'Zen', based on the book series by Michael Dibdin, was cancelled by the BBC after three 90-minute episodes, citing the reason that there are already too many 'crime-fighter' shows on television. While that may be true, what the BBC failed to realize is that there was no crime-fighter on television quite like Zen.
The show follows Aurelio Zen, a middle-aged detective who suffers the unfortunate reputation of being the only man with integrity on the entire Italian police force, a position nobody else can point out with smirking, and a position Zen himself refers to as 'It's terrible how mud sticks.' But jaded though he may be, he has his principles and he stands by them; a position not made easy when a group of political higher-ups sense that he might just be intelligent enough to discretely help them on several more challenging cases.
A typical case will involve Zen being ordered by these higher-ups to rescue a kidnapped man, or find innocent a convict who has retracted his confession, while his direct bosses order him not to negotiate with the kidnappers, and to find the convict guilty - both threatening that his career will be in ruins if he fails. Throw in a third-party who wants to kill him for personal, usually misblamed reasons and you have an episode of Zen. But what makes it work is his reaction to these problems; rather than bemoaning his ridiculous, often contradictory orders, he somehow keeps himself composed and soldiers on, uncovering the truth and just about managing to keep everyone happy and his career above water, making a few dry, sharp observations along the way.
Aside from his struggle with the shifting political terrain and stress in the workplace, Zen has a great supporting cast. There's Tania, a new assistant to the chief who the classy gentlemen in the office, aside from Zen of course, place a bet on to see who she'll sleep with first (Guess who ends up winning?) There's the no-nonsense chief himself, Moscati, a combination of roughly 50% Gene Hunt and 50% J. Jonah Jameson, and many more characters, good and bad.
It wasn't a perfect show I suppose, but I genuinely struggle to think of a single major flaw. Ultimately, the show retains all the qualities of its lead - suave, smooth, and sophisticated.
Series Tragically Short-Lived
'Zen', based on the book series by Michael Dibdin, was cancelled by the BBC after three 90-minute episodes, citing the reason that there are already too many 'crime-fighter' shows on television. While that may be true, what the BBC failed to realize is that there was no crime-fighter on television quite like Zen.
The show follows Aurelio Zen, a middle-aged detective who suffers the unfortunate reputation of being the only man with integrity on the entire Italian police force, a position nobody else can point out with smirking, and a position Zen himself refers to as 'It's terrible how mud sticks.' But jaded though he may be, he has his principles and he stands by them; a position not made easy when a group of political higher-ups sense that he might just be intelligent enough to discretely help them on several more challenging cases.
A typical case will involve Zen being ordered by these higher-ups to rescue a kidnapped man, or find innocent a convict who has retracted his confession, while his direct bosses order him not to negotiate with the kidnappers, and to find the convict guilty - both threatening that his career will be in ruins if he fails. Throw in a third-party who wants to kill him for personal, usually misblamed reasons and you have an episode of Zen. But what makes it work is his reaction to these problems; rather than bemoaning his ridiculous, often contradictory orders, he somehow keeps himself composed and soldiers on, uncovering the truth and just about managing to keep everyone happy and his career above water, making a few dry, sharp observations along the way.
Aside from his struggle with the shifting political terrain and stress in the workplace, Zen has a great supporting cast. There's Tania, a new assistant to the chief who the classy gentlemen in the office, aside from Zen of course, place a bet on to see who she'll sleep with first (Guess who ends up winning?) There's the no-nonsense chief himself, Moscati, a combination of roughly 50% Gene Hunt and 50% J. Jonah Jameson, and many more characters, good and bad.
It wasn't a perfect show I suppose, but I genuinely struggle to think of a single major flaw. Ultimately, the show retains all the qualities of its lead - suave, smooth, and sophisticated.