Series regulars: Robbie Coltrane, Geraldine Somerville, Chris Eccleston, Lorcan Cranitch, Kieran O'Brien and Tess Thomson (Fitz's kids), Barbara Flynn.
The Mad Woman in the Attic d. Michael Winterbottom
With Adrian Dunbar, David Haig, Kika Markham, John Grillo, Beryl Reid
Various reimaginings of 'Summertime' (when sang, performed by Carol Kidd) create soundtrack, a similar effect to Altman's The Long Goodbye, though in this case some of them are repeated a little too often.
Set in Manchester.
To Say I Love You d. Andy Wilson
Susan Lynch and Andrew Tiernan are particularly good as the violent Bonnie and Clyde couple.
One Day a Lemming Will Fly d. Simon Cellan Jones
It's while delivering this speech while atop a very high building we are astonished that Robbie and prime suspect Christopher Fulford appear to have no safety platforms and are literally on the edge - TV CGI wasn't that sophisticated so how the hell was that done? (Dave Holland is the credited stunt coordinator.)
Behaviour of paedo-hating crowd to unproven suspect is abominable.
To Be a Somebody 1994 season d. Tim Fywell
Was Jimmy McGovern in psychotherapy? He uses this episode also to vent feelings about Hillsborough (I reckon). Robert Carlyle is frighteningly good as nutter.
I remember seeing it for the first time and it being quite an effective shock to kill off a main character, thus auguring in Ricky Tomlinson.
The Big Crunch d. Julian Jarrold
In the nuttiest story so far, sectarian (but seemingly orthodox) middle class church group kills girl who head teacher / priest has made pregnant. No problem with the acting, though, of Jim Carter, Samantha Morton, Cheriuth Mellor, Maureen O'Brien, James Fleet and Darren Tighe.
Cinematographer Ivan Strasburg also shot Happy Valley, Treme, Generation Kill, The Corner, and Bloody Sunday, not a bad CV at all.
Men Should Weep d. Jean Stewart
Graham Aggery, Rachel Davies.
Brave episode (probably the best of the series) confronts all the rape issues most successfully, plus introduces a great emotional pull on Fitz, whose girlfriend had been raped, then his wife returns home, pregnant. Fitz's son makes up for all his lazy behaviour in one beautiful move.
Geraldine Somerville is so good in this - it's all in the eyes - particularly when she has to sit in on uncomfortable interview... She became Harry Potter's mum! Barbara Flynn is great also.
Brotherly Love d. Roy Battersby, opens 1995 season.
Directed far too much in close up, story finally reconciles Panhandle's rape by Beck in another high-rise finale, made effective by withdrawal of sound (same trick used in Bilborough's stabbing).
Mark Lambert is the prostitute visitor, Brid Brennan his wife. Fitz's brother is Clive Russell, Ruth Sheen has a small part as the first victim.
Best Boys d. Roy Battersby
A young John Simm gets into trouble with Liam Cunningham.
Fitz takes the baby to work and at one point we see even Ricky Tomlinson pushing the pram!
True Romance d. Tim Fywell
This one's written by Paul Abbott, and is slightly more humorous than the others. Emily Joyce is terrific as the psycho, better than her subsequent career suggests. Elizabeth Estensen is Fitz's psychologist mate.
White Ghost d. Richard Standeven (1996)
Michael Pennington's pregnant wife-to-be won't mind at all being imprisoned in a cargo container - why should she? - in pretty nuts Hong Kong set episode. Freda Foh Shen is the DCI who gradually warms up to Fitz, not leaving Ricky Tomlinson much to do. Paul Abbott wrote it.
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