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Prime Suspect
Prime Suspect title
Genre	Police procedural
Created by	Lynda La Plante
Starring	Helen Mirren
Composer	Stephen Warbeck
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Original language	English
No. of series	7
No. of episodes	15 (list of episodes)
Production
Running time	100 minutes
Production companies	Granada Television/ITV Productions WGBH Boston/Masterpiece Mystery
Original release
Network	ITV
Release	7 April 1991 (1991-04-07) – 22 October 2006 (2006-10-22)

Prime Suspect is a British police procedural television series devised by Lynda La Plante. It stars Helen Mirren as Jane Tennison, one of the first female Detective Chief Inspectors in Greater London's Metropolitan Police Service, who rises to the rank of Detective Superintendent while confronting institutionalised sexism within the police force.

Plot

Prime Suspect focuses on a no-nonsense female Detective Chief Inspector (DCI), Jane Tennison (played by Helen Mirren), who is an officer in the Metropolitan Police, initially at the fictional Southampton Row police station.

The series follows her constant battles to prove herself within a male-dominated profession in which many of her colleagues are determined to see her fail, though she has the support of her boss, Detective Chief Superintendent Mike Kernan (John Benfield), and the loyalty of Detective Sergeant Richard Haskons (Richard Hawley).

In later series, Tennison is reassigned to rotating duties, including a vice squad in Soho and a gang squad in Manchester. She is promoted to Detective Superintendent in series 4 and retires from policing at the end of series 7.

Cast

Main cast

• Helen Mirren as Detective Chief Inspector Jane Tennison, initially of Southampton Row Police Station in Central London, later Detective Superintendent in series 4. Mirren has described Tennison as "extremely directed, ambitious, talented and very uncompromising. Therefore she is deeply frustrated by her job; the way her sex is a barrier."
• John Benfield as Detective Superintendent Michael Kernan (series 1–4), Tennison's supervisor, later Detective Chief Superintendent
• Richard Hawley as Detective Constable Richard Haskons (series 1–4), later Detective Sergeant and Detective Inspector
• Tom Bell as Detective Sergeant Bill Otley (series 1, 3, 7)
• Jack Ellis as Detective Inspector Tony Muddyman (series 1–2, 4)
• Craig Fairbrass as Detective Inspector Frank Burkin (series 1–2)
• Mossie Smith as Constable Maureen Havers (series 1, 4)
• Ian Fitzgibbon as Detective Constable Jones (series 1–2)
• Philip Wright as Detective Constable Lillie (series 1–3)
• Andrew Tiernan as Detective Constable Rosper (series 1–2)
• Gary Whelan as Detective Sergeant Terry Amson (series 1)
• Stephen Boxer as Detective Chief Inspector Thorndike, later Detective Superintendent (series 2–4)
• Stafford Gordon as Commander Traynor (series 2–4)
• Mark Strong as Detective Inspector Larry Hall (series 3, 6), later Detective Chief Superintendent in series 6
• Robert Pugh as Detective Sergeant Alun Simms (series 6–7)

Supporting cast, including notable guest stars

• Tom Wilkinson as Peter Rawlins (series 1), Tennison's divorced live-in boyfriend
• Zoë Wanamaker as Moyra Hanson (series 1), George Marlow's common law wife
• Ralph Fiennes as Michael (series 1)
• John Bowe as George Marlow (series 1)
• Maxine Audley as Doris Marlow (series 1)
• Colin Salmon as Detective Sergeant Bob Oswalde (series 2)
• George Harris as Vernon Allen (series 2)
• Lloyd McGuire as Sergeant Calder (series 2)
• Peter Capaldi as Vera/Vernon Reynolds (series 3)
• Andrew Woodall as Detective Inspector Brian Dalton (series 3)
• David Thewlis as James Jackson (series 3)
• James Frain as Jason Baldwin (series 3), an adult child abuse victim
• Struan Rodger as Superintendent Halliday (series 3)
• Chris Fairbank as Detective Chief Inspector David Lyall (series 3)
• Ciarán Hinds as Edward Parker-Jones (series 3), the manager of a community centre
• Kelly Hunter as Jessica Smithy (series 3), a reporter
• Jonny Lee Miller as Anthony Field (series 3), an adult victim of child abuse
• Mark Drewry as Detective Inspector Ray Hebdon (series 3)
• Danny Dyer as Martin Fletcher (series 3), a homeless street boy
• Jeremy Colton as David Driscoll (series 3)
• Stuart Wilson as Dr Patrick Schofield (series 4), a psychologist whom Tennison consults, and then dates
• Anthony Daniels as a pathologist (series 4)
• Sophie Stanton as Detective Sergeant Christine Cromwell (series 4)
• Beatie Edney as Susan Covington (series 4), a young mother whose child is kidnapped
• Robert Glenister as Chris Hughes (series 4)
• Lesley Sharp as Anne Sutherland (series 4)
• Jill Baker as Maria Henry (series 4), a lawyer
• Kelly Reilly as Polly Henry (series 4), Maria's daughter
• Christopher Fulford as Detective Chief Inspector Tom Mitchell (series 4)
• Tim Woodward as George Marlow (series 4)
• Joyce Redman as Doris Marlow (series 4)
• David Ryall as Oscar Bream (series 2,4)
• Marc Warren as Detective Constable Andy Dyson (series 4)
• Steven Mackintosh as Clive Norton a.k.a. "The Street" (series 5)
• David O'Hara as Detective Sergeant Gerry Rankine (series 5)
• Marsha Thomason as Janice Lafferty (series 5)
• Ray Emmet Brown as Michael Johns (series 5)
• John McArdle as Detective Chief Superintendent Ballinger (series 5)
• Julia Lane as Detective Inspector Claire Devanney (series 5)
• Liam Cunningham as Robert West (series 6)
• Ben Miles as Detective Chief Inspector Simon Finch (series 6)
• Sam Hazeldine as Detective Constable David Butcher (series 6)
• Barnaby Kay as Detective Constable Michael Philips (series 6)
• Ingeborga Dapkūnaitė as Jasmina Blekic (series 6)
• Tanya Moodie as Detective Constable Lorna Grieves (series 6)
• Velibor Topic as Dusan Zigic (series 6)
• Oleg Menshikov as Milan Lukic/Dragan Yankovich (series 6)
• Clare Holman as Mrs Lukic (series 6)
• Frank Finlay as Arnold Tennison (series 6)
• Phoebe Nicholls as Shaw (series 6)
• Rad Lazar as Kasim Ibrahimovic (series 6)
• Gary Lewis as Tony Sturdy (series 7)
• Stephen Tompkinson as Sean Philips (series 7)
• Laura Greenwood as Penny Philips (series 7)
• Eve Best as Linda Philips (series 7)
• Brendan Coyle as DCS Mitchell (series 7)
• Robbie Gee as Detective Inspector Traynor (series 7)
• Ellie Kendrick as Melanie (series 7)
• Russell Mabey as Detective Inspector Cox (series 7)
• Carolyn Pickles as Pauline Hammond (series 7)

Episodes

Concept and development

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Themes

The first series features sexism in the workplace as a significant subplot and a barrier to the investigation. Sequels have tended to downplay this theme, relying on straight procedure or on other subplots, such as institutional racism in Prime Suspect 2 or child sexual abuse and prostitution in Prime Suspect 3, but they continue to demonstrate the determination of some of Tennison's male peers and those in upper echelons to see her fail.

Tennison's difficulty in achieving a balance between her work and her life outside the job, and her difficulty in maintaining stable relationships, are recurring themes within the series. Towards the end of Prime Suspect 3 she arranges to have her pregnancy terminated. As the series progresses, she increasingly relies on alcohol to help her cope. This culminates in the final episode of the series in her attending meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous, where she finally acknowledges and confronts her addiction.

Setting

Prime Suspect is set mostly in London and surrounding areas, but series 5 is set in Manchester.

Production

Every series of Prime Suspect except series 4 follows a single case and runs around 31⁄2 hours (excluding commercials). It has usually been shown in two or four parts. Prime Suspect 4 is an exception at slightly over five hours, with three separate cases.

The first five series were produced annually from 1991 to 1996, until Mirren left the role, supposedly to avoid typecasting (according to a PBS interview). She returned to play the character in 2003 and again in 2006.

Prime Suspect was produced by Granada Television for the ITV network. Series four to seven were co-produced by WGBH Boston for its Masterpiece Mystery anthology series.

Music

The first five series were scored by the Academy Award-winning composer Stephen Warbeck, who was nominated for a BAFTA TV Award for Prime Suspect series one. Rob Lane composed the music for Series 6. Nicholas Hooper won a BAFTA TV Award for his score for Series 7.

Reception and impact

Prime Suspect was voted 68th in the list of 100 Greatest British Television Programmes as compiled by a poll given by the British Film Institute, and in 2007 it was listed as one of Time magazine's "100 Best TV Shows of All-TIME." The series has won multiple BAFTA Awards, Emmy Awards, and a Peabody Award.

Awards and nominations

Prime Suspect won the BAFTA TV Award for Best Drama Serial over G.B.H. in 1991. Afterwards, four of the seven voting members of the jury raised a discrepancy to jury chairperson Irene Shubik, and later signed a public statement declaring that they had voted for G.B.H. to win. BAFTA Chairman Richard Price stated that the ballot papers passed on to him by Shubik had shown four votes for Prime Suspect and three for G.B.H. Price claimed that the ballot papers could not be recounted as they had subsequently been destroyed. Prime Suspect won Best Drama Serial once more for series three, and was nominated four other times. The series won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Miniseries three times, and was nominated twice more.

Mirren won three BAFTA TV Awards for Best Actress for the role, and has been nominated three other times. She won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie twice, with four additional nominations.

Prime Suspect 3 was awarded a Peabody Award in 1993 for its realistic scenes and dialogue. Writer/creator Lynda La Plante received an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for series one in the category of Best TV Feature or Miniseries. The following year, Allan Cubitt won in the same category for series two. Prime Suspect was later nominated for series three and six.

Influence on other programmes

Many observers have viewed Prime Suspect as the inspiration for female characters in U.S. TV series, particularly noting strong similarities between this series in general—and the character of Jane Tennison in particular—and the later American series The Closer, starring Kyra Sedgwick in the role of Deputy Chief of Police Brenda Leigh Johnson. Critics noted the similarities between the series in a stronger way during the first seasons of The Closer, with one 2006 article in USA Today calling The Closer "an unofficial Americanization" of the British series, and a later reviewer noting that, "When The Closer was first shown, critics were quick to compare it to Prime Suspect... there's something in that...."

In interviews Sedgwick has acknowledged that The Closer owes "a debt" to Prime Suspect, and that her admiration for that show and for Mirren were factors that first interested her in the role. According to Sedgwick, Prime Suspect was one of the shows that "paved the way" for The Closer, and her manager got her interested in the series by saying that it was "a little bit like Prime Suspect." Sedgwick is quoted as saying that the Tennison character did become her inspiration in some ways for her portrayal of Brenda Leigh Johnson.

Reviewers in U.S. papers, including the Christian Science Monitor, have noted that The Closer, while not a direct remake of the British series, "owes" much to it, or that it "echoes many of the elements" of it. One The New York Times article refers to The Closer as a "direct descendant" of Prime Suspect, although less hard-hitting than the original:

There is one show, however, that is a direct descendant, however different its tone might be: The Closer, on which Kyra Sedgwick’s Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson obsesses over her cases, tramples feelings and battles the old-boy network. Her vice, however, is candy; no booze or one-night stands. If you want the hard stuff, you need to head back to Prime Suspect.

Other reviewers have also made the point that the differences between Tennison and Johnson are as important as their similarities:

But then there's the locker-room pissiness of her all-male department, which she navigates like an estrogen version of Prime Suspect's Jane Tennison. (That's not a running gag error, either: Sedgwick plays Johnson as if her toughness, intelligence and wit blossomed naturally from her Southern femininity, whereas Helen Mirren plays the dogged Tennison as if womanhood were a liability.)

NBC picked up an adaptation of the British series for the 2011–2012 season. It was taken off the schedule after 13 episodes were produced.

Spoofs

In 1997 a short spoof episode Prime Cracker was produced for the BBC's biennial Red Nose Day charity telethon in aid of Comic Relief. A crossover with ITV stablemate crime drama Cracker, the spoof starred Mirren and Cracker lead Robbie Coltrane as their characters from the respective series, sending up the perceived ultra-seriousness of both shows.

Dead Ringers featured a parody with Queen Elizabeth II in the lead role, as a reaction to Helen Mirren's portrayal of her in the 2006 film The Queen.

Prequel series

A six-part prequel, Prime Suspect 1973, was announced in 2015 by ITV, based on the book Tennison by Lynda La Plante, adapted by Glen Laker. It tells the story of a 22-year-old Jane Tennison as a probationary WPC in Hackney, London, investigating her first murder case. The series began airing on 2 March 2017. The role of Tennison is played by Stefanie Martini. In June 2017, ITV confirmed that the series had not been recommissioned for a second series.

Home media

On 1 October 2013, Netflix made the Series 1–6 available online for streaming. On 27 August 2013, Acorn Media released the entire series in a seven-disc Blu-ray Disc set. Each disc contains the individual programme, upscaled to 1080p HD and converted to 16:9 Widescreen (apart from season 4 episode 1 which remains in 4:3 aspect ratio). Bonus material includes a 50-minute behind-the-scenes special, a 23-minute Series 6 behind-the-scenes featurette, a photo gallery and cast filmographies.

The DVD format of the series was released in 2010 by ITV Studios/Global entertainment. It has an overall running time of 1,437 minutes approximately, and encompasses ten discs, with each Series set on one disc except the triple-episode Series 4, which is set over three discs. As with the Blu-ray production, the final disc contains a Behind-the-Scenes of Series 7.

References

1. "Masterpiece Theatre: Prime Suspect 1". PBS. Archived from the original on 6 November 2016. Retrieved 10 September 2018 – via pbs.org.
2. Poniewozik, James (6 September 2007). "The 100 Best TV Shows of All-TIME". Time. Archived from the original on 28 October 2007. Retrieved 4 March 2010.
3. ^ Wittstock, Melinda (8 April 1992). "Confusion becomes the BAFTA prime suspect". The Times. London. p. 1.
4. ^ Wittstock, Melinda (2 May 1992). "'Fibs' slur incenses BAFTA award judges". The Times. London. p. 18.
5. ^ "BAFTA Awards Search: Prime Suspect". BAFTA TV Awards. Retrieved 10 September 2018 – via awards.bafta.org.
6. ^ "Awards Search: Prime Suspect". Emmy Awards. Retrieved 10 September 2018 – via emmys.com.
7. ^ "Mystery! Prime Suspect (1993)". Peabody Awards. Retrieved 10 September 2018 – via peabodywards.com.
8. "Peabody Awards Archives". Retrieved 10 September 2018 – via libs.uga.edu.
9. ^ "Search the Edgars Database: Prime Suspect". Edgar Awards. Retrieved 10 September 2018 – via theedgars.com.
10. "Awards Archive" (PDF). Royal Television Society. February 2011. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
11. "CRAFT & DESIGN AWARDS 2004". Royal Television Society. 24 January 2011. Retrieved 8 February 2023.
12. "Golden Globe Awards for Prime Suspect: The Final Act". Golden Globe Awards. Retrieved 10 September 2018 – via goldenglobes.com.
13. "Royal Television Society - Latest news". 16 March 2007. Archived from the original on 16 March 2007. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
14. Bianco, Robert (12 June 2006). "Call 911 for TNT's 'Saved'; 'Closer' still beats strong". USA Today. Retrieved 17 November 2012.
15. Bernhard, Brendan (19 June 2007). "Who Needs David Caruso?". The New York Sun. Retrieved 17 November 2012.
16. Boedeker, Hal (25 July 2007). "Kyra Sedgwick: The Closer owes a debt to Prime Suspect, but don't look for 'my idol' Helen Mirren on the show". Orlando Sentinel. Orlando, Florida: Tronc. Archived from the original on 7 September 2015. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
17. Ulaby, Neda (12 July 2010). "Power Player: Kyra Sedgwick Returns In The Closer". NPR Morning Edition. NPR. Retrieved 17 November 2012.
18. Poniewozik, James (26 July 2007). "Antiheroine Chic". Time. New York City: Meredith Corporation. Archived from the original on 7 March 2008. Retrieved 17 November 2012.
19. Taped interview with Kyra Sedgwick, along with other cast members and creators of The Closer, Fancast.com. Archived 17 March 2009 at the Wayback Machine
20. Heffernan, Virginia (10 July 2006). "The Closer's Kyra Sedgwick, a Study in Nuance". The New York Times. new York City. Retrieved 17 November 2012.
21. Goodale, Gloria (12 July 2010). "The Closer opened doors for women – and for basic cable". The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 17 November 2012.
22. Stanley, Alessandra (10 November 2006). "Swan Song for a Tough Old Bird". The New York Times. Retrieved 17 November 2012.
23. Hale, Mike (3 September 2010). "A Complete Look at a Complex Character". The New York Times. Retrieved 17 November 2012.
24. Abele, Robert (23 June 2005). "Wounded Souls". LAweekly.com. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
25. Seidman, Robert (6 July 2011). "NBC Announces Fall Premiere Dates – Chuck, Grimm Premiere 21 October; Early Premiere for Parenthood". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on 9 July 2011. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
26. Andreeva, Nellie (14 November 2011). "NBC To Give Harry's Law Full-Season Order; Prime Suspect Gone?". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
27. "Prime Suspect prequel sees return of Jane Tennison on ITV". The Guardian. 18 June 2015. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
28. "Tennison cast list: Stefanie Martini to play the young Jane Tennison in Prime Suspect prequel". Radio Times. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
29. "Prime Suspect 1973 won't return for a second series". Digital Spy. 21 June 2017. Retrieved 22 June 2017.
30. Cruz, Gilbert (1 October 2013). "What's New on Netflix Streaming This Month: October 2013". vulture.com. Retrieved 2 October 2013.
31. Lambert, David (6 June 2013). "Prime Suspect – Blu-ray Disc Release of the 'Complete Collection' Starring Helen Mirren". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Archived from the original on 10 June 2013. Retrieved 19 June 2013.

External links

• Prime Suspect at the British Film Institute's Screenonline
• Prime Suspect at IMDb

• 1991 British television series debuts
• 2006 British television series endings
• 1990s British crime drama television series
• 2000s British crime drama television series
• Anthony Award–winning works
• Edgar Award–winning works
• British English-language television shows
• ITV crime dramas
• Peabody Award–winning television programs
• Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Miniseries winners
• Primetime Emmy Award–winning television series
• Television shows produced by Granada Television
• Television series by ITV Studios
• Television series by WGBH
• Television shows set in London
• Television shows shot in Liverpool
• Television shows shot in Manchester
• British detective television series