BEST OF THE REST
24 HOURS IN POLICE CUSTODY Channel 4, 9pm
THIS BAFTA-nominated series following Bedfordshire Police’s detective work is back for a new run, with an extraordinary first episode.
It reveals what happens when a police officer who is investigating a crime turns out to the be the man who committed it. Who needs Line Of Duty? There’s real life corruption and it’s captured here in compelling footage.
Cameras follow all the twists and turns of the case, which begins when a man reports that he is being blackmailed after visiting a prostitute. A demand letter left on his windscreen asks for £1,000 and the major crime unit is eventually called in to track down their suspect.
But as the truth unfolds, it makes for tense viewing as the officers discover that one of their own is a corrupt cop.
DCI Jerry Waite says: “There’s no place for corrupt police officers in the police force, they need to be driven out.”
TWO DOORS DOWN BBC2, 10pm
THE beauty of this gentle, funny sitcom is that it observes life just as we know it. Nothing hugely dramatic happens, but the stress of dealing with your neighbours or relatives or friends is something we can all relate to.
In this episode, Ian (Jamie Quinn) and his boyfriend Gordon are taking Beth (Arabella Weir) and Eric (Alex Norton) out to a pub to celebrate Beth’s birthday. Christine has no qualms about gatecrashing the family outing.
Once there, they have a ten-minute discussion about the two-course set menu. Are you having a starter or a dessert? How much would it cost for three courses instead of two? Is the haddock included in the deal? Is it extra for a drink?
We’ve all had these conversations. We’ve all argued over who treats who. And we’ve all been Beth, who starts to wish she’d never bothered going out in the first place.