I can't believe it's taken me over 20 years to watch this shortlived series, seeing that I was a huge fan of The Bill, and hardly missed an episode between 1985 and 2002!
As with many fans of The Bill, I loved the antihero character of Frank Burnside - the old-school detective who gets his results by not always using the most orthodox methods.
When I heard there was going to be a Burnside spinoff show, I wasn't sure it was a good idea, and maybe it would stretch the character too much by taking him out of his usual setting, with completely new characters.
But, after seeing this excellent series, I'm now very glad to be proved wrong. What amazed me is how fresh and modern the show looks - as if it were made in 2020, not 2000!
Burnside has now in charge of a unit in the National Crime Squad, and works with two sidekicks, Sam and Dave.
Sam is an attractive young Scottish woman, and Dave a mixed-race gay man - which all sounds very 'woke' by today's standards, but these are no 'token' characters... they both have fully fleshed-out personalities and have real and meaningful input into the stories, and the whole set-up feels authentic and in tune with today's special forces.
There are three stories, each a two-parter, and all very different - although, as the shoe progresses, it's clear Burnsife has a score to settle with smarmy and ageing gangster Ronnie 'the razor' Buchan, played by Paul Nicholas.
The standard is very high, and the stories are violent, action-packed and suspenseful. If you've never seen this show, then I'd urge you to give it a try and see for yourself.
I've no idea why it was cancelled after only 6 episodes - this is a series that should have been around for years.
As with many fans of The Bill, I loved the antihero character of Frank Burnside - the old-school detective who gets his results by not always using the most orthodox methods.
When I heard there was going to be a Burnside spinoff show, I wasn't sure it was a good idea, and maybe it would stretch the character too much by taking him out of his usual setting, with completely new characters.
But, after seeing this excellent series, I'm now very glad to be proved wrong. What amazed me is how fresh and modern the show looks - as if it were made in 2020, not 2000!
Burnside has now in charge of a unit in the National Crime Squad, and works with two sidekicks, Sam and Dave.
Sam is an attractive young Scottish woman, and Dave a mixed-race gay man - which all sounds very 'woke' by today's standards, but these are no 'token' characters... they both have fully fleshed-out personalities and have real and meaningful input into the stories, and the whole set-up feels authentic and in tune with today's special forces.
There are three stories, each a two-parter, and all very different - although, as the shoe progresses, it's clear Burnsife has a score to settle with smarmy and ageing gangster Ronnie 'the razor' Buchan, played by Paul Nicholas.
The standard is very high, and the stories are violent, action-packed and suspenseful. If you've never seen this show, then I'd urge you to give it a try and see for yourself.
I've no idea why it was cancelled after only 6 episodes - this is a series that should have been around for years.