Case Histories (2011)

Adapted from the first three of Kate Atkinson's novels starring Yorkshire detective Jackson Brodie (who now lives and works in Edinburgh), Case Histories featured three separate stories over 6 episodes. We were drawn to it through Andrew's love of the books (I've yet to read them, and now I've seen them on screen do I need to?!) and stuck with it because it was so damn good. 

Jason Isaacs places Brodie and he's a very interesting detective to add to the pantheon of literary TV dicks. A private investigator with a troubled past and a turbulent personal life (his ex-wife moves to New Zealand with his precocious and hilarious young daughter), and a tendency to get beaten up and hit by trains, he's also unafraid to bend the law himself, if not out right break it. Being an ex-cop himself, he has a friend in DC Louise Munroe (Amanda Abbington), his only one on the force, the rest see him as a nutter, and she fills the sort-of role of long-suffering partner, albeit a reluctant one. 

The first and third stories were the best, the second one felt curiously uninvolving plotwise, and were packed with gorgeous shots of Edinburgh and Yorkshire, plus guest stars like Patterson Joseph, Sylvia Sims and Phil Davies who brought real depth and quality to the performances. Isaacs was excellent as a world weay, funny and extremely northern detective out for justice, even if that means covering up justifiable murders and helping witnesses flee the police. There's only 1 more book in the series (so far) so I'm not going to get my hopes up for another series, maybe a just a 2 parter based on book 4? Either way Case Histories was a great, multi-stranded series for Sunday and Monday nights.