Beginning with some quick intercutting reminiscent of the pre-credit teases of classic episodes of Law and Order: Criminal Intent, we see a young black man shot down on a London alley, followed in rapid succession by the shooting of a hapless motorcycle messenger who has the misfortune to pass by just then. We are then whisked into the stately halls of England's Parliament, where up and coming member Stephen Collins (David Morrissey) soon learns that one of his aides, Sonja Baker, has either fallen or been pushed off the waiting ramp at the London Underground, meeting her untimely fate. When the murder of the young black man and Sonja's mysterious death become intertwined we are off on a rollicking good piece of investigative journalism, headed by John Simm as Cal McCaffrey, once Collins' campaign manager and now a plucky if disheveled and unhappy print journalist. When it turns out that Baker and Collins had been having an affair, Collins' meteoric rise in Parliament seems about to sputter and explode.

The story soon looms much larger than even murder, with the unexpected killing of what one assumes will be a major character at the end of the first episode. That opens the door to all sorts of governmental intrigue, an additional, and if anything even more messy, extramarital affair, and the sort of scheming politicians that those of us in the United States sometimes feel are our exclusive typos. Both the political and journalistic aspects of State of Play are handled with a supreme degree of verisimilitude, with Collins' spin doctors and advisers seeming alternately smarmy and noble, and the journalists (especially Kelly Macdonald as Cal's partner Della Smith) not above prevarication and labyrinthine plotting themselves. Special mention must be made of the absolutely superb Bill Nighy as Cal and Della's ascerbic editor Cameron Foster, who finds himself shepherding the biggest story of his career, one which may actually end his career. His off-the-cuff witticisms scattered throughout the teleplay are a comedic highlight of this enterprise.

Abbott and director David Yates (helming the next two Harry Potter films) do an admirable job of keeping the viewer guessing at what rollercoaster escapade is going to throw them for a loop-the-loop next, and though there are occasional plot holes (why, for instance, is the hired gun who killed at least the black teenager shot so mysteriously by police?), the breathless pace of State of Play leaves little time to ponder the imponderables as the next piece of the puzzle slips nicely into place. Abbott has a fine ear for dialogue and crafts his characters carefully, with Cal and Collins both emerging as deeply damaged and damaging individuals.

Though, to sort of quote that well-known mystery writer T.S. Eliot (well, there is "Murder in the Cathedral," anyway), State of Play's end is in its beginning, and any really avid mystery buff may see the final denouement coming a while before it is ultimately revealed, the journey of this exhilarating piece more than makes up for any very occasional lackluster pit stops. Amazingly there is little if any padding in the six hour running time, leaving one to wonder how the film version is going to pare this down successfully to an average running time. State of Play is one of the finest mystery miniseries I've ever seen, and let's hope that we Americans don't totally "bollox up" the film adaptation.

The DVD

Video:
A nice enhanced 1.78:1 image is for the most part very sharp and detailed, if a bit dark. Colors and saturation are excellent.

Sound:
A nicely detailed soundtrack with some excellent separation gives the aural presentation some snap. Macdonald's thick Scottish brogue is a bit indecipherable at times.

Extras:
Commentaries on the first and last episodes feature some above average insight by Yates and Abbott, as well as Editor Mark Day.

Final Thoughts:
State of Play is a crackling good mystery yarn, with enough twists and turns to keep anyone guessing at least most of the way. Augmented by exceptionally fine performances and solid direction and writing, this is a visceral ride with some compelling characters. Highly recommended.

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