LouE15 I loved this somewhat undemanding show when it aired, but reading some of the inane comments in the reviews has made me want to write one. If you're easily offended I politely suggest you skip this review. Can it ever be overstated, how rare it still is to find a British detective drama – or indeed any other kind of British drama whatsoever – in which the lead is played by a black man? Or, for that matter, where the thorny subject of racism is tackled, incidentally, and with humour and generosity? I nearly fell off my chair laughing at one user comment that such issues don't exist in the area in which this show is set – qualified by adding something to the effect of: not, at least, on a large scale. No, I'm sure… But there's a 'blindness' that operates in reality in Britain: unless you have racism forced on your attention, it's very easy to persuade yourself that it doesn't exist any more in our modern and "reformed" society. The reality remains, silenced, I suspect, by the very PC movement that sought to address it, in the glass ceilings, the lack of cultural understanding, the "sleepwalking our way to segregation" as Trevor Philips quite rightly puts it.So, how refreshing and wonderful to find this series, which I thoroughly enjoyed, even whilst fully aware of its occasional clichés, its slightly old fashioned style and dodgy regional accents, and its unsurprising romance. Who cares? – none of these haven't already been spotted before in almost every British detective drama, so all the more reason for this series to be taken on its own merits. The chief of these is the charismatic Don Gilet in the lead role of Nicky Cole, the London copper cast, through his brave but impolitic actions, into the career wilderness (and punishment) of a night shift in the police force in the north. The setting happens to be Newcastle, a rare chance to see a great-looking city, but it could be anywhere. He encounters a world often unwilling to make the necessary leap of faith, to believe in him at face value and on the basis of his record. So, like many men and women in his position, he must prove himself by working twice as hard, being twice as good at his job as everybody around him. Some of this is racism; some is good old-fashioned "you ain't from round here" suspicion of the new. But one of the pleasures of this series (beyond its making it to the screen at all!) is that this issue is still a sub-plot. Taken out of the mix, it's just an engaging police drama.Another reviewer at the opposite end of the spectrum commented cynically on the 'PC' nature of the show, how it ticked equal opportunity boxes. In the eye of the beholder… But again, can I stress how highly unusual it is that this show got made at all? Wow, only imagine, if TV shows were really commissioned principally with a desire to address equal opportunities and represent Britain as it really is! I liked this show very much indeed, and strongly recommend it, not as a diatribe on racism but as a very enjoyable entry in the long police drama canon. Some suspension of disbelief may be required, but we're all used to that, right?

liz holland The series doesn't just focus on police work but real life situations. I love the way that all the actors seem to have the 'right' kind of chemistry, especially between Nicky Cole and Claire Maxwell. It has a lot of humour but is quite dramatic too. I think that the second series is even better than the first because all the characters have evolved and you feel you can understand them better. I think that the plot is well thought out and has a good balance between Nicky and Claire's home and work lives. I enjoy the scenes with Mattie and Errol (Nicky's family)because they give background to the programme and help you understand why they are who they are. I would give this 5 stars out of 5 because it really is unmissable.

f00768500 RATING: 15 out of 10!!!There are a number of venomous expletives and expressions I could spew which would make the Ecuadorian tree frog seem like a pleasant alternative, but I shall refrain from doing so because of a three-word, God-given right we all (or SHOULD all) enjoy: FREEDOM OF SPEECH! That said, can I ask why all the cerebral effort to pick such a fine series to pieces?! Surely such shows are meant to serve as a means to unwind after what had been (most of the time anyway) a long hard slog of a day, which I believe 55DN achieves hands down?! Don Gilet wears the role of Nicky well, a put-upon man trying to do the best he can with precious little, in a place that by and large either flat-out refuses to accept him or are having a hard time doing so.So I'm glad to see that he is able to come home to a family which, although unconventional, oozes positivity. After all, it should come as no surprise that not all Black families are as chaotic and "ig'nant" as the Crouches (http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0375290/) or cursed with the obligatory "black sheep" such as Paul Trueman in EastEnders (http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0088512/) And as for the sweet, sweet, not-at-all out-of-place title sequence (and funky theme tune)... oooh baby, that NEEDS to be a single already! And that's my two cents worth for the day...

Simon_neil_scott All the previous comments have been fair, and yeah maybe they do show the Tyne-bridge AND and eye-bridge a lot in the show. But in all fairness what else are they going to show? The Tyne-Bridge is the perfect symbol of Newcastle, and if you actually knew the city, you'd realize you can actually see it from nearly everywhere you go anyway. But its very rare that programmes or films are ever set in Newcastle-upon-tyne and I'm thrilled that they've decided to make a show here. Television seems to have a dislike of using Geordies or Newcastle. (Yes i realize they made Byker-Grove here, but honestly, can we forget that show ever existed. It was the worst piece of dribble ever and made us all look like morons)Anyhow, its slightly annoying that the main character is a Southerner, and the other main character as the lawyer is Irish! you'd think the bbc had no faith in using Geordies and i sware more then one of those accents are fake.But full marks to the bbc for trying. Its a half decent show.Although, one last nag! There's no police station on the quayside in Newcastle, or anywhere near the eye-bridge, so where has this mysterious police station come from?