Sunday News

Clunes shines and surprises in Manhunt

- JAMES CROOT

IF you only know Martin Clunes from Men Behaving Badly, Doc Martin or his dog documentar­ies, then Manhunt: The Night Stalker may provide something of a shock.

He plays a character far removed from Badly’s ebullient Gary or Martin’s demonstrab­ly grouchy Cornish GP. Based on a real-life British copper (whose memoirs the four-part police procedural is based on),

Detective Chief Inspector Colin Sutton is a taciturn thinker who likes to play his cards – and emotions – close to his chest.

Having successful­ly helped stop London serial killer Levi Bellfield (a pursuit which formed the basis of the first, three-part series in 2019), Sutton has now been called in to review Operation Minstead.

2009 marks 17 years since the first of an irregular pattern of burglaries, sexual assaults and rapes of elderly women in SouthEast London. The press call him ‘‘the Night Stalker’’. Those who have worked on the case describe him as the bane of their existence.

They have DNA evidence, but whoever it is, isn’t on any database – and appears to know that – judging by their lack of care. Five years ago, he suddenly stopped, perhaps not coincident­ally after the crimes were highlighte­d on Crimewatch. However, three incidents fitting his MO in three weeks have shone renewed scrutiny on the ongoing investigat­ion – and its lack of results.

Enter a ‘‘fresh set of eyes’’ in the form of Sutton. ‘‘They might be missing something, staring them in the face,’’ Detective Chief Inspector Hamish Campbell (Guy Williams) suggests. However, it’s almost instantly clear there are those very unhappy with Sutton’s presence and constant questions.

The original Manhunt was ITV’s highest rating debut drama since Broadchurc­h six years earlier. It’s easy to see why.

While it might lack that show’s strong personalit­ies and memorable ensemble, screenwrit­er Ed Whitmore (Waking the Dead, Rillington Place) and director Marc Evans (The Pembrokesh­ire Murders) have crafted a taut tale filled with plenty of twists and turns and tensions, as our veteran detective attempts to navigate pricky personalit­ies, as much as sift through the mountains of – mostly – circumstan­tial evidence.

In a way, this perhaps reminded me more of Morse, Taggart or Baptiste, rather than Line of Duty (despite the familiarse­eming internal ructions), but thanks to an impressive Clunes and a solid supporting cast, it also very much has its own rhythms, style and figurehead.

Manhunt: The Night Stalker debuts on Sky TV’s Rialto Channel at 8.30pm tonight (Sunday, September 4).

 ?? ?? Martin Clunes excels at the taciturn Detective Chief Inspector Colin Sutton in Manhunt: The Night Stalker.
Martin Clunes excels at the taciturn Detective Chief Inspector Colin Sutton in Manhunt: The Night Stalker.

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