Created by Howard Overman Original language(s) English | Country of origin United Kingdom | |
Genre Comedy-drama
Police procedural Starring Toby Stephens
Miranda Raison
(Series 2-)
Roger Griffiths
Ronny Jhutti
Nick Dunning
Rory Kinnear
(Series 1)
Lucy Punch
(Series 1) Composer(s) Willie Dowling
Ray Harman | ||
Vexed is a British comedy-drama, police procedural television series for BBC Two. Created and written by Howard Overman, the first series stars Lucy Punch as D.I. Kate Bishop and Toby Stephens as D.I. Jack Armstrong, a detective duo with a fractious relationship. Jack is lazy and disorganised but charming whereas Kate is efficient and usually exasperated by Jack's way of doing things. The show also starred Rory Kinnear who plays Kate's husband Dan, with whom she is going through marriage counselling. Other recurring characters are Naz, an eccentric crime scene specialist, and Tony, owner of the bar at which the characters relax. The drama is set in contemporary London.
Contents
In the second series (first announced on 18 January 2012) Lucy Punch and Rory Kinnear did not return. Lucy's character was replaced by Miranda Raison playing D.I. Georgina Dixon, with Nick Dunning playing her father, a retired policeman with a dubious security business.
Cast
Production
The series was filmed in South West London, in particular Kingston upon Thames, Richmond on Thames, and Twickenham, with some of the second series filmed in Ireland
The first series was produced by Greenlit Rights Productions and the second is produced by Eleventh Hour Films.
During the UK transmission of the programme in July 2010, it was reported that Greenlit had entered administration.
The theme tune for the series one was composed by Willie Dowling, former keyboardist with rock group The Wildhearts.
Critical reception
The series received an arguably mixed response from critics.
The Liverpool Echo's Paddy Shennan called it "deliciously black" and added that it could become a "cop classic". He also praised Stephens's performance, likening it to Leslie Nielsen's in The Naked Gun. The Guardian's Sam Wollaston also liked it, saying "It's cheeky, irreverent, puerile, sometimes inappropriate It also made me laugh, almost out loud a few times, and that's no bad thing in a comedy" and again praised Stephens's acting, saying he was "fabulous", while Punch's performance was "excellent".
Most others disagreed. The Metro called it "rubbish" and said Stephens's acting was "over the top" The Daily Telegraph's Patrick Smith lamented its "[t]huddingly lame humour", Paul Connolly in the Daily Mail added that the programme didn't seem to know what it wanted to be but "[w]hat it most certainly wasn't, was funny". Rachel Cooke of the New Statesman called it "atrocious". "Truly abysmal" said Kevin Myers of the Irish Independent Sean Myers blamed "a sub-standard script totally lacking in style and imagination". and Damien Love of The Herald (Glasgow) said it was "[b]ad beyond belief... one of the worst things I have ever seen on television.", and likened Toby Stephen's performance to "Hugh Grant doing an impression of Ross Kemp, doing an impression of Hugh Grant doing an impression of Bodie from The Professionals", although he believed there was a chance that Lucy Punch was "wasted" in the show.
Series Two
Series two of Vexed was broadcast Wednesdays at 9pm at the same time as the London Olympic games. Episode five was broadcast at the same time as the opening ceremony of the London Paralympics games.
DVD releases
Series One was released by Acorn Media UK on 20 August 2012. Series Two was released exclusively by Acorn Media UK on their website in December 2012 and was released elsewhere on 4 March 2013. Series One and Two boxset was released by Acorn Media UK on 8 July 2013.