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!
ashtonian54
The shows premise is based on "Stingray" technology. Yes this technology does exist, fooling your phone into believing it is connected to a cell tower and subsequently allowing all voice and data to connect. I found it compelling viewing and enjoyed the plot twists. The programme is about a covert police operation to uncover the Mr Big in a drug operation. Ash is our hero who wants to believe that they are making a "difference" rather than just going through the motions. This may cost him his marriage and sometimes going it alone to get the results that will unmask the man behind it all. Interdepartmental rivalries abound as 'Stannard' the police chief, wonders where this covert band of crime fighters get their funding and does his best to undermine their operation, relying on a mole on the team to feed him information.
vivnista
I started so I will finish. I gave it two episodes and now I want to know what happens so I will watch it until it finishes. I am annoyed with myself for wasting my time on it though. It is a frustrating show. I like the premise and the storyline, the problem is the editing and some of the cast. There is a lot of overacting particularly by the two bosses, I mean really, you don't have to be bursting with anger in ALL your scenes! Also, how come the new guy ends of practically running things straight off?! Some of the supporting cast are brilliant but you are left confused about who to like. They are all so miserable and grumpy it's like watching eastenders. Basically, the show is trying to be Luther but fails miserably!
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.
