This is Cornwall --
ITV's new drama seemed right up my street. The offer of crime-solving through forensics in the Second World War could be a blend of Silent Witness and Foyle's War.
There would be a nostalgic wartime setting – stiff upper lip, make do and mend, all in it together, that kind of thing – plus the forensic jigsaw puzzle of piecing together clues to solve a crime.
Yep. Murder on the Home Front (ITV1, Thursday) was going to become must-see viewing.
There's been some great period drama on recently, including two magnificent Sunday night series The Village (BBC One) and Endeavour (ITV1) – the first already earmarked for another series, the second also likely to return.
Sadly, I very quickly realised that Murder on the Home Front was not going to cut the mustard.
It's a disappointment, because it does have a clever premise. Lennox Collins (Patrick Kennedy) is a young Home Office pathologist who is at the forefront of the rapidly developing science of forensics.
He's trying to stop police officers from contaminating crime scenes by stomping across floors and leaving their half-eaten lunches on a table.
What he really needs is an assistant – preferably one who is young, blonde, witty and pretty. Step forward local reporter Molly Cooper (Tamzin Merchant) who fits the bill nicely.
She becomes assistant to Collins, typing up his notes and liaising with crime scene photographer – the delightfully named Issy Quennell (played by the equally delightfully named Emerald Fennell).
Collins wants to look at "the psychology of crime" but there was a fair smattering of cadavers and murder victims with swastikas carved into their tongues.
The main problem was a complete absence of charisma in the lead character and a lack of chemistry between him and Molly.
The period setting was underlined by the appearance of buses, cars and old phone booths – but weakened by poor special effects that made the Blitz look more like a video game than a TV drama.
I got bored pretty quickly and probably won't bother to tune in to find out who has been killing women under cover of the bombing.
Life of Crime (ITV1, Friday), on the other hand, had me hooked from the dramatic opening scene.
Staggering from a car crash, a woman confronts a man who holds a girl hostage, a knife at her throat.
We then flash back to 1985, where the woman is revealed as a young WPC, Denise Woods (Hayley Atwell). Her late father was a policeman and she's about to graduate, much to the disapproval of her mother.
We next see her in the pub celebrating – with one drink too many – when another copper tries it on.
She's rescued by DI Ferguson (Con O'Neill) who yells at her: "You're not one of the lads, you'll never be one of lads; you're a Doris, a plonk."
The three-part Life of Crime will follow Denise from the 80s to the present day. As a rookie, she's displaying a talent for policing – a young girl she meets is later found dead and she remembers vital information which could lead to the killer, a club doorman.
The trouble is, DI Ferguson believes the girl's dad is the killer and nothing will dissuade him.
It's up to Denise and colleague Ray Deans (Richard Coyle) to get their man. For Denise, this means planting evidence to get the conviction she feels couldn't be otherwise achieved.
The 1980s scenes have a sudden relevance the filmmakers couldn't have anticipated – lots of references to Mrs Thatcher, unrest on the streets and dodgy DJs having sex with underage girls.
It's directed by Jim Loach (son of filmmaker Ken) and it's packed with atmosphere and tension. Strong writing and an interesting performance from Hayley Atwell make it a winner. Reported by This is 20 hours ago.
ITV's new drama seemed right up my street. The offer of crime-solving through forensics in the Second World War could be a blend of Silent Witness and Foyle's War.
There would be a nostalgic wartime setting – stiff upper lip, make do and mend, all in it together, that kind of thing – plus the forensic jigsaw puzzle of piecing together clues to solve a crime.
Yep. Murder on the Home Front (ITV1, Thursday) was going to become must-see viewing.
There's been some great period drama on recently, including two magnificent Sunday night series The Village (BBC One) and Endeavour (ITV1) – the first already earmarked for another series, the second also likely to return.
Sadly, I very quickly realised that Murder on the Home Front was not going to cut the mustard.
It's a disappointment, because it does have a clever premise. Lennox Collins (Patrick Kennedy) is a young Home Office pathologist who is at the forefront of the rapidly developing science of forensics.
He's trying to stop police officers from contaminating crime scenes by stomping across floors and leaving their half-eaten lunches on a table.
What he really needs is an assistant – preferably one who is young, blonde, witty and pretty. Step forward local reporter Molly Cooper (Tamzin Merchant) who fits the bill nicely.
She becomes assistant to Collins, typing up his notes and liaising with crime scene photographer – the delightfully named Issy Quennell (played by the equally delightfully named Emerald Fennell).
Collins wants to look at "the psychology of crime" but there was a fair smattering of cadavers and murder victims with swastikas carved into their tongues.
The main problem was a complete absence of charisma in the lead character and a lack of chemistry between him and Molly.
The period setting was underlined by the appearance of buses, cars and old phone booths – but weakened by poor special effects that made the Blitz look more like a video game than a TV drama.
I got bored pretty quickly and probably won't bother to tune in to find out who has been killing women under cover of the bombing.
Life of Crime (ITV1, Friday), on the other hand, had me hooked from the dramatic opening scene.
Staggering from a car crash, a woman confronts a man who holds a girl hostage, a knife at her throat.
We then flash back to 1985, where the woman is revealed as a young WPC, Denise Woods (Hayley Atwell). Her late father was a policeman and she's about to graduate, much to the disapproval of her mother.
We next see her in the pub celebrating – with one drink too many – when another copper tries it on.
She's rescued by DI Ferguson (Con O'Neill) who yells at her: "You're not one of the lads, you'll never be one of lads; you're a Doris, a plonk."
The three-part Life of Crime will follow Denise from the 80s to the present day. As a rookie, she's displaying a talent for policing – a young girl she meets is later found dead and she remembers vital information which could lead to the killer, a club doorman.
The trouble is, DI Ferguson believes the girl's dad is the killer and nothing will dissuade him.
It's up to Denise and colleague Ray Deans (Richard Coyle) to get their man. For Denise, this means planting evidence to get the conviction she feels couldn't be otherwise achieved.
The 1980s scenes have a sudden relevance the filmmakers couldn't have anticipated – lots of references to Mrs Thatcher, unrest on the streets and dodgy DJs having sex with underage girls.
It's directed by Jim Loach (son of filmmaker Ken) and it's packed with atmosphere and tension. Strong writing and an interesting performance from Hayley Atwell make it a winner. Reported by This is 20 hours ago.
