Public Eye - Series 1 (1969)

4 out of 4 people found the following review helpful:

Masterful Black and White drama

A Customer from Epsom, Surrey, 3rd December, 2004

Apparently, the first three series of Public Eye have been lost in the mists of time; what we have here is actually the fourth series, and it really does feel like a treasure worth preserving.

Alfred Burke is a revelation as Frank Marker, an ex-con released from prison and trying to go straight in 1960s Brighton.

It doesn't sound much, but after an episode or two, you'll be hooked. It's beautifully paced, scripted with subtlety, and Burke's charismatic protagonist gets right under your skin. Mesmeric viewing.

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3 out of 3 people found the following review helpful:

DISC 3

A Customer from Bromley, Kent, 10th February, 2005

Disc 3 is the 'extras' disc & something of a mixed bag. The complete episode that's included comes from earlier in the shows run & isn't quite as good as the episodes on discs 1 & 2. Having said that, the rest of Disc 3 is excellent. We get an excellent 2004 interview with the writer/creator of the series (bags of relevant history here) and a superb interview with Alfred Burke, shot in 1995. Those, and the feature of digital restoration, make it a worthy item for rent.

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Disk 2

A Customer from Nelson Lancashire, 20th June, 2007

3 further stories from this marvellously quirky 60's detective series. Watch out for a young and very cute Tessa Wyatt in the middle episode playing a nieve runaway girl who ends up at an end-of-the-pier show singing an old-time music hall ditty about how she prefers dogs to cats!

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public eye

A Customer from lancs, 16th October, 2005

In this series private eye Frank Marker has just been released from prison.The first disc follows his period on probation.At first you feel little empathy for the solitary and taciturn Marker,but gradually the character's honesty and fierce independence win you over and by the 4th episode his compassion and fury prove a potent mix which I found very moving.Burke's is a remarkable performance in a resolutely downbeat but furiously honest set of dramas,each episode dealing with the investigation of human character rather than criminal activity.The writing is surprisingly intelligent with its emphasis on character rather than plot,there are no car chases or thrills(at least on disc 1).Possibly a little humourless and dour,maybe a little too earnest.This series seems to have been forgotten which is unfortunate as Burke and the programme's writing are tremendous at times.

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