Remembering "The Professionals" and the newish BBC series "MI-5" on PBS

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Since I'm on a short TV-streak here with blog posts, I might as well run with it. Don't know when this will happen again. I've been surprised to see how many Hugh Laurie fans discovered my blog post about the season episode of House. No one has actually commented, so I don't know if my post was well received. But I do know that my blog has guests from Europe and Asia. I don't pretend to think that I am naturally that popular! It's all abuot House & Hugh Laurie.

After I just stated that I don't watch any regular TV series in yesterday's post, I may have to modify this claim. Last night, I just watched my 2nd straight episode of MI-5, a British Broadcasting Co. show being telecast in HiDef on PBS. The show is currently producing its 8th season, but PBS is beginning with season 1. Last night was the 4th episode. (I'm wondering if this show was previously broadcast on A&E. Anyone? I think it was shown in Canada under the name "Spooks.")



It's the kind of European crime show that we learned to enjoy when we lived in Prague. Series like The Professionals were new to us, showing a different take on crime and punishment. A show like MI-5 remind me of a simpler time in US television, when cinematography and plot were more important than special effects, gimmicks and cleavage (read: CSI).




Even if the plots were occasionally thin in those old detective shows, the hard edge of crime and the pressure of catching the bad guys still kept the story moving. Maybe that's why we enjoy Monk and Psych. There's a similar movement in those shows, albeit without the hard edge of MI-5.

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