Jericho (ITV Crime, Robert Lindsay, David Troughton)

Like an evening spent in a smoky Soho Jazz club, detective drama Jericho positively drips with the flavours of the late 1950’s. With its pukka opening titles and theme music that are reminiscent of an episode of Edgar Lustgarten’s Scotland Yard series Jericho also has oodles of period detail.

Robert Lindsay, who has scarcely put a foot wrong throughout his career is on fine form as Detective Inspector Michael Jericho, playing with a suitably laconic appeal that really suits the era, in 1958 of course the police were still very much seen as figures of authority and Jericho has a very confident air about him, quite happy to kick a door in where necessary but not the kind of copper who is quick to violence, Jericho actually has something of a troubled past, revealed in the second episode The Killing of Johnny Swan, involving his father, also a copper. He is also not doing himself any favours with his superiors by having an affair with a prostitute, Juliette, who lives in the flat below him.

Jericho has a pair of assistants in the shape of solid Sergeant Clive Harvey (David Troughton) and new boy DC John Caldicott (Ciaran McMenamin) and plotwise the series manages to combine classic murder mystery with some interesting segue ways on life in Britain in the 1950’s, the first episode looks at the race issues then prevelent in Britain with the arrival of large numbers of West Indians and the second episode is sports led, focusing on a Roger Bannister-Chris Chataway style team of runners.

On 16 October ITV3 broadcast a 50 minute behind the scenes special (directly after the end of the broadcast on ITV1 of the first episode).

Cast: Robert Lindsay as Detective Inspector Michael Jericho; David Troughton as Detective Sergeant Clive Harvey; Nicholas Jones as AC Cherry; Ciaran McMenamin as John Caldicott; Lee Ross as Louis; Kellie Bright as Woman Police Constable Penny Collins; Aurelie Bergeme as Juliette; Brendon Coyle as Christie

Writer: Stewart Harcourt / Script Editor: Kate McKerrell / Music: Dominik Scherrer / Executive Producers: Rebecca Eaton, Michele Buck, Damien Timmer / Producer: Cameron McAllister

UK / ITV-1 – WGBH Boston – Granada / 4×120 minute episodes / Broadcast 16 October to 6 November 2005

THE EPISODES
1. A PAIR OF RAGGED CLAWS
2. THE KILLING OF JOHNNY SWAN
3. TO MURDER AND CREATE
4. THE HOLLOW MEN