TV: Ellis (2024 - ?)

British police/crime drama; streaming in the US on Acorn, where it's labeled as Inspector Ellis. Two seasons, each short even by British standards; season 1 is 3 90-minute episodes, and season 2 is 4 45-minute episodes, comprising two 90-minute stories. Haven't been able to find info on whether a third season is planned.

Sharon D. Clarke stars as DCI Ellis (her first name is never revealed), who is sent by her boss in London to lead murder investigations at smaller police departments that don't have the staffing or experience to deal with complicated major crimes. On her first case, she's partnered with DS Chet Harper (Andrew Gower) who will leave his position in that local department to become Ellis's partner in traveling investigation. 

The "I'm from the city, and I'm here to help" sets up an unusual dynamic, with local departments usually resenting Ellis's presence and the implication that they aren't up to the task; their attitude is often one of reluctant cooperation at best, outright hostility at worst. And in some of those rural departments, the hostility is only made worse by the fact that Ellis is a Black woman.

Clarke is terrific here, and it's a challenging role, because she's not given a large, colorful personality to play. She's reserved, quiet, and actively resists small talk. When she finally, near the end of the first season, tells Chet that she has a daughter (we viewers have known that fact, and gotten some hints that their relationship might be strained, but we don't know any more than that), it's a major step forward in their partnership, the first moment in which she's acknowledging that either of them has a life beyond the job. That daughter is the show's biggest step towards any sort of serialized storytelling; this is firmly a case-of-the-week procedural, which these days, is a refreshing change.

Gower's role is more familiar -- the junior officer, almost puppyish in his eagerness to impress the boss -- and the writers haven't done much to broaden him beyond that trope. (Three of the five stories are written or co-written by the show's creator, Sian Ejiwunmi-Le Barre.) He gets to flirt a bit with the IT officer (Charlotte McCurry) who occasionally joins Ellis and Harper on their cases, but even that slight hint of personality is quickly closed off when he finds out that she's married.

The opaque nature of the lead characters is the most frustrating element for me, and if there is a third season, I hope that Ellis and Harper will be allowed to develop a more relaxed relationship and reveal more, even if only between themselves. But that's my only mild problem with the show. The cases Ellis and Harper are sent to work on are interesting and complex, darker and grittier than the cozies we usually get in rural settings. Each story gives us a large cast of suspects, friends, and relatives, played very well by actors who will mostly be unfamiliar to American viewers; Mark Addy was the only major guest actor I recognized at all, and he's not exactly a household name here.

Not essential viewing, but a good solid procedural, greatly aided by strong casting from top to bottom.