Adam Dalgliesh - Scotland Yard - Season 1 - DVD

Content: London in the early 1970s: after taking time off for personal reasons, Adam Dalgliesh (Bertie Carvel) returns to police duty at Scotland Yard. The quiet, introverted investigator seems unapproachable and arrogant to those around him. But behind the façade is a brilliant investigator who, after a personal tragedy, has to struggle with his inner demons. The first case after his sabbatical leads Dalgliesh to a nurses' home, where one of the students has died in agony during a routine exercise. What at first looks like a tragic accident soon turns out to be a murder after another body is found in the dormitory. The policeman is also confronted with several deaths in a tranquil sanatorium, one of which was a friend of Dalgliesh. Now the task is to prove that these are not natural deaths, but the work of a serial killer. And also the discovery of two corpses in a church requires from Dalgliesh every amount of intuition and deduction - because the case proves to be trickier than it first appears...

"Adam Dalgliesh - Scotland Yard" is based on the novels of the writer P.D. James, which have been previously filmed for British television. James, who died in 2014 and who also wrote the novel for the excellent end-time thriller "Children of Men", has created an extremely interesting investigator in Adam Dalgliesh, whom Bertie Carvel embodies with a thoroughly elegant lack of emotion. Only rarely do emotions become visible, which Carvel allows to shine through in a very nuanced way. Yes, Dalgliesh may seem arrogant as a result, but a closer look reveals the tragedy behind this demeanor. That's what makes the character so interesting and ultimately accessible to viewers.

Aiding him are two very different investigators. For one, there's DS Charles Masterson (Jeremy Irvine), with whom Dalgliesh quickly senses he's not going to get along well with the young cop's style. Unlike Masterson, whom even viewers have little sympathy for, DS Kate Miskin (Carlyss Peer) scores points with both the closed-off investigator and the audience with her dedicated and empathetic manner. In the third episode of this first season, in which the trio must investigate together for the first time, an exciting dynamic develops between the three very different characters, which will hopefully be further developed in the coming episodes (season 2 is planned for early 2023).

In addition to the look and the convincing play of the ensemble, it is very positive to note that the three stories of the first season each have a very unique atmosphere. Even if very classic (and thus also little surprising) crime fare is offered here, it is so never boring. On the contrary, despite a very calm narrative, the series manages perfectly to build up gripping suspense that entertains fans of this genre at a very high level. A successful debut for this new retro crime series, which makes you want more. For this there is an absolutely deserved: absolutely worth watching!

Picture + Sound: The 70s look, which the series captures very well, is also successfully transported into the home theater. Earthy colors and a coherent image sharpness ensure that the retro atmosphere is transported so well to the screens. The audio is available as a Dolby Digital 5.1 mix, with the dialogue and music taking center stage. Major surround effects shouldn't be expected here, but for a crime series like this, the audiovisuals are perfectly satisfactory. Good!

Extras: Bonus material is unfortunately not available in this first season.

Conclusion: The first season of "Adam Dalgliesh - Scotland Yard" offers very good crime entertainment of the classic kind. Immersed in an atmospheric 70s look, it is mainly the interesting main character and his way of investigating that make this series so successful. The first three cases of Adam Dalgliesh are presented in good picture and sound quality. Unfortunately, there is no bonus material. All in all, however, there is still a convinced: absolutely recommendable!

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp