Press Archive

Radio Times
30 Oct 2008

You can’t be a proper TV cop without a gimmick or a past. Charlie Crews has both. He went to prison for murder, a crime he didn’t commit, and spent 12 years being beaten up by the other inmates and studying Zen Buddhism. Now he’s out, with a hefty settlement nestling in his bank, and he’s back working as a detective in Los Angeles. Of course he’s been changed by his ordeal. He’s fond of Zen musings (repeating statements such as “I’m not attached to this car” with great intensity) and is totally out of touch with modern life (a bit like Life on Mars in reverse). As for that gimmick – it’s fruit. Crews just loves fresh fruit. Damian Lewis, who plays him, softens these idiosyncrasies by giving Crews a generous, gentle side, too – not many cops would soothingly tell someone they’ve just shot to “go back to sleep – it’s just a bad dream”. The result is quirky without being irritating, and intriguing without being too clever. We get a double bill tonight; let’s see whether this Life is a long one.