Tuesday, May 22, 2012

TV Series of the Month – State of Play


This month’s TV series is State of Play (2003).

The six-part crime drama is about a London newspaper that investigates the murder of a local politician’s research assistant, uncovering a mystery that they never could have expected. Airing on the BBC, the miniseries is by writer Paul Abbott (who also created the British Shameless) and director David Yates (who directed the last five Harry Potter films). It has a brilliant cast (featuring a few actors who have since become well known in the States) with John Simm, Kelly Macdonald, Bill Nighy (Macdonald and Nighy also starred in Yates’s TV movie The Girl in the Café and each had a small role in one of the Deathly Hallow films), Philip Glenister, David Morrissey, James McAvoy, Amelia Bullmore, Benedict Wong, Marc Warren, Rebekah Staton, and Polly Walker. In 2009, Kevin Macdonald adapted the series into a Hollywood film (also called State of Play with Russell Crowe and Ben Affleck) but it is nowhere near as good. The series really draws the viewer in as the mystery unravels, taking its time allowing for wonderful character development. The supporting players are great (lead by Nighy, Macdonald and McAvoy), but the leads (Simm and Morrissey) are phenomenal, driving the narrative forward (AMC’s The Killing reminds me a little of this series). State of Play is often considered the best British TV Drama of the last decade and is a must-see for fans of crime dramas. Check out the trailer.


Available on DVD

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