Once you start watching it you can't stop.Out-of-the-box, brilliantly written story lines, Can't stop watching it.

roisfamily

Equally as great as the best British Mysteries: Prime suspect, Wire in the Blood, Touch of Frost and Trial & Retribution.

I'm surprised this TV series isn't better know. Cracker is immensely "UNDERRATED".

As you may have read in the other reviews it is the storyline that's highly praised. EXACTLY MY OPINION! The main writer, Jimmy McGovern is just simply an intelligent storyteller. Now this series wouldn't be as great as it is if Robbie Coltrane's portrayals of a hard drinking, chain smoking, overweight gambling addict wasn't as talented. However even with such a dramatic acting performance it is Jimmy McGovern with his fantastically ingenious way of sucking you into his story lines, where you can't go on living the rest of your life not knowing how the story ends, that steals the show.

Why this series isn't praised to the same degree as Prime Suspect or Trial & Retribution are, nor as well known is just beyond me. As I said "IMMENSELY UNDERRATED". The only thing I can think of is that those other TV series ran for longer or expanded for a longer period.

Because in my opinion Jimmy McGovern is up there with Lynda Laplante, R.D. Wingfield & Arthur Conan Doyle.

Yeah....The Brits learned a long time ago that it is good story lines "first" that make a show great and good acting, good directing, good editing second. Not pretty young faces and expensive special effects. God! "Hollywood really needs to learn allot still from the UK's Television Industry". They produce a far better product for UK TV than what we get here in the USA in movie theaters. "And with only 10% of the budget" .

By Dedoshucos

score 9/10

roisfamily 30 January 2012

Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw2558162/