MEDIA: Serious and Organised - An Expert's View.(Television Program Review)

ITV's new police drama starring Martin Kemp gives hope for the future, Richard Baker reckons.

Each new year brings with it reflection, hope and resolutions. For us in media, it also heralds an end to the festive season of December's parties and Christmas celebrations, as we start January's detox, and begin to place advertising into the new 2003 television schedules.

Viewers of TV were greeted in the new year with ITV's refocused efforts to bring fresh ideas to create new mass appeal drama. Following straight on the heels of New Year's Day's Polly-anna, Serious and Organised was aired the following evening.

Up against stiff opposition in the form of Independence Day, Little Voice and The Horse Whisperer, this new Martin Kemp police drama delivered a cocktail of infidelity, guns, drugs and murder. With Kemp's character, Jack Finn, headbutting his brother and showing signs of lust for his brother's wife, the ingredients for some gritty storylines in the future appear evident. The producers even threw in a few art directed moments that may remind some viewers, albeit fleetingly, of the original flying squad cop show of the 70s, The Sweeney.

Although uninspiring with its rating achievement (5.5 million viewers, with 2.2 million for the Saturday late-night repeat), Serious and Organised offered hope for forthcoming episodes considering the keen programming on the other channels. In the multi-channel TV environment, where choice is so vast, viewers are all too ready to vote with their handsets if the programme they've chosen doesn't meet their requirements. Serious and Organised met ...