User reviews

Martin Clunes can be regal at times. He's tall and slim and carries himself well. Manhunt is perfect for him. Mild-mannered yet intelligent, focused and commanding, he plays the SIO in this highly detailed study of an actual police investigation. The show's best feature is how it ramps up the excitement as the show progresses, so bear with the slow pace of the first episode, as this is an easily binged watch and you'll love the conclusion. Manhunt also neatly sidesteps the often common drag to such stories, in that we have to bear witness to detective's private life, by the simple fact that his wife is involved in a similar case from a different point of view. A lot of work went into both the real investigation and the dramatisation, and it shows. Manhunt is a great reward.

This three part dramatisation focuses on recent tragedies, notably the killing of Amelie de la Grange back in 2004. It feels at times like a documentary, as it focuses more so on the telling of the story, the procedures, obstacles and facts of the case, never at any point does it deliver any moments of drama, nor offer up any sensationalism of the crimes. Personally I think it could have been delivered over two episodes, the second part is very padded out, and lacks any true impact. Saying that it's a sensitive telling of a harrowing case. Martin Clunes is fantastic as the unshakeable Colin Sutton, it's good that Sutton had involvement in the telling of the story.

I am so glad that people can make a TV show like this in a way that makes you feel like you've been informed as opposed to cheaply shocked.

Well made drama. 8/10

Manhunt is a dramatisation of the hunt for the real-life murder of Amelie de la Grange on London's Twickenham Green in 2004. If I didn't know that the events which took place in Manhunt were real history, I'd still have been impressed by the production. We've all seen a load of police procedurals before, but I've never seen one that felt so true before, probably because the drama is derived from the memoirs of the detective who led the investigation. The process, then, is surely as close to what really happened, the behaviour of officers and the unfolding of the investigation as true as possible. The cast did an excellent job of portraying people who felt real, the dialogue didn't come across as being overly affected or dramatised. Yet it gripped me throughout. Martin Clunes, in particular, shone as the down-to-earth, no-nonsense DCI Colin Sutton; a million miles away from his very well known Doc Martin persona. I hope the same level of dramatic tension and immersion in the story is maintained through the other episodes, but hats off to the production team for the first installment in any case.

I love British crime series and this was as good as anyone I've seen. Martin played the lead role and was a fantastic, with the close support roles equally as good. Watched it all in one sitting, three episodes was perfect for telling this story.

STAR RATING: ***** Saturday Night **** Friday Night *** Friday Morning ** Sunday Night * Monday Morning

In 2004, the body of a young woman found on Twickenham Common in London was the catalyst for a major, nationwide investigation to find her killer. This true life dramatization depicts the inquiry, led by DCI Colin Sutton (Martin Clunes), who is assigned as the Chief Investigating Officer on what will prove to be the case of his career. His relentless, thorough determination to track down the killer causes him to link the case to two other unsolved murders, which bear striking similarities.

Early into the new year, and we've certainly been treated to a barrage of interesting, original productions on the terrestrial TV channels, including this ITV drama, about the hunt for serial killer Levi Bellfield. Although not produced with any direct consultation with the victim's families, it appears to play out with a convincing degree of accuracy, and sensitivity for the feelings of those affected. It also captures the obligatory 'mood' of the serial killer drama perfectly, creating a bleak, drained backdrop for the events to convey themselves in.

Although he may feel typecast by some in comedies like Doc Martin and Men Behaving Badly, Clunes is perfectly capable of handling more serious, dramatic roles, of which this is ample proof. One of those actors who's always had to prove himself, here he carries the lead role with a fine amount of charisma and depth, as a man whose devotion to his work and achieving a result even comes at the expense of his home life, causing his marriage and relationship with his daughter to suffer, and even pulling out of a family holiday to Italy to be at a family wedding in order to chase up a new lead. It's a telling revelation of the sacrifices some must make to punish the guilty and keep us safe.

Overall, an absorbing and gripping dramatization of the crimes of one of the more recent serial killers, which respectfully never forgets the true to life nature of its subject matter and end up trivialising the crimes in any way. ****

Good honest hard work. Excellent telling of the true life crime in London, every bit as watchable as any of the many "fictional" tv cops we have today.

More in this style please.

This is a three part dramatisation of the hunt for a notorious serial killer. In three years, Levi Bellfield murdered a 13 year old girl, an Irish teenager, and a French student, all in Greater London. Pared right down and seen through the eyes of one of the senior detectives on the cases, the first episode begins after the murder of Amélie Delagrange, so there is nothing too graphic for viewers of a sensitive disposition.

Bellfield is believed to have attacked many other victims who survived, including Kate Sheedy, who is alluded to herein by a pseudonym. His attack on her was particularly sadistic, because while Amélie was killed by a single blow to the head, she was run over and reversed over by Bellfield in one of his many vehicles. How she survived is anybody's guess. Although Amanda Dowler was his first victim, he was not brought to trial for her murder until years later. For American viewers, this is realism rather than drama, a social document rather than entertainment. Best to ignore the side plot.

They say a story is good if it keeps rolling around in your head when your not watching it. This retelling of a true crime was a gripping and authentic production that had me thinking for days afterward. I very much appreciated the no nonsense, factual production. No sexy actors in ridiculous outfits, no superfluous car chases or violence on screen. It accurately showed what police work is - the methodical tracking down of evidence until the parts become a whole. It's professional team work, with all the frustration that entails, and it can mean bucking the system. I recall this investigation was one of the first that relied almost entirely on CCTV. Hollywood could take a few lessons from this series. BBC could as well. Except that BBB does formulaic better than Hollywood. At least on BBC there's a chance the actors will look and dress like normal people. I admit I am a Martin Clunes fan - going back to his pre Doc Martin days.

Anyhow, I felt so sorry for the random victims of the very violent offender and their grief stricken families. But I also felt sorry for the killer's wife and children - who were trapped in a relationship with him, and will forever have their lives haunted by his crimes.

This is my review of the first season, though after seeing the first episode of the second season. I think this is a very good series. This is the type of police procedural that I love. The fact that it is based on actual events is a plus, and possibly why it is so good. There is no need for filler subplots, with unnecessary characters, and the ubiquitous and ever annoying "troubled" or "complicated" teenaged girl character. The acting is good. The cast is made up of, what I would call "fresh faces", because there are very few actors in the cast. That we see all of the time in many British TV and film productions. The directing, and writing are very good, as are the production values. An added plus is that at the end of the first season. There is an update as to what happened to some of the people involved in the case.

Most Americans only know Martin Clunes as Doc Martin; if they know him at all. This true life police drama proves he is far more than a comedy actor. This 3-part mini-series is worthy of binge watching.

Fans of the original Manhunt series have waited eagerly for this follow up series and all indications are that it was worth the wait.

You do not need to have watched the first series to follow this but it's good so if you havent go back and watch that as well.

It is a slow burn and some do not warm to Clunes character but after a so so first episode. Eps 2 & 3 do liven up and if you are into police procedural dramas then this ticks most of the boxes. Ep 4 is not exactly an exciting climax but is in line with the rest of the series

Of course the usual proviso this is not a docu so expect some Dramatic license, but its all very restrained

It is a serious and interesting story and treats with respect the elderly victims it has to feature in such a harrowing series of events.

A very good standard crime drama not so much a thriller but not without its moments this true life crime drama.

The true story of a murder investigation that ultimately resulted in the capture of a notorious serial killer. There's no tortured detective with a single sidekick who catch the bad guy by relating evidence to opera/books/fishing/poetry 17th century mousetraps/autism but just proper police work. It's very well done.

I appreciated the ordinary storytelling style, free of twists and tricks that commonly plague other detective shows. Sometimes you just want to watch the story without complications.

Martin Clunes is excellent in this mini-series about a psychopathic killer he pursues. Highly recommended.

Martin Clunes performance was convincing although outside of his more recently usual genre. I believed his portrayal & I have increased respect for his acting talent since viewing this story.

The story itself I found interesting, especially since it reflects true events and, because of that aspect, I felt free to expect & tolerate a bit more of the day-to-day grind which happens behind a working police force. It kept my attention and I viewed all three episodes within the span of 24 hours.

It introduced an aspect of police work which I had not previously considered, that being the stressors of the job not related to fear of being injured or that of dealing with injury & loss of life because of crime, however the impact of the profession on Clune's portrayed daughter was as per usual, cop parent never home enough, and cop parent worries more about family because they know what goes on out there. The program did a good job on the stressors in the second marriage of the detective, but also of the wife, also in a relatively similar field of work and was impacted because of her marriage to him (not just because of being the wife of a cop). It demonstrated how her professional life was impacted as well, and as an analyst, perhaps how the forces behind crime solving can be underappreciated by not only the public, but by the front line cops who deal with the public. It also, sadly, showed that corroboration between this married pair might have enhanced expedience in results, but was impeded by not only the husbands initial singular-minded stance but by the competing district. It also reflected her just concerns about her detective spouse's impact on coworkers which may affect her own job. I enjoyed her portrayal here and had appreciated her in her another genre, also, (the only other thing I remember her from), which I believe I am correct that she played Emma Timmons in the series Larkrise to Candleford, which was originally available here in the States provided to us by PBS. We are limited by what's available here, but her talent leads me to expect she is quite well-known in the UK.

Perhaps others looking toward the excitement of the usual fictional crime drama, which can be built into a script with car chases and such, might find the going a little slow, but as a docudrama with all this going on underneath the actual crime, and the honesty in which this case was portrayed, showing the pimples of a working police department. People do go on holiday, there can be miscommunication with it which can delay outcomes and cost lives, a bungled search, etc. think the story was very well done, and I can do without car chases and bullets flying.. the attic scene showed enough suspense about possible police injury for my taste. This shows only some of the difficulties in police work and how the job affects the lives of those working it, as well as being a good portrayal of the actual story of how this disturbing psychopath interacted with those in his life and how he was cought. It shows how law and order may be interfered with and manipulated by tge press. It demonstrated the stressors & resistance any professional must endure to effect a more responsible job, but particularly the resistance a detective, who fights resistance to being thorough, both higher and lower in rank, which is costly, and speaks to the to the dedicated diligence that is needed to make an effective arrest... one which will actually take the bad guy off the streets and effect a conviction, which is the result we all want in real life, not just an exciting story. To me although not an exactly exciting story, it was an intriguing one.

In Australia it is being shown as a 45 minute program (with ads in) over 3 weeks. It should have been a 2 parter over 2 nights. I'm saving the episodes on DVD to watch in one go so I don't kill myself. VERY ANNOYING

Excellent acting, suspenseful plots and music and the mood is appropriately dark for the theme. But the constant use of the F word gets tiresome and becomes unbelievable. Deviates from the plot and acting. Not necesary. And offensive and surprising for a British drama, since they usually have outstanding and quality shows with real conversations, not just incessant fill in F words that have no substance and it trashes the show. Since I live in America, I've grown so tired and bored of the garbage TV and movies that Hollywood puts out, nothing but artificial sets, special affects and constant and offensive language. So we've switched to ACORN or Britbox and the quality of the shows is immediately apparent. But this particular show, Manhunt, seems to be following the way of typical Hollywood. And that's sad. .

Part of the reason I liked this three-part series is that I miss those brilliant British detective series such as "Wallander", "Lewis", "Vera", "Shetland" and "DCI Banks", while not forgetting "Hinterland" where Tom Mathias seems even more in need of anti-depressants than Kurt Wallander.

Where did they all go? My TV viewing is diminished without them. I've been waiting for something to take their place.

"Manhunt" has many of the qualities that made those series so watchable. A difference is that it is based on a real case: the hunt in London for the killer of a young French woman that uncovers something far more.

Like those shows I loved, "Manhunt" concentrates more on methodical police procedure than on over-the-top shootouts or squealing tyres. But more significantly, it has depth of character. Martin Clunes as DCI Colin Sutton heads the task force hunting the killer. He is no-nonsense, but nowhere near as abrupt as his Aspergerish character in "Doc Martin".

Colin Sutton has a heart, he's a dad; he gets the pain the parents of the victim must be feeling. He demands they be informed face to face that their daughter is dead - not told over the phone as the French police plan to do.

There are other little touches that show his compassion. Here is the key ingredient that makes the best series work. The main character has empathy. No matter how tough the exterior, they can relate to what people are going through - although in his dedication to the job Colin does neglect his family a bit too much.

"Manhunt" ticks another box. Colin has a colleague who has his back - the buddy if you like. In this case it's Katie Lyons as DS Jo Blunt. She stands up for her boss when other members of the team doubt his methods

The series has an authentic look. Shot on the streets as weary men and women spend hours searching for clues. But it's the relentless combing through miles of CCTV footage and supermarket dockets that finally pays off.

It's a classy effort all round with a low-key background score by Niall Byrne setting an ominous mood.

There is another series coming in 2020. However at three short episodes a season I'm not sure it will totally break the drought.

I recall the news about Milly Dowler, but Amelie and the other poor girl (whose name temporarily escapes me) were so quickly glossed over. Were it not for the sheer doggedness of DCI Colin Sutton, and his demand for thoroughness and respect from his team, that evil man would never have been caught. The travesty of the force who let evidence go ignored makes one wonder just how much the force really can be bothered once the budget masters start poking about. I've been watching a lot of true crime dramas from itv, and one thing's for certain - the committed detective gets little support from his superior these days. You've only got to watch Des and compare it to year 2000+ murders to see how much the government has cut police funding. Acting superb from all concerned - especially Martin Clunes - who I usually avoid! Brilliant explanation of the whole investigation and the roadblocks that poor detective faced at almost every step of the way. That man deserves a medal. And the drama wins my vote every time. Brilliant stuff. Well done all concerned.