Wed 25 Nov 2020
A PI TV Double Episode Review: THE BROKER’S MAN “Double Dutch, Parts 1 and 2″ (1997).
Posted by Steve under Reviews , TV mysteries[7] Comments
THE BROKER’S MAN. BBC One, 17 June 1997 (Series 1, Episodes 1 and 2). Kevin Whately as James ‘Jimmy’ Griffin, ex-detective now a PI working cases of fraud for insurance companies; Annette Ekblom as Sally Griffin, his ex-wife, Danny Worters as Dominic Griffin, his son, Holly Davidson as Jodie Griffin, his daughter, Al Hunter Ashton as Vinnie Stanley, his assistant; Sarah-Jane Potts/Charlotte Bellamy as Harriet Potter, his secretary; Michelle Fairley as Gabby Rodwell, his one-time lover (and maybe still). Written by Al Hunter Ashton & Tim O’Mara. Director: Bob Blagden. Available on DVD and streaming on Amazon Prime.
Nearly as much time is spent in these first two episodes with PI Jimmy Griffin’s domestic problems as it is in solving the case he’s hired to solve, that of a huge batch of digital tapes that have been stolen straight from the shipping company’s warehouse. Ordinarily that would be a huge problem, but not in this case, nearly coming in as an afterthought in terms of what Griffin is up against.
He’s separated now from his wife, who is hounding him for months’ worth of back child support, and he’s able to see his two children only on specified days and times. The problem with this, of course, is that his investigative work takes him to both France and the Netherlands, and if he doesn’t crack the case, he won’t earn the money for what his wife is on his back for. The continual business-oriented presence of the woman that caused the breakup between Jimmy and his wife in the first place does not help either.
Getting back to the case itself, I did not find it particularly interesting. The financial dealing and wheeling I found largely over my head (you may or may not have this same problem), and the identity of the gang and their inside enablers are not at all hidden from the viewer, nor does Griffin have much difficulty sussing them out himself.
No, it’s the character of Jimmy Griffin and his rough and tumble ways that will have you coming back for more, or not. There were only two seasons, the first consisting of three double-part stories, and the second of six individual episodes. I’m planning on watching the next two-part story of season one, and then see where I might go from there.
November 25th, 2020 at 10:22 pm
Kevin Whately has a lot of goodwill in the bank. My kind of guy.
November 25th, 2020 at 11:15 pm
Worth it just to watch Whately.
November 25th, 2020 at 11:55 pm
Thanks for this review. I don’t remember this series, so I just ordered the two seasons from amazon. One dvd is being sold by “Steve Lewis Books”.
November 26th, 2020 at 12:01 am
Hey, that’s mine, or it was. Going through boxes of DVDs I’ve accumulated over the years, I found that I had two copies of Season One. Then I found it on Amazon Prime, which is how I watched this episode, and how I’ll watch the others. And then I’ll probably sell the second set, too, in case anyone is interested.
November 26th, 2020 at 8:17 am
Don’t know it, but will definitely check it out on Amazon Prime. We watched all the Lewis episodes and are now working our way through the Morses (up to series five), and we’ve seen Whately in other things, and enjoyed them.
November 26th, 2020 at 11:02 am
I have yet to catch up with either Morse or Lewis, even though I own DVD sets of each. On my “To Be Watched” list for next year!
December 30th, 2020 at 5:17 pm
Love Season 1. Great underrated Soundtrack from the legendary Alan Clarke episodes 1& 2. I like all the characters Season 1 including the kids.
Season 2. New writers, new soundtrack, characters I liked from Season 1.
Gone.
Overall rating. Season 1 episode 1&2. 4 stars
Season 2 .. 2 stars