Murphy's Law: Series 1

James Nesbitt stars as undercover cop Tommy Murphy in this contemporary police series set—compiling the 2001 pilot and four feature-length 2003 first season episodes—from BBC Northern Ireland. Murphy's Law suffers a bit from the implausible premise of a policeman who jumps from one guise to another to catch crooks: infiltrating gangs (first a crew of diamond thieves doubling as undertakers, and then thugs protecting a vicious club owner), and also posing as a purported terrorist sent into prison to become the cellmate of a suspected serial killer, a banker placed in a fashionable spa to catch a woman who's killing wealthy members, and a bodyguard for a snookers champion who's received death threats. But if you can swallow the premise, the plots are nicely worked out, with plenty of twists (even if they overuse the device of Murphy being unmasked and facing possible death until his police colleagues intervene). The characterizations are strong, especially that of Tommy himself, a Irishman who came to England after a tragedy back home in which his refusal to become a suicide bomber led to the death of his daughter and the end of his marriage, an experience that's left him volatile and willing to take risks—and Nesbitt plays him at full throttle. Nesbitt's accent is very thick, but the optional English subtitles make the dialogue easier to follow. DVD extras include a text bio of Nesbitt. Recommended. (F. Swietek)