7 out of 8 people found the following comment useful :- Vastly underrated series!, 20 May 2001
Author:
Powysw from England
Dangerfield was a classic series, one of the old school of TV series that
relies on a strong story and cast rather than a crash bang wallop of
special
effects. As well as launching the careers of two of British TV's sexiest
soap doctors (Namely Lisa Faulkner - Dr Vitoria Merrick - Holby City and
Tamzin Malleson - Dr Kate Brady - A&E) Dangerfield brought us the life of a
Police surgeon Paul Dangerfield. His wife had been killed in a car crash
and
he was struggling to cope with the task of dealing with two teenagers Marty
& Al (played initially by Sean Maguire & Lisa Faulkner). Everyone could
relate to someone in this and the first series saw Al's boyfriend die in a
tragic hiking accident and Marty struggle to find himself - and a job!
At the end of series one both Maguire and Faulkner quit leaving the
producers the unenviable task of finding replacements! Faulkner's raw sex
appeal had made her a favourite with male audiences and most male teenagers
had every reason to relate to Maguires inspired portrayal of the sensitive
and intense Marty. The casting of Tamzin Malleson as Al was inspired, in a
complete contrast to Faulkner, Malleson had the beauty of the classic
English rose, and a totally different style, so the charactor changed out
of
all recognition coping with being a single mother trying to strike out on
her own. Maguire proved more difficult to replace the producers turning to
former BluePeter presenter Tim Vincent who though had the looks lacked
Maguire's charismatic style and in comparison was perhaps a little wooden,
but still managed to turn in a credible performance.
Nigel Le Vaillant quit in 1997 leaving the show in the capable hands of
Nigel Havers. His charactor didnt have the teenage children or the
emotional
problems of his predecessor making the show dependant on its Police
storylines rather than its previously disfunctional family orientated
plots!
Havers did a great job, but something was missing - namely Al and Marty who
for this viewer made the series so memorable.
4 out of 5 people found the following comment useful :- First two series were good, the third onwards were a bit limp., 2 June 2002
Author:
Antzy88 from Thatcham, United Kingdom
Being a lover of medical dramas, and noticing way back in 1995 that this new
series about a widowed police surgeon (thus removing the cliché of
hospitals)
was starting, I decided to check it out. I was not disappointed.
Nigel le Vaillant (himself no stranger to medical drama after having been in
Casualty previously as a member of its hospital's staff) played Paul
Dangerfield,
who sort of has two medical jobs: one in a doctor's surgery and the other as
police surgeon for the local station. He had very little time for much of a
social
life (much to the distress of those he got romantically involved with, the
favourite
of mine being Dr Joanna Stevens, played by Amanda Redman in series 2), let
alone time for his son Marty (Sean Maguire, later Tim Vincent) and daughter
Al
(Lisa Faulkner, later Tamzin Malleson); all three are trying to cope after
the
sudden death of Paul's wife in a car accident. Until they moved house in
Series
3 the piano she used to play remained, as did the painful memories for
Paul...
In the first two series I thought there was a fine balance between Paul
doing
'doctor' stuff and the case the police were on; in series three onwards this
was
lost somewhat, with the police investigation almost negating the need for
Paul's
real job (this may have been due to the changes in writers - they did seem
to
change a lot at this point); the only decent episode in the third and fourth
series
that seemed to have anything like the old formula was one where actor
William
Gaminara played the part of a fake doctor.
At the end of series four we were introduced to Dr Jonathan Paige, played by
Nigel Havers ('Chariots Of Fire'), who had a little more lightheartedness
than the
serious Paul, and replaced him for series five (the final series) after the
departure of Le Vaillant at the end of series four. Sadly, gone was the
surgery
and the other doctors etc., instead with Paige working solely as police
surgeon.
Although it was slightly better in content than the third and fourth series,
somehow it lacked the charm and variety of the first two.
So, to sum it up. Series 1 & 2 are great, but be prepared for
disappointment
after those two.
1 out of 2 people found the following comment useful :- Danger, danger, high...(ly boring after first two series!), 27 February 2007
Author:
gaiter88 from United Kingdom
Ah Dangerfield. That name takes me back. Before I even start it is
worth pointing out that this program should really be considered as
two. There are the first two series and then the rest of it. The rest
of it is nothing special. I watched little of the later series and
recall even less. If every there was an advert for quitting whilst
you're ahead or trying to keep you're assembled cast together
Dangerfield is it. The cast changed, the car changed, the quality
changed, hell in the end even the lead changed, Dangerfield without a
Dangerfield?
But, and it's a big but, there were the first two series. These were a
totally different kettle of fish. Maybe it is nostalgia clouding my
memory but I can't help remembering them fondly. A good cast and
enthralling stories, all set against (what seemed to me as) the ever
golden Warwickshire countryside in summer, it's enough to make you want
to become a GP.
Essentially three things spring to mind when I think of the name
Dangerfield. The first is fond memories of summers in my youth (I was
born and bred not far form Dangerfield country) and the second is a
question, why didn't the BBC persist in dragging it out for so long? (I
know money and ratings). Finally there is the third, Nigel Hess' theme
music which, for better or worse, will stay with me always.
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7 out of 8 people found the following comment useful :-
Vastly underrated series!, 20 May 2001
Author: Powysw from England
Dangerfield was a classic series, one of the old school of TV series that relies on a strong story and cast rather than a crash bang wallop of special effects. As well as launching the careers of two of British TV's sexiest soap doctors (Namely Lisa Faulkner - Dr Vitoria Merrick - Holby City and Tamzin Malleson - Dr Kate Brady - A&E) Dangerfield brought us the life of a Police surgeon Paul Dangerfield. His wife had been killed in a car crash and he was struggling to cope with the task of dealing with two teenagers Marty & Al (played initially by Sean Maguire & Lisa Faulkner). Everyone could relate to someone in this and the first series saw Al's boyfriend die in a tragic hiking accident and Marty struggle to find himself - and a job!
At the end of series one both Maguire and Faulkner quit leaving the producers the unenviable task of finding replacements! Faulkner's raw sex appeal had made her a favourite with male audiences and most male teenagers had every reason to relate to Maguires inspired portrayal of the sensitive and intense Marty. The casting of Tamzin Malleson as Al was inspired, in a complete contrast to Faulkner, Malleson had the beauty of the classic English rose, and a totally different style, so the charactor changed out of all recognition coping with being a single mother trying to strike out on her own. Maguire proved more difficult to replace the producers turning to former BluePeter presenter Tim Vincent who though had the looks lacked Maguire's charismatic style and in comparison was perhaps a little wooden, but still managed to turn in a credible performance. Nigel Le Vaillant quit in 1997 leaving the show in the capable hands of Nigel Havers. His charactor didnt have the teenage children or the emotional problems of his predecessor making the show dependant on its Police storylines rather than its previously disfunctional family orientated plots! Havers did a great job, but something was missing - namely Al and Marty who for this viewer made the series so memorable.
4 out of 5 people found the following comment useful :-
First two series were good, the third onwards were a bit limp., 2 June 2002
Author: Antzy88 from Thatcham, United Kingdom
Being a lover of medical dramas, and noticing way back in 1995 that this new
series about a widowed police surgeon (thus removing the cliché of hospitals) was starting, I decided to check it out. I was not disappointed.
Nigel le Vaillant (himself no stranger to medical drama after having been in
Casualty previously as a member of its hospital's staff) played Paul Dangerfield, who sort of has two medical jobs: one in a doctor's surgery and the other as
police surgeon for the local station. He had very little time for much of a social life (much to the distress of those he got romantically involved with, the favourite of mine being Dr Joanna Stevens, played by Amanda Redman in series 2), let
alone time for his son Marty (Sean Maguire, later Tim Vincent) and daughter Al (Lisa Faulkner, later Tamzin Malleson); all three are trying to cope after the sudden death of Paul's wife in a car accident. Until they moved house in Series 3 the piano she used to play remained, as did the painful memories for Paul...
In the first two series I thought there was a fine balance between Paul doing 'doctor' stuff and the case the police were on; in series three onwards this was lost somewhat, with the police investigation almost negating the need for Paul's real job (this may have been due to the changes in writers - they did seem to change a lot at this point); the only decent episode in the third and fourth series that seemed to have anything like the old formula was one where actor William Gaminara played the part of a fake doctor.
At the end of series four we were introduced to Dr Jonathan Paige, played by
Nigel Havers ('Chariots Of Fire'), who had a little more lightheartedness than the serious Paul, and replaced him for series five (the final series) after the
departure of Le Vaillant at the end of series four. Sadly, gone was the surgery and the other doctors etc., instead with Paige working solely as police surgeon. Although it was slightly better in content than the third and fourth series,
somehow it lacked the charm and variety of the first two.
So, to sum it up. Series 1 & 2 are great, but be prepared for disappointment after those two.
1 out of 2 people found the following comment useful :-

Danger, danger, high...(ly boring after first two series!), 27 February 2007
Author: gaiter88 from United Kingdom
Ah Dangerfield. That name takes me back. Before I even start it is worth pointing out that this program should really be considered as two. There are the first two series and then the rest of it. The rest of it is nothing special. I watched little of the later series and recall even less. If every there was an advert for quitting whilst you're ahead or trying to keep you're assembled cast together Dangerfield is it. The cast changed, the car changed, the quality changed, hell in the end even the lead changed, Dangerfield without a Dangerfield?
But, and it's a big but, there were the first two series. These were a totally different kettle of fish. Maybe it is nostalgia clouding my memory but I can't help remembering them fondly. A good cast and enthralling stories, all set against (what seemed to me as) the ever golden Warwickshire countryside in summer, it's enough to make you want to become a GP.
Essentially three things spring to mind when I think of the name Dangerfield. The first is fond memories of summers in my youth (I was born and bred not far form Dangerfield country) and the second is a question, why didn't the BBC persist in dragging it out for so long? (I know money and ratings). Finally there is the third, Nigel Hess' theme music which, for better or worse, will stay with me always.
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