The BBC series Tutti Frutti showed that Robbie Coltrane could act. That he was more than just a comedy actor.
Cracker demonstrated that Coltrane could do popular drama. Written by Jimmy McGovern.
Coltrane plays Dr Edward 'Fitz' Fitzgerald. A maverick psychologist. He smokes too much, drinks too much and is addicted to gambling.
Fitz uses his skills when the mutilated body of a former student is found in a train carriage.
The main suspect is amnesiac man called Kelly (Adrian Dunbar.) Little is known about him and he knows little of the real world.
DCI Bilborough (Christopher Eccleston) is in no doubt that Kelly is the killer. It is not even an isolated killing as another woman was believed to be murdered earlier in a similar way.
The first episode really looks like whether Fitz can crack Kelly. As Fitz observes, when Kelly is given some multiple choice questions as to real life events, he gets them all wrong. Statistically he's bound to have guessed one or two as correct.
This episode has to set up Fitz as a maverick. His wife soon leaves him. Dunbar does well as Kelly, leaving most people convinced that the amnesiac act is precisely that, an act.
It was good that other actors were not left in the wake of Coltrane. Both Eccleston and Lorcan Cranitch shine as the detectives. There is a good bit where both play good cop, bad cop to get Kelly to confess.
Cracker demonstrated that Coltrane could do popular drama. Written by Jimmy McGovern.
Coltrane plays Dr Edward 'Fitz' Fitzgerald. A maverick psychologist. He smokes too much, drinks too much and is addicted to gambling.
Fitz uses his skills when the mutilated body of a former student is found in a train carriage.
The main suspect is amnesiac man called Kelly (Adrian Dunbar.) Little is known about him and he knows little of the real world.
DCI Bilborough (Christopher Eccleston) is in no doubt that Kelly is the killer. It is not even an isolated killing as another woman was believed to be murdered earlier in a similar way.
The first episode really looks like whether Fitz can crack Kelly. As Fitz observes, when Kelly is given some multiple choice questions as to real life events, he gets them all wrong. Statistically he's bound to have guessed one or two as correct.
This episode has to set up Fitz as a maverick. His wife soon leaves him. Dunbar does well as Kelly, leaving most people convinced that the amnesiac act is precisely that, an act.
It was good that other actors were not left in the wake of Coltrane. Both Eccleston and Lorcan Cranitch shine as the detectives. There is a good bit where both play good cop, bad cop to get Kelly to confess.
