Action Drama
UK 1998 - 6 episodes of 50 min.

Starring: Miriam Margolyes - Larry Lamb - Eamonn Walker - Stella Gonet - Martin Kemp (DI Eddie McEwan)

Director: Waris Hussein (episode 1&2) - Colin Bucksey (episode 3)

Script: Lynda La Plante

Production: Lynda La Plante Productions

Music: Robert Lockhard

Rating:

The Elite Specialist Undercover Squad (ESUS) is a ficionalised experimental unit set up to try and forge closer links between MI5 and the police force. The unit is headed by MI5 agents, but the rest of the team have been seconded from regional police forces because of their specialist undercover expertise. The special unit investigates cases that go beyond the remit of either the regional police forces or Special Branch. The squad consists of high calibre officers, specially trained in undercover work, who are prepared to take the risks that go with it. Martin's character DI Eddie McEwan is one of the members of the squad that have been recruited from regional police thanks to his experience in undercover work and his excellent track records.

Well ... when you hear the name Lynda La Plante you probably think of her best known work, 'Prime Suspect', and you expect a skillful thriller full of suspense. Unfortunately this series can't live up to these high standards. The characters are too flat and once in a while you get the feeling that the whole thing might be meant in a satirical way. But probably it's just unvoluntary humor. Mart's part is annoyingly small, only in the second (double-)episode we see him do a bit more than just eating. On the whole the show has a fairly amusing touch, but doesn't work well as a thriller. It's not a tv highlight but does well enough as entertainment for a dull evening.