The Field of Blood (TV series)


The Field of Blood is a Scottish crime drama television series, broadcast between 8 May 2011 and 9 August 2013, adapting the novels of Denise Mina. Jayd Johnson stars as the protagonist, Paddy Meehan. The first series was released on DVD on 5 September 2011. A complete box set, comprising both series, was released exclusively in the United States on 30 September 2014.

Plot

The first series of The Field of Blood adapts the novel of the same name, which is set in 1982. This series comprised two episodes, broadcast on BBC One on 8 and 9 May 2011, respectively. The second series adapts the follow-up novel, The Dead Hour, which is set later in the same decade. The second series was commissioned by the BBC in 2012, again containing two episodes, which aired on 8 and 9 August 2013, respectively.

Reception

Time Out gave the second series four out of five stars and said "It’s good to see this grubby Glaswegian crime drama get another run – it slipped under the radar somewhat when it first appeared in 2011." Sarah Hughes of The Independent said "While the television version of The Field of Blood lacks the sense of human fraility of the Denise Mina books on which it's based, occasionally seeming clunky in comparison, its great strength lies in the accurate portrayal of a distant, darker time." Sarah Rainey of The Daily Telegraph also gave it four out of five stars and said "The opening half was bleak but authentic, from the clack-clack of the Olympia typewriters to the obligatory Irn Bru advert.... The camerawork was clever – just the right amount of jumpy hand-held shots and haunting close-ups – and the dialogue was witty."
Sarah Hughes, also writing for The Guardian, called the first series "impressive" and said it was "a cut above the usual summer schedule-filling fare." Lucy Mangan, another journalist for The Guardian said "this potent brew of corruption, conflict and car coats is nevertheless a waste of David Morrissey's talents" when talking about the second series.

Cast

Main cast

Series 1

Series 1 (2011)

Series 2 (2013)