Image copyright © by Marcus Trahan

The Suspicions of Mr Whicher

(UK)

There are four series of this: The Murder at Road Hill House, The Murder in Angel Lane, Beyond the Pale, and The Ties That Bind. Jack Whicher was a real cop, back in 1860 when the idea of a detective division was a new one. He was the inspiration for a Charles Dickens character, among other authors. The first series is based on a real story; the other three are made up. All four of them were first-rate productions. Paddy Considine plays Whicher, presented as a tormented character who is no Sherlock Holmes. He can be wrong in his conclusions, though sometimes his first suspicion is the right one, and he spends his time gathering enough evidence to convict the culprit. The creation of Dickensian London is very good. And in fact a guy named Boz is a character. You may know that Boz was a pen name Dickens used early in his career.