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Judge John Deed : Complete BBC Series 2 [2001]


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Editorial
Amazon.co.uk Review

Martin Shaw’s Judge John Deed is proving to be a reliable ratings winner for the BBC. And it’s not too tricky to see why.

The set-up is simple. Shaw’s title character is a senior, experienced Judge who presides over an assortment of cases in his court room. Behind the scenes though, he’s a crusader of sorts, battling it out with the establishment, right through to members of the Cabinet. Deed is a man, of course, who’s not averse to a few problems of his own in his private life, not least with the opposite sex, and when you mix all of these factors together, it seems like a good, solid, reliable cocktail for an hour of drama.

What lifts it above that though is Shaw’s superb performance as Judge John Deed. To be fair, he’s given some questionably far-fetched material to work with across the duration of this second series (all the episodes of which are collected on this double DVD set), but he nonetheless remains magnetic when he hits his stride, and Judge John Deed as a result is rightly enjoying its fair share of success.

You won’t always agree with Judge John Deed, and at times, you’re likely to find yourself outright perplexed. But never, ever, less than entertained. Recommended. --Jon Foster


Superb, entertainment at its best!
Review date: 2008-09-16 Rating: 10 out of 10

An absolute gem, this series and the previous one are superb. John Deed is my hero, he struggles with his conscience occasionally but goes for what he thinks is right and best for the matter in hand. His indiscretions with the ladies show the weak side of him and reminds us that he is human after all. Can't wait to watch the next series!

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Reviews


The quintessential English drama
Review date: 2008-05-25 Rating: 10 out of 10

This is English legal drama at its best. Martin Shaw is simply awesome as Judge John Deed. The storylines are not only intriguing but very interesting. However what makes this drama different from your everyday legal drama is the weaving of the personal life of the rebellious and unconventional Judge Deed into it. His on /off romance with legal eagle Jenny Seagrove (Woman of Substance, Hold Dream) brings an added touch of romance to it, as well as his dealings with his ex-wife, father -in-law (an appeal court Judge), and of course his daughter. It is difficult to describe how captivating and enthralling this drama is, you just have to watch it. There are four long episodes in this set - 356mins of viewing pleasure. The whole ensemble cast and the writing is star quality. Well done to the BBC and the writer as well as the actors for such a high quality and entertaining drama. You can't go wrong with this. Enjoy.



The TV critics spot on for once
Review date: 2008-03-11 Rating: 10 out of 10

Although there are only four episodes to Series 2, this is top quality. Martin Shaw is perfect in the part, as the Judge who believes in justice at any price, in his court, even if it means falling out with MPs, the Executive, other Judges, and opposing Councils, occasionally.

You really will enjoy this even more, if you have seen Series 1, because you will find it easier to 'instantly' understand the role of all the other characters. All good stuff, one way or the other.

Hold on to your britches. Here comes John Deed
Review date: 2008-01-18 Rating: 8 out of 10

"Judge John Deed" is one of the best shows on TV at the moment. Not that that is saying very much since television programmes are pretty abysmal. I should know because I was a TV critic for our main newspaper; so I was exposed to quite a lot of rubbish. Since I was in the enviable position of choosing what I wanted to review, however, I usually chose British programmes. But even British programmes have declined in quality nowadays.

Whereas British TV as well as the movie industry were elitist in the past, the rest of the United Kingdom caught up and now there are programmes based all over the U.K. This is a good thing, of course, since it's more representative of the entire country. We may have trouble understanding what the Northerners and the Irish are saying, but it's great to have fresh inspiration.

Sadly, though, some of the dramas are very miserable. Gritty, drug-addicted, porno, sleaze. Realistic, no doubt, but depressing. I always feel like I want to have a purging shower after watching one of those programmes.

But somebody must be enjoying watching all this misery or they wouldn't be produced.

I used to love wandering around Oxford with Inspector Morse, having a cup of tea with Inspector Wexford, counting the bodies in "Midsomer Murders" and knitting with Miss Marple. Then there is a favourite, "Foyle's War." I know the world is safe in Michael Kitchen's hands. Best of all, of course, was "A Touch of Frost." Wow!

It's been a long time since a good courtroom series has come to our sets and "Judge John Deed" is certainly absorbing. The points of law, the courtroom scenes, the conflicts of interest, all make for exciting viewing.

If the producers had left it at that it would have been brilliant. But the good old judge has one flaw. He is a satyr, so when it comes to sex he just goes crazy. He simply can't help sniffing around every female, be she a psychiatrist, witness, a barrister, a defendant. He's ready and raring to go. I suppose the producers had to cater for the plebs and an episode without the ubiquitous shagging would have lost ratings.

He's having an "on and off" affair with a barrister, the erratic Mrs Mills portrayed by Jenny Seagrove. She apparently disapproves of the fact that Deed is also having it off with anything that moves. The legal establishment is trying to catch him at it so that they can get rid of Deed and this is the thread in the series. There are government spies who spend most of their day walking up and down corridors discussing the foibles of Deed.

Frankly, I wish that the entire series would concentrate on the court cases and leave the rest to Big Brother or something. Whilst not a fan of Martin Shaw, I think he does fairly well in pulling off the role of judge. He certainly looks more impressive in his judge's robes than out of them.

I think the series is intelligent and dramatic and well worth watching. I now record the show and fast forward the tedious bits about Deed's private life. Mind you, I did that with the British hospital series called "Bodies" and found there was hardly anything left to watch.

Great - BUT!!
Review date: 2007-03-24 Rating: 10 out of 10

Superb stuff an all aspects bar one, and that is the utterely useless "Charly", the judges daughter. Not only is she hopeless, but the idiotic character she plays is detrimental to the shows. Producer, please get rid of her.

Product Details/Specifications


Actor(s):
Jenny Seagrove
Barbara Thorn
Simon Chandler
Louisa Clein
Martin Shaw

Creators:
Martin Shaw (Primary Contributor)
Jenny Seagrove (Primary Contributor)

Director(s):

Recording label: 2 Entertain Video
Manufacturer: 2 Entertain Video
EAN: 5014503212520
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: Anamorphic, PAL,
Release date: 2007-02-12
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Audience rating: Suitable for 12 years and over
Region code: 2
Running time: 356 minutes
Theatrical release date: 2001-11-26
Language: English (Original Language)

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