KEY POINTS:
It's got the shiny badges, the code of honour, the nasty crimes but, like its set of rookie characters, new Aussie police show City Homicide (TV One) has some early blemishes.
When it comes to middle-of-road cop shows, the Aussies usually deliver a much smoother ride than this
bumpy outing.
Still, it's early days and the pilot episode is always the most challenging. Last night's debut had its hands full, trying to establish a squad of characters, the relationships between them, throw in a bit of naughty personal stuff, all the while hooking us into a potential serial killer plot.
City Homicide has been plugged as a return to good old-fashioned police shows after all those slickly improbable forensic sleuths of recent times. Its detectives do more footwork than high-tech wizardry, and have as many botch-ups and frustrations as breakthroughs.
It follows a new crew on the murder squad, a mixed bunch comprising arrogant, hair-trigger Duncan, smirking ladies' man Simon and the more thoughtful Matt. And, of course, there is Jennifer, the lone female battling sexism in the force and determined to outwit the boys. The big boss, however, is a Jane Tennison-like character, who, in one of the drama's more original scenes, wasn't above a spot of mentoring from her cubicle in the ladies loos.
But the script certainly had some unoriginal lines, such as, "If you three had half a brain it'd be lonely". The follow-up was better - "If we have half a brain between us, that'd be a sixth of a brain each, we'd probably qualify for benefits" - although it did leave you wondering whether the show was harking so far back in police drama history it had reached the Keystone Kops.
The acting also had its rough spots, especially from the victim of the piece, a bereaved father and husband who was going all-out for the most overwrought performance of the year.
The plot, too, was strained at times; the least likely twist was when the murder suspect handed his interviewers a key from his pocket (had he not been searched when he was arrested?) to, literally, unlock the next stage of their investigation.
And particularly unconvincing was one of the climactic scenes, in which the bad guy held a young girl hostage in a restaurant kitchen and threatened to chop her hand off with a meat cleaver. It should have been packed with tension and menace but instead was pure ham.
However, at least the makers of this show were not afraid to get in boots and all. And, with such favourites as Blue Heelers and Water Rats among their credits, there is hope City Homicide will soon hit its stride.