“One
of television’s
best-loved crime
dramas, The Commander returns
to DVD, courtesy of Acorn Media, with
three thrilling new stories: The Devil
You Know; Fraudster and Windows Of
The Soul...” ORIGINALLY BROADCAST on ITV, The Commander keeps you guessing
with lots of twists and turns and Clare Blake (Amanda Burton: Silent Witness,
Peak Practice) is not always right!
This gritty, compelling drama series is written by the master of TV thrillers,
Lynda La Plante, who does a good line in gutsy heroines. The Commander
is no exception. A strong and capable police officer, Clare Blake has fought
her way to the top of the male-dominated Metropolitan Police Service.
Chilling crime television at its very best, The Commander sees the hard-nosed,
always-in-control Clare investigating tragic deaths, mysterious murders and
dodgy goings-on as she struggles to stay on top.
Some of Britain's best-loved acting talent has appeared in this drama: Celia
Imrie (Calendar Girls, Kingdom); Gerard Kearns (Mark Of Cain, Shameless);
Gary Stretch (Dead Man's Shoes, World Trade Centre); Toby Kebbell (Control,
Dead Man's Shoes); and Nicola Stapleton (Bad Girls, The Last Enemy).
The three feature-length episodes of The Commander are the classic, stylish
dramas littered with red herrings and gripping storylines one has come to expect
from this creditable series:
The Devil You Know — When the derelict Elliston Psychiatric
Hospital is cleared for demolition, the body of a two-year-old girl with a cross
branded on her chest is found inside a sealed oil drum. Commander Clare Blake
is the senior investigating officer in the enquiry, having taken over from the
pregnant DCI Chambers. Following up on leads, Clare crosses swords with DCI
Doug James (Mark Lewis Jones: Master And Commander, The Far Side Of The World,
The Passion) and upsets the Drug Squad when her officers interview the boss
of a garden centre who is — without her knowledge —
already under surveillance. Celia Imrie, Georgina Hale and Simon Williams appear
in this episode.
Fraudster — Days after being arrested by the Serious Fraud
Office, successful millionaire businessman Donald Griffith is found dead in
his swimming pool in suspicious circumstances. Commander Blake's investigations
reveal Griffith's secret life that involves affairs, lies and deceit.
Windows Of The Soul — The brutal murder of a priest on a volatile
East London housing estate finds Commander Blake and DCI James at odds over
the innocence of a talented fighter from the local boxing club. But when a fellow
detective is attacked, they are forced to put aside their differences and track
down the killer before he is able to strike again, potentially causing a riot
on the already-unstable estate.
• Presented as a stunning three-disc set,
The Commander comes to DVD on 7 July (2008), courtesy of Acorn Media,
at an RRP of £24.99. Catalogue Number: AV9671 | Running Time: 270 Minutes on
three discs | Certificate: 15.
DVD Extras include: Biography of Writer Lynda La Plante; Cast Filmographies
and a Picture Gallery.
"The three feature-length episodes of The Commander are the classic, stylish
dramas littered with red herrings and gripping storylines one has come to expect
from this creditable series" — MotorBar
“One
of television’s
best-loved crime