PlayPrime Suspect
Published: Thursday, 23 August 2007, 12:56PM
First broadcast: 1991
Stars: Helen Mirren, Tom Bell
Creator: Lynda La Plante
The lowdown: Helen Mirren stars as the hard-bitten, chain-smoking Detective Chief Inspector (later promoted to Detective Superintendent) Jane Tennison in this award-winning cop drama series. As well tackling gritty cases involving serial killers, rapists, child abuse and prostitution, Tennison has to deal with her own personal battles, including her marriage breakdown, and alcoholism. But her main on-going battle is with the Met itself, and trying to forge a career for herself in a tough male-dominated profession.
Memorable moments: The tense scenes in the first series, where Tennison takes on her first big investigation. She has to face a room full of her chauvinistic male colleagues and brief them on the murder case.
Trivia: Real-life former senior police officer Jackie Malton provided the inspiration for Tennison, and acted as an adviser on the show.
In February 2007 Helen Mirren won the Oscar for the Actress in a Leading Role for her role in The Queen playing our current monarch. She was nominated twice before both for the Actress in a Supporting Role gong: for Gosford Park in 2001 and The Madness of King George in 1994.
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