This BBC-aired adaptation of Denise Mina's crime novels is set in Glasgow during the early 1980s—although it could just as easily be the early 1880s, given the surprisingly chauvinist attitudes aimed at aspiring reporter Paddy Meehan (Jayd Johnson), whose lowly job as a copy editor for a daily newspaper barely touches her career aspiration to be an investigative journalist. The men that run the newspaper are not delighted with the idea of a female reporter, while her fundamentalist Roman Catholic family would be happier if she gave up her career, married and settled into a housewife's life. In the first two episodes of this four-episode offering from 2011-13, Paddy's cousin is targeted as a suspect in the death of a child, and Paddy takes it upon herself to dig into the crime and piece together the clues that the police and her editorial superiors failed to consider. In the second set of episodes, Paddy is teamed with an older male colleague to investigate the murder of a prominent human rights attorney—a move that promptly puts them on the radar of some of Glasgow's least friendly criminals. While David Kane's direction keeps the action moving at a fast clip and Johnson has undeniable star charisma, the stories feel somewhat contrived and formulaic. Also featuring David Morrissey (The Walking Dead) and Peter Capaldi (Doctor Who), this is an optional purchase. (P. Hall)
The Field of Blood, Set 1
Acorn, 2 discs, 240 min., not rated, DVD: $39.99 January 26, 2015
The Field of Blood, Set 1
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