Hamish Macbeth: Series One

Inspired by M.C. Beaton's series of mystery novels built around the titular police constable, Hamish Macbeth: Series One is a two-disc set of five episodes comprising the series' 1995 first season (actually, there were six, but the fourth episode is not included here). Trainspotting's Robert Carlyle stars as PC Macbeth, whose beat is the small town of Lochdubh in the remote Scottish Highlands. Boasting beautiful scenery and quirky inhabitants, Lochdubh is the real star of this program, and the actual mysteries—whether it's solving the theft of three hundred pounds of salt or tracking down the notorious Raspberry Ripple Ice Cream Gang—take a backseat to the interplay between the villagers and the taciturn Macbeth. Unfortunately, the heavy Scottish dialect is often so thick as to render the dialogue incomprehensible and a great deal of the humor and interactions rely on the viewer's awareness of Scottish culture. DVD extras include cast biographies. Optional. (C. Birkmeyer)