Customer Reviews

Dalziel and Pascoe: Season One

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I've long been a fan of mystery shows, particularly British, but Dalziel and Pascoe represents the zenith of all mystery shows. With its literate, biting dialogue and tense interaction between the bombastic Dalziel and cerebral, buttoned-down Pascoe (who clearly admire each other, despite their great differences) it's a series that keeps you riveted to the screen and longing for more. As another viewer complained, up until this forthcoming release, there have been no US releases of this series and only the series 1 and 2 releases in the UK. Thank God for the Netherlands release of 3, 4 and 5. Once you've seen this series you'll understand why - you'll be hooked. It aired briefly years ago in the US and then disappeared. Instead, we get insipid, scenery-chewing remakes of Miss Marple (shame on you Geraldine McEwan). Buy this CD, then get yourself a CD player that plays CDs in other formats and buy the rest - it will be the best purchase you've ever made. And then spread the word - sooner or later someone has to wake up and realize what a great property the BBC has and make it more easily accessible! Dalziel and Pascoe is not to be missed!

This is a great series that was shown on U. S. TV many years ago. I can't understand why it hasn't been issued in the U. S.

Please note that the Netherlands and British versions sold on this page require a region-free DVD player capable of playing a PAL disk. They will not play on a standard U. S. DVD player/recorder. If you like British TV, you can pick up an inexpensive region-free player on Amazon.

Another excellent season of this delightful mystery series has been issued in England. I only regret that Series 2, like most of the others, only contains four episodes. The episodes on the two disks of the Series 2 DVD are:
Ruling Passion
A Killing Kindness
Deadheads
Exit Lines

Dare we hope that more are to follow?

This mystery series is such a treat, thanks largely to the acerbic (yet somehow delightful) Warren Clarke, who makes mincemeat of the scenery as the curmudgeonly Dalziel. However, the supporting cast are wonderful as well, and the mysteries thoughtful and suspenseful. Hardly a day goes by that I do not miss the once regular appearance of these mystery movies on a certain cable channel. (That would be A&E; one of the greatest television network misnomers {second only to MTV.} Not that I care; this channel was dead to me the moment they stopped airing MI-5.) At any rate, it is distressing to know that this series continued on without me, and I would give much to have it back on my television.

This show has had numerous series in Britain, and yet there are no DVDs available in the US in US format. Why?

This is another very good UK crime series. Dalziel is the chief and he is a big burly guy who is loaded with vices. Pascoe is a younger man on the force who is coming up through the ranks. He is squeaky clean compared to Dalziel. The actor for Dalziel often just steals the show entirely. I find his comic moments absolutely priceless. Another big difference between the two men is that Pascoe is a college graduate whereas Dalziel is not. This rankles Dalziel. The mysteries on the show are very good but they do not stand out from any other UK crime series. It is these two main characters and the odd assortment of fellow policemen and suspect citizens who are intriguing. One thing that continually intrigues me on all of these UK crime shows is that no matter how villainous the person they after, they never seem to carry guns. I don't even own a gun but I'm pretty sure if I were chasing murderers that I would want a gun! The UK does very well on all of its crime series and I can see why so many of us Americans are lapping them up.

There are so many delightful flashing light dramas from the BBC that one more shouldn't make a difference, but if you have been waiting for Mr. D-L to arrive in America this is a red letter day. Dalziel and Pascoe had a brief run on A & E back when A & E actually wanted to bring something new and different to the air waves, instead of recycled crap. It took only one look to hook me, Fat Andy dug in and wouldn't let go and for the last dozen years I have searched impatiently for a DVD formatted for use on North American DVDs. And now it has come. The series is standard television material, an experienced, journeyman police superintendant takes a college educated sargeant under his wing and tries to mature the lad before the villians can kill him. And that is where standard ends. Pascoe fades almost as soon as the camera rolls and Andrew Dalziel steps to the fore front. He's rude, vulgar, loud, and tasteless and completely charming and one hard-nosed, brass-plated copper. There are only three episode on this release and with any other series that would be a shame, but the quality of Dalziel and Pascoe is such that three great episodes only whet the desire for more. The last episode in the set, with Francesca Anis, is both touching and thrilling and amazingly enough our English pals believe that sex does not end with middle-age. So do yourself a favor, buy the disc, buy one for your friends, buy one for Mother's Day, buy one for the office Christmas party gift exchange and maybe we can convince those folks to release more discs. Fat Andy never fails and the only thing better than this set would be the remaining fournteen years of episodes.

I always enjoyed this show and have several on tape. Cannot understand why they haven't been released here in the USA. It seems like every show is being released so why not this one? Soon, please!!

Technical Description and Reviews need to be brought up-to-
date. There are 2 disks,with 3 episodes:Clubable Women,
Advancement of Learning,and Autumn Shroud. I saw AOL on TV
years ago,and it stuck in my head (but didn't know what
series it was).I was delighted to see it here. Disks do
have subtitles,but that doesn't help with the slang.Unless
you have a British Slang Dictionary-live with it.There is
some material missing (according to jacket)-probably some
R&R music they couldn't get permission for.Let me give my
wife's initial opinion ("watch" how it turns). Dalziel is
the star,but he can exhibit crude behavior
but he's quite smart. After ep 1,my wife says- "I wonder
why people get married".But by ep 2,she sees in Dalziel
a subtle mind,with a certain underlying kindness (towards
Pascoe,initially) and in ep 3,a humanity. So now she's
interested in other Seasons (I've got 2&3 on order
from the UK -do yourself a favor and get an all region
player).Finally,each ep here is about 90 minutes,so
the total run time is about 270 minutes. Buy this!

This was a very unusual police drama. Dalziel comes off as a gruff blue collar worker, but he is fiercely intelligent. His partner Pascoe is an ideal book smart foil for Dalziel. The crimes they solve are far from ordinary, and despite the length of each episode, the stories move at a quick clip. In technical terms, the DVD transfers are pristine and the episodes are uncut. Very different from the typical cookie cutter Inspectors that were rife during this period of PBS/BBC presentation. Watch out for guest appearances by Prunella Scales (Sybil Fawlty) and Francessca Annis(Tuppence Beresford).

I for one love English mysteries and English Detectives in particular. A friend recommended this series to me. Set in Yorkshire, 'Dalziel and Pascoe gives us the usual mismatched partners.

Detective Superintendent Andy Dalziel and pronounced 'Dee-AL', played by Warren Clarke, is a domineering working man presence. In fact he is so belligerent and arrogant that he can be off-putting and unlikeable. He loves to make off color remarks to those he speaks to, just to catch them off guard. He is paired with Peter Pascoe, played by Colin Buchanan. Pascoe is just the right mix of the college educated, polite and charming,English man, with that funny little smile in the corners of his mouth. Pascoe is right for Andy- smart but needs a lot of mentoring and willing to work as much as necessary. They work off each other so well. A likeable pair, Andy does all the talking and Peter does most of the work.

The three murder mysteries in this set are just OK. The first, 'A Clubbable Woman,' is set in the halls of the Wetherton Rugby Club. It is an interesting mystery, but one that easily solved. 'An Advancement in Learning' has the pair investigating a murder at the small university where Peter's girlfriend. Ellie teaches. There are stuffy professors and whipper snapped students. You can imagine how Dalziel reacts with both. The third mystery, 'An Autumn Shroud' is the least believable, but its story, with Dalziel stranded in a country home where a murder takes place, is the entertaining. What I really enjoy about these older series is finding guest stars I know from other series or shows.

This series grows on you. Dalziel can be so out of touch at times that he seems remote, but he is so funny and so outrageous that he is lovable. Pascoe is the kid brother that you want to do well, and I found myself cheering him on.

What I want to know is how did the names Dalziel and Pascoe come to be? Where did the writer come up with this idea.

Recommended. prisrob 03-21-11

Dalziel & Pascoe: Season Two

Dalziel & Pascoe: Season Three