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Long Call (The)

Country: United Kingdom, Language: English, 46 mins

  • Director: Lee Haven Jones
  • Writer: Ann Cleeves, Kelly Jones
  • Producer: Angie Daniell

CGiii Comment

Religious cult nutcases and TV's first gay [ex-cult] detective! Brimstone and fireworks were expected...what was delivered was the complete opposite.

Ben Aldridge's [gay] DI is remarkably unremarkable, plodding through a murder case without any hint of charisma, verve or even interest...it's just one more day in the office/on the beat...ho hum!

The main culprit in this debacle is the overly 'woke' writing - whether Ann Cleeves included all this woke-ism in her book is for the reader to find out...but, it's here and in-your-face at every predictable twist and turn. 

And...the accessory to the culprit has to be the director...lacklustre and lifeless are two words that spring to mind. Stiff...is an other!

Anita Dobson throws in the best performance...by far. But, since this is a detective series...all eyes are on the ex-cult, gay DI...we weren't expecting him to whistle I Am What I Am...but, a little bit of personality would have this character a trifle more 3 dimensional than the 2D who appears on screen...he's ex-cult, he's gay, he's a policeman...where are his demons!?! Where's his accent!?!

It will come as a surprise if this gay detective will have a second outing...no surprise if he doesn't!


Trailer...

The(ir) Blurb...

When a body is found on a beach in North Devon, DI Matthew Venn tackles a case that has no witnesses, no forensics and no motive. Matthew is also dealing with the death of his father and being thrust back into a community he was forced to leave.

Cast & Characters

Ben Aldridge (as DI Matthew Venn (4 episodes, 2021))
Declan Bennett (as Jonathan Roberts (4 episodes, 2021))
Siobhán Cullen (as Caroline Reasley (4 episodes, 2021))
Martin Shaw (as Dennis Stephenson (4 episodes, 2021))
Juliet Stevenson (as Dorothy Venn (4 episodes, 2021))
Pearl Mackie (as DS Jen Rafferty (4 episodes, 2021))
Aoife Hinds (as Gaby Chadwell (4 episodes, 2021))
Dylan Edwards (as DC Ross Pritchard (4 episodes, 2021))
Anita Dobson (as Grace Stephenson (4 episodes, 2021))
Sarah Gordy (as Lucy Craddle (4 episodes, 2021))
Neil Morrissey (as Christopher Reasley (4 episodes, 2021))
Nia Gwynne (as Ruth Shapland (4 episodes, 2021))
Amit Shah (as Ed Raveley (4 episodes, 2021))
Alan Williams (as Maurice Craddle (4 episodes, 2021))
Iona Anderson (as Rosa Shapland (4 episodes, 2021))
Alfie Price (as Young Matthew Venn (4 episodes, 2021))
Luke Ireland (as Simon Walden (4 episodes, 2021))
Melissandre St Hilaire (as Ella Rafferty (3 episodes, 2021))
John-Paul MacLeod (as Alfie / ... (3 episodes, 2021))
Cameron Howitt (as Ben Rafferty (2 episodes, 2021))
Susannah Edgley (as WPC Becky (2 episodes, 2021))
Willy Hudson (as Willy Barman (2 episodes, 2021))
Kevin Johnson (as Will Strensham (1 episode, 2021))
Charlie Anson (as Rich Chorley (1 episode, 2021))
Lizzie Stables (as Melanie (1 episode, 2021))