Review: Fortitude (S1 E1/11), Thursday 29th January, Sky Atlantic

If you read our raft of Fortitude interviews (go here for all our coverage) to a person each interviewee was keen to mention that going to Iceland was a major factor in them taking the job. Iceland, that magical isle full of strange lights in the sky, myths and gods, incredible natural beauty and obscenely-priced packets of crisps, is one of the most beguiling places on the planet, so it’s no wonder that a stellar ensemble cast wanted to sign up immediately (especially as all the catering would be free). So Iceland is the backdrop for this new 11-part crime drama, and it’s rumoured that each episode cost many millions of pounds to make. With the scenery, the huge production costs and a fantastic cast strutting its stuff, everything points to Fortitude being a huge hit. But is it really any good?

Review: Death In Paradise (S4 E4/8), Thursday 29th January, BBC1

In the bizarre world of Death In Paradise, nice, white, middle-class people seem to come to the island of Sainte Marie mainly with the intention of committing a murder, after which they presumably plan to fly home and show everyone their holiday snaps. No-one ever seems to interact with the islanders, either to commit a crime against them, or to have one committed; it’s as if the cast of Midsomer Murders had decamped to the Caribbean for a read-through.

Interview: Stanley Tucci, Fortitude

This is the final Fortitude interview we’re carrying on The Killing Times (I can just sense people on starting to dance on tables), and you’ll be very glad all this hype will soon be over. The 11-part Sky Atlantic series starts tonight (Thursday 29th January) and aside from the likes of Sir Michael Gambon (our interview is here), Sofie Gråbøl (our interview is here), Sienna Guillory (our interview is here) and Christopher Eccleston (yes, our interview is here), the always-excellent Stanley Tucci is also part of this stellar cast. And wouldn’t you know it, here’s an interview with him…

The Pinkertons coming to Drama in the UK

We do like a period crime drama here on The Killing Times. Ripper Street, Murdoch Mysteries, Mr Whicher all add a welcome twist of gritty and grimy Victoriana to proceedings. We’ve heard the word ‘pinkerton’ in series like Ripper Street and Murdoch Mysteries, and I’ve always thought a show that told the stories of this pre-police force would be a good idea. Someone has beaten me to it, and the US series The Pinkertons is about to hit our shores.

Interview: Sofie Gråbøl, Fortitude

Sofie Gråbøl need no introduction, but I’m going to give her one anyway. An accomplished screen and theatre actress in her native Denmark, she gained global fame with her superb portrayal of Sarah Lund in three series of the genre-defining The Killing. In Sky Atlantic’s Fortitude she stars as a local councillor, in the midst of turning a local glacier into a new Arctic pleasure park for tourists. Ths puts her at odds with scientists who want to preserve the glacier. Now, I know we’re putting a lot of stuff up about Fortitude, but we can’t let an opportunity like an interview with Sofie Gråbøl go to waste, can we?

Interview: Christopher Eccleston, Fortitude

Christopher Eccleston is one of country’s most recognisable actors, known for playing intense, gritty roles. And Doctor Who. And here he is popping up in Sky Atlantic’s new, 11-part crime drama, Fortitude, which starts this Thursday (29th January). Christopher plays Professor Charlie Stoddart, stationed on Iceland to head up the Arctic Research Centre. He suddenly finds himself in the middle of a conflict between the natural world and the world of commerce and tourism. Here he is talking, like.

Review: Broadchurch (S2 E4/8), Monday 26th January, ITV

After last week’s improvement, I had hopes that once we had reached the half-way point in Broadchurch it would have reeled me back in again. We saw last week that things had flipped slightly (well, a lot). Lee Ashworth became a good (ish) guy, having revealed he had been trying to clear his name by gathering evidence on the Sandbrook case himself, and Claire – a witness under Hardy’s protection – was now a prime suspect. Who, or what, would be revealed in this episode? Whose identity will have flipped about face this time?