TV police drama has enjoyed a real revival in the past decade, not least HBO's greatest gift to the medium (The Wire), but my favourite show of recent times comes from an unlikely source - France. Known in its home country as "Engrenages" (Cogs), the show has been given the title "Spiral" in the UK and the first 2 series languished in BBC's late-night graveyard slot.
Visually, the show presents a world without colour, not the vibrant Paris many know, but a city drenched in shades of dark and grey. Apart from the grandeur of the law courts, the setting is very much the "banlieues" (suburbs), a harsh urban environment devoid of typical Parisian landmarks. Like the Wire, it explores different facets of the legal system without prejudice - from the magistrates to the police to the criminals, and is blessed with excellent dialogue.
Spiral boasts some great characters, from the tenacious Capitaine Berthaud to the wily fox Juge Roban, and the acting is superb. I have a particular fondness for the sultry, unscrupulous Maitre Karlsson, who operates on the borderline of the law and the criminal underworld. The whole series is also a fabulous way to swot up on the unique and complex French legal system.
You can still catch up on the entire 3rd series on iPlayer here, so if you have 12 hours to spare and enjoy an intense police drama, then I couldn't recommend this highly enough. But be warned, it's a pretty gruesome opening.
Visually, the show presents a world without colour, not the vibrant Paris many know, but a city drenched in shades of dark and grey. Apart from the grandeur of the law courts, the setting is very much the "banlieues" (suburbs), a harsh urban environment devoid of typical Parisian landmarks. Like the Wire, it explores different facets of the legal system without prejudice - from the magistrates to the police to the criminals, and is blessed with excellent dialogue.
Spiral boasts some great characters, from the tenacious Capitaine Berthaud to the wily fox Juge Roban, and the acting is superb. I have a particular fondness for the sultry, unscrupulous Maitre Karlsson, who operates on the borderline of the law and the criminal underworld. The whole series is also a fabulous way to swot up on the unique and complex French legal system.
You can still catch up on the entire 3rd series on iPlayer here, so if you have 12 hours to spare and enjoy an intense police drama, then I couldn't recommend this highly enough. But be warned, it's a pretty gruesome opening.
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