The four two-part episodes comprising the series' first two seasons are compelling, relying as much on character and character development as they do on the more mundane machinations of mystery plotting that the British do so well. Each mystery begins with a series of quick cut, seemingly disparate scenes (somewhat reminiscent of Law and Order: Criminal Intent) that over the course of the next hour and a half or so get slowly woven into a coherent whole. The series so far tends to focus on two storylines which usually get joined at the hip about ten minutes before the denouement.

This is a show that doesn't wear its heart on its sleeve, and frequently states telling information about the characters in passing (Jericho's Judaism is brought up almost tangentially, when a recurring bad cop character refers to him as a "Yid"). Similarly, the show is long on ambience, mixing a proto-Noir visual style with social commentary (Jericho is of course a champion of the downtrodden, like his downstairs neighbor who just happens to be a prostitute, but also "Blacks," as they're referred to in this series and, albeit a bit more ambiguously in one episode, homosexuals).

Lindsay's worn features and drooping eyes are perfect for this sad character lost in a sea of memory and disillusionment. Also excellent is Ciaran McMenamin as the new-to-duty Constable Caldicott, who over the course of the four episodes finds his attempts to woo his girlfriend repeatedly frustrated by the 24/7 demands of police work. The show also features stellar supporting work from such guest stars as Francesca Annis (who was a Christie sleuth herself, Tuppence of Tommy and Tuppence, in younger days) portraying a well-bred wife of a kidnap victim, and Claire Bloom, still beautiful despite her advancing age, as the delusional mother of a murdered atomic researcher.

The production design and especially the music, which owes a huge debt to Jerry Goldsmith's work for both L.A. Confidential and The Man from U.N.C.L.E., help cement the feel of the series immeasurably (somewhat ironic in that Goldsmith wrote the theme for yet another Jericho series, a short-lived CBS war drama from 1966). This is a smoky (literally--virtually every character is constantly puffing on a cigarette), dark and forbidding London, filled with semi-functioning neon signs flashing against wet cobblestone streets.

The only occasional drawback of the series is its infrequent trips into melodrama, with attendant overacting (seemingly confirming the theory that if one ear-piercing scream is good, 10 must be better). These Grand Guignol moments distract from the leisurely and melancholy mood of the bulk of the series, but thankfully don't last long.

The DVD

Video:
The unenhanced 1.78:1 image looks spectacular; one wishes it would have been enhanced for widescreen, making it even better. This is a show that relies on its visual style more than most of its ilk, and the goods are there on this DVD set.

Sound:
The standard stereo track sounds great. The score, one of the best dramatic scores in recent memory, is beautiful, and all dialogue is crisp and clear.

Extras:
Unfortunately no extras on this set.

Final Thoughts:
This is yet another worthy entry into the vaunted Mystery canon. Because the mysteries (though consistently well-plotted) are no more important than the characters in this series, Jericho may stand up to repeated viewing more than a lot of whodunits which lose their appeal after the culprit is revealed. Recommended for all mystery fans.

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"G-d made stars galore" & "Hey, what kind of a crappy fortune is this?" ZMK, modern prophet