User Reviews

Newly promoted Detective Inspector Maggie Forbes has faced chauvinism and sexism to reach her position, no sooner than she's in post, she is dealing with a tragic case, one which is very close to home.

A very solid first episode, it's my first time watching any of The Gentle Touch, and this first one impressive. The actual crime itself seems to play second fiddle, it seems to me like they are shaping Maggie's character, the killing is obviously meant to affect and motivate Maggie, it'll be interesting to see how the event changes her character going forward.

I'm keen to see if episode two focuses a little more on the actual investigation.

I wonder if The Gentle Touch influenced future shows such as Prime Suspect, it made for a nice change to see a female Detective lead character.

There's a good cast, with some well known faces, including Brian Croucher and Sue Nicholls.

7/10.

The Gentle Touch was the first British police drama to focus on a female police detective. Thee BBC's Juliet Bravo would start a few months later.

Jill Gacoine played DI Maggie Forbes, a detective inspector balancing her professional and personal life.

In the first episode, there is an extended scene with her husband who is a police constable. He has had enough of being a policeman and being hated by the public. He is thinking of quitting the force. Later that morning he is shot by a gang of armed robbers.

Forbes is in shock, she is now a single parent with a teenage son. Although on compassionate leave, she disobeys orders and looks to find her husband's killers who are two brothers. When the heat is on them the brothers get rid off the getaway driver who is regarded as a liability.

Being set in London the series comes across as more grittier than Juliet Bravo which was based in a fictional small town in Lancashire. There is nothing in the writing that sets this up as being a cut above. It seems to surf on its novelty factor of a woman police inspector and this also meant it could be less action based.

The villains in this episode are straight out of central casting. Brian Croucher spent the entirely of the 1970s and early 80s playing the villain of the week.

The first episode wanted to portray the police as heroic who were grounded down by an indifferent press and public. I think some real life opinions of the Metropolitan Police of the time would less than flattering. Even in the late 1990s the Metropolitan Police were labelled as institutionally racist.