone. If he doesn't,"The Interceptor" will go the way of "By any means". Added on 16th July,2015:- I feel it's only fair that I should append a P.S. to the above comment something I haven't been tempted to do in 10 years of writing on this site. "The Interceptor" has actually improved with age. Agent Ash's job has taken on a mantle of Mythic proportions,and he himself has become a Homeric figure(no,not Simpson - the other one) and Mr T.Eve remains an evil Moriarty sitting in the middle of his web of crime etc etc. We get enticing glimpses of Mr Eve wearing some sort of regalia(could he be a Mason - surely not?)and he belongs to a Golf Club that probably wouldn't have accepted Moriarty but some of London's top villains are Golf Club members(one famous bank robber was captain of his Golf Club). Outstanding amongst the cast is Miss J.Joyner as Ash's long - suffering wife - a performance deserving of a better arena. The appearance of guest villains every week has perked everything up. I hope it continues on its upward curve.
bruce-bmacfar
Channeling his inner Luther via many an EastEnders grimace ,our hero sets out to cock up the best laid plans. Procedurally unconvincing,overacted and not a patch on most US dramas. Fights were staged with the brio of The Chuckle Brothers. Computer usage was way beyond capabilities and a mere plot device. Bad guys not bad enough Good guys implausible. This show does not warrant the 10 lines of text that IMDb insists that I write. I hope that it gets better but I have seen too many British shows that have been stymied by bad writing , poor effects and stilted acting to remain convinced.As other reviewers will point out the protagonist comes across as a petulant toddler with control difficulties. Indulged by his all new "Top Secret" task force bosses he still manages to stuff it up. I am not very confident in this shows future.