Posts Tagged ‘crime’
Friday, September 23rd, 2011
Sexiest crime fighter? 24's Jack Bauer played by Kiefer Sutherland
24′s Jack Bauer has been named as the hottest TV crime fighter ever. The terrorist agent – played by Kiefer Sutherland – topped the list of the sexiest law enforcement officials, beating EastEnders’ retired police officer Jack Branning (Scott Maslen) and Ashes to Ashes detective Gene Hunt in the poll to celebrate the launch of the second series of cop drama Rookie Blue.
Anna Morgan of NBC Universal said: “‘Rookie Blue takes a sexy look at the high-octane lifestyle of rookie cops so we wanted to pay tribute to some of the hottest crime fighters of the small screen.
“It’s great to see some classics in there such as Farah Fawcett and Bruce Willis, proving that policing will always be the sexiest profession in the TV world!”
Hollywood stars Bruce Willis and David Duchovny rounded out the top five for their respective portrayals of detective David Addison in ‘Moonlighting’ and alien obsessed FBI Special Agent Fox Mulder in ‘The X Files’.
Sexiest female crime fighters include poll topper ‘Ashes to Ashes’ DI Alexandra Drake, played by Keeley Hawes, Diana Rigg’s Emma Peel from ‘The Avengers’ and Joanna Lumley’s Purdey as featured in ‘The New Avengers’.
Special Agent Dana Scully as played by Gillian Anderson in ‘The X Files’ and Helen Mirren’s smouldering Jane Tennison in ‘Prime Suspect’ complete the top five.
Rookie Blue, season two, starts on Sunday 25th September at 9pm on Universal Channel.
Top 10 Hot Male Cops
1. Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland in ’24′)
2. Jack Branning (Scott Maslen in ‘Eastenders’)
3. DCI Gene Hunt (Philip Glenister in ‘Ashes to Ashes’)
4. David Addison (Bruce Willis in ‘Moonlighting’)
5. Special Agent Fox Mulder (David Duchovny in ‘X Files’)
6. Calvin Valentine (Ricky Whittle in ‘Hollyoaks’)
7. DCI Sam Tyler (John Simm in ‘Life on Mars’)
8. Detective Mike Logan (Chris Noth in ‘Law and Order’)
9. Sonny Crocket (Don Johnson in ‘Miami Vice’)
10. DCI Tom Barnaby (John Nettles in ‘Midsomer Murders’)
Top 10 Hot Female Cops
1. DI Alexandra Drake (Keeley Hawes ‘Ashes to Ashes’)
2. Emma Peel (Diana Rigg in ‘The Avengers’)
3. Purdey (Joanna Lumley in ‘The New Avengers’)
4. Agent Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson in ‘The X Files’)
5. Jane Tennison (Helen Mirren in ‘Prime Suspect’)
6. Jill Munroe (Farrah Fawcett in ‘Charlie’s Angels’)
7. Nikki Alexander (Emilia Fox in ‘Silent Witness’)
8. Makepeace (Glynis Barber in ‘Dempsey and Makepeace’)
9. Agent Sydney Bristow (Jennifer Garner in ‘Alias’)
10. DS Sandra Pullman (Amanda Redman in ‘New Tricks’)
Tags: 24, crime, detective, Jack Bauer, Kiefer Sutherland
Posted in Criminal Justice | No Comments »
Wednesday, July 20th, 2011
Phil Collinson: Promises less crime on Corrie
Corrie producer Phil Collinson has been talking to OK magazine about the amount of crime portrayed in the soap and promised to reduce it. When asked if there were too many criminals on the cobbles he said:
“Maybe I can take that one on the chin. I agree… we have been at the police station and the court room a little bit too much. As we move ahead, we will shift away from serial killers and crime storylines.’
Following a couple of weeks of heavy criticism of the soap it would appear to mark an admission that things have to change and a move away from the endless cycle of criminal activity would certainly be a good one.
These days it seems there isn’t a character in the soap that hasn’t been arrested or locked up at some point with Kevin, Deidre, Tracy, David, Becky, Steve, Fiz, Gary and Emily all having served time inside. Except Emily, who hasn’t, although she did nearly once get arrested for refusing to get out of a tree.
Tags: Coronation Street, crime, phil collinson
Posted in ITV 1, ITV Channels, Soaps | No Comments »
Friday, May 13th, 2011
‘Taggart’ has been axed by ITV bosses after 28 years on air.
The police show – which is the UK’s longest running crime drama – has been cancelled after 110 episodes because viewing figures decreased from 14 million in its heyday to 3.8 million during the last series.
A message on the programme’s website yesterday (12.05.11), read: “This programme is now over.”
The Glasgow-based show focused on the detective work of DCI Jim Taggart – played by the late Mark McManus until his death in 1994 – who was famous for his “There’s been a murder” catchphrase.
He was replaced by DI Mike Jardine, who was played by James MacPherson.
The show – which has featured cameo appearances from the likes of Robert Carlyle and Annette Crosbie – narrowly escaped the axe in 2009 when it received 5.2 million viewers.
However, ITV bosses have now decided to pull the plug on the show to make way for “new and original drama”.
An ITV spokesman confirmed: “Since it was first broadcast in 1983, ‘Taggart’ has been one of ITV’s most enduring dramas. But, reflecting the demands of our audience and as part of the ongoing creative renewal of the ITV1 schedule, our priority is to invest in new and original drama.”
Stars of the last series include John Michie, who played DI Robert Ross, Bylthe Duff (DI Jackie Reid) and Alex Norton (DCI Matt Burke).
Tags: "murder mystery", 28 years, axed, crime, Crime series, murder, taggart
Posted in ITV 1, ITV Channels | No Comments »
Monday, October 29th, 2007
The End. Finished. Over. Last night, the 86th and final episode of The Sopranos had its premiere on UK television and now we Brits can finally appreciate the controversy that surrounded the show’s last scene when broadcast in the US. But before we get to that, let’s take a look at how creator David Chase decided to spend our final minutes with Tony Soprano.
Waking at the safe house he had fled to, Tony and his crew adapted to life without green vegetables and with a new recruit in the form of a stray cat. Tony met with Agent Harris, informing him of the bank used by the two Arabs he was interested in, hoping that the FBI worker would reciprocate with news of Phil Leotardo’s location. Harris didn’t oblige on this occasion, but this odd relationship was clearly a source of optimism for a beleaguered Tony.
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Tags: A. J. Soprano, Agent Harris, Carmela, climax, crime, criminals, Drama, E4, episode, final, finale, gangsters, HBO, Janice, Made in America, Meadow Soprano, mobsters, New Jersey, Paulie, Phil Leotardo, season, series, Soprano, the Mafia, the Mob, The Sopranos, Tony Soprano, Uncle Junior
Posted in Drama, E4, Imports, TV Reviews | 2 Comments »
Friday, October 26th, 2007
What is there to say? After years of following Tony and his two families, Sunday night will mark the end of an era as the superlative mob drama comes to an end. E4 have been counting down the days in a dramatic advertising campaign, with every new reminder only adding to my excitement and suspense. Who will be left standing after the two mafia clans have gone head-to-head? Does Tony really deserve our sympathy as he finds his empire, family and existence under threat from the vengeful Phil Leotardo? And will we ever see a show this consistently brilliant ever again?
The end scene (which I have endeavoured to learn nothing of these past few months) caused controversy when it aired in the US back in June. Some considered it a beautifully crafted moment while others felt unsatisfied and confused. Creator and mastermind behind the show, David Chase defended the scene: “There’s nothing more in TV that I could say or would want to say” and it will be for us here in the UK to make of it what we will. The episode is billed as slightly longer than normal (10.30-11.50pm) and so we will have to savour our last minutes of Sopranos glory. Enjoy.
Tags: crime, Drama, E4, family, mafia, mob, New Jersey, Phil Leotardo, television, The Sopranos, Tony Soprano, TV
Posted in Drama, E4, Imports, Set the Vid | No Comments »
Monday, October 15th, 2007
As a naturally sleepy person, staying up til 11.30pm on a Sunday night is quite the effort, but when it comes to The Sopranos I’m prepared to spend my Monday yawning a lot. For the first few episodes of this, the second part of the sixth and final season, I was quite disappointed. The show seemed uncharacteristically laboured and desperate to undermine each of Tony’s significant relationships (maybe to build to an unpredictable ending), but in the past few episodes it’s decided to get its groove back.
After the Grim Reaper decided to make a shock appearance claiming Chris last week, came another will-he-won’t-he-die scenario, this time with Tony’s son, the troubled and depressed A.J. The gloomy fella had been so lost since his fiancée Blanca ditched him, and that combined with his disillusionment with his new chums, led him to jump into the family’s swimming pool with a plastic bag over his head and a cinder block attached to his foot. Fortunately, he had misjudged the length of rope, and it was long enough for him to struggle above the surface and remove the bag. Unable to move with the weight of the cinder block, A.J. cried for help until Tony returned home to dive into the water and save his son. Phew!
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Tags: A. J. Soprano, crime, Drama, E4, mafia, mobsters, programme, Robert Iler, show, television, The Second Coming, The Sopranos, Tony Soprano, TV
Posted in Drama, E4, Imports, TV Reviews | No Comments »
Monday, October 8th, 2007
You might think that after five and a half seasons of bloody violence that The Sopranos’ ability to shock would have dimmed. You would be very wrong, with last night’s episode proof positive that when it comes to leaving your jaw flapping in the wind, the New Jersey mobsters do it best.
The episode started innocently enough, Tony and Chris met with Phil discussing the business of dumping asbestos. So far, so normal. On the journey home from the conference, Tony raged his annoyance with Phil, though Chris tried to encourage Tony’s former “smelling the roses” positive outlook. The two drove on, though Chris, driving, was noticeably high on drugs and distracted by the music on his car stereo. Okay – maybe slightly curious, but still far from earth-shattering. And then it all changed.
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Tags: Christopher Moltisanti, crime, Drama, E4, James Gandolfini, Michael Imperioli, mobsters, murder, the Mafia, The Sopranos, Tony Soprano
Posted in Drama, E4, Imports, TV Reviews | 2 Comments »
Wednesday, September 26th, 2007
It appears that Kiefer Sutherland will do anything to drum up a bit of interest in the next season of 24 – even going so far as to get himself arrested. Of course, I jest – it’s going to take a lot more than that to get folks interested in 24 again, but the show’s star has been in trouble with the law. Again. On his way home after a FOX network party, the famed hell-raiser was pulled over by the police for making an illegal U-turn. This led officials to test his alcohol levels, which were found to be twice the legal limit.
Sutherland was promptly arrested for misdemeanor DUI, a crime he was also charged with back in 2004. He is scheduled to appear in court on October 16th and if found guilty could serve at least five days behind bars as part of California’s two strikes system. Not to worry though Jack – this should be nothing compared to the long months spent in a Chinese prison.
[via IMDb]
Tags: 24, actor, arrested, charged, crime, Drama, DUI, Jack Bauer, jail, Kiefer Sutherland, police, prison, Sky One
Posted in Drama, Imports, Sky One, TV News | 1 Comment »
Thursday, July 26th, 2007
I know that in the wrong hands top-ten lists can be cheesy, tired and clichéd. They can overly simplify matters and reduce a broad and complex subject into convenient, restricted numbers. Fear not, TV Scoopers – these are not the wrong hands, and so I give you the Top 10 best British actors on American TV.
With the Emmy nominations out, everyone in Britain looks to see who we have nominated from Blighty. Some of these stars receive the acclaim and attention they are deserving of, while the impressive acting and convincing accents of others are neglected in little seen programmes. By limiting this list down to actors rather than all imports, I am omitting presenters (Cat Deeley, Craig Ferguson), reality show stars (The Osbournes), reality show judges (Simon Cowell, Nigel Lythgoe) and any other such folk who have achieved success Stateside (Gordon Ramsay, Darren Brown.) I am ignoring those whose British programmes have fared well (Ricky Gervais, Helen Mirren), those that have maintained their accent (Joan Collins, Alex Kingston) and those who were born in the UK but grew up elsewhere (Mischa Barton, Nicollette Sheridan). I am looking only to those who have managed to break through with nothing but a working passport and a fake New York twang. This list is for those whose performance skills are such that Americans can’t tell that they’re actually British. Impressive stuff indeed.
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Tags: actors, Angela Lansbury, Band of Brothers, Battlestar gallatica, best, Bill Miller, British, Bryan Singer, Captain Lee 'Apollo' Adama, Captain Major Winters, CBS, Comedy, Courteney Cox, crime, Damian Lewis, Deadwood, detective stories, Dirt, doctor, Dominic West, Don Konkey, Drama, English teacher, family, female author, Golden Globe award, HBO, House, Hugh Laurie, Ian Hart, Ian McShane, Jamie Barber, Jessica Fletcher, Joely Richardson, Julia McNamara, Lady Chatterley's Lover, Life, list, Lovejoy, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Mark Addy, medical, Murder She Wrote, Nip/Tuck, photographer, programmes, Redgrave, retired, Sci Fi, Secrets and Lies, series, shows, sitcom, Still Standing, The Full Monty, The Wire, toilet salesman, top ten, TV, US, Vivian Johnson, war, Without A Trace
Posted in BBC 2, Comedy, Digital and satellite, Drama, Five, Imports, ITV 1, Sci Fi, Sky One | 3 Comments »
Wednesday, July 25th, 2007
We are sooo behind with crime drama Law and Order: Special Victims Unit here in the UK. Series 5 starts here on Five on Saturday night, but in the US they’ve just finished season 8. Good job it’s back on TV so we can start catching up. Sunday’s episode is typical SVU with Detectives Stabler and Benson on the hunt for a kidnapped pregnant lady. Of course, she can’t be a healthy mum to be, where would the tense, nervous action derive from? Oh no, instead she has a rare medical condition that means that an unsupervised labour would result in death to her and her baby.
Our favourite detectives are on the case and early reviews of it say that we are in for a Stabler treat – his much neglected, feared non-existent, softer side. Yep, the big guy gets in touch with his feelings. Actor Christopher Meloni (formerly of my absolute fave drama, Oz) will have to get those water-works in full flow if he wants to keep pace with co-star Mariska Hargitay. She has just been nominated again for an Emmy award, having won the prize last year. Will she take it a second time?
Tags: baby, best actress, birth, case, Christopher Meloni, crime, danger, debut, Detective Benson, Detective Stabler, detectives, Drama, Emmy award, Five, import, Law and Order, Mariska Hargitay, Oz, pregnancy, premiere, programme, show, Special Victims Unit, US
Posted in Drama, Five, Imports, Set the Vid | 2 Comments »
Monday, July 23rd, 2007
The Wire is being shown from the very first episode (it finished it’s 4th season in the US last December) on FX tonight and I’ll be booking my space on the sofa in advance. I have to admit that I’ve not seen The Wire before. I have heard of it’s impressive reviews (Newsday called it “the greatest dramatic series ever” and Entertainment Weekly named it their best show of 2004) but until FX’s recent promotional blitz had yet to properly acknowledge it on my TV radar.
It’s made by HBO, and is a multi-layered look at the conflict between police units and drug gangs. A true ensemble piece, The Wire even stars another Brit with a convincing American accent in Dominic West. It has been applauded for it’s gritty, urban realism (yes, I know that sounds horribly trite) and for tackling class and race issues that America would rather pretend don’t exist. For a while it looked like it might be cancelled but the fifth and final series is in sight for US audiences and now we should try and really get behind it in the UK. It’s a one woman revolution – who’s with me?
Tags: awards, cops, crime, Dominic West, Drama, drugs, FX, gangs, HBO, The Wire, units
Posted in Digital and satellite, Drama, Imports, Set the Vid | 1 Comment »
From:Set The Video: NASA: Triumph and Tragedy, BBC Two, Wednesday, 24 June, 9pm