DCI Banks: Can Tompkinson Act?

[Charles H. Sampson]

My wife and I are fans of British cop shows and I particularly like
police procedurals. As a result, we've been watching DCI Banks for
several years. We've stopped. I think the plots are unnecessarily
obscurant and -- worse -- I don't think the lead actor, Stephen
Tompkinson, can act.

He seems to have only one expression, which consists of his holding his
mouth an odd way. Inexplicably, the camera seems to love lingering on
his face while he holds his mouth that odd way.

The show has problems with his main to costars as well. Andrea Lowe is
beginning to show her age and Caroline Catz, so attractive in Doc
Martin, has got a very unattractive smear of deep red lipstick and her
hair pulled back in a tight bun.

As they say, everyone has his own gout, so YMMV.

Charlie
--
Nobody in this country got rich on his own. You built a factory--good.
But you moved your goods on roads we all paid for. You hired workers we
all paid to educate. So keep a big hunk of the money from your factory.
But take a hunk and pay it forward. Elizabeth Warren (paraphrased)

[Your Name]

In article <1mzfjua.13ue6um1uyunqfN%csam...@inetworld.net>, Charles H.

Sampson <csam...@inetworld.net> wrote:

> My wife and I are fans of British cop shows and I particularly like
> police procedurals. As a result, we've been watching DCI Banks for
> several years. We've stopped. I think the plots are unnecessarily
> obscurant and -- worse -- I don't think the lead actor, Stephen
> Tompkinson, can act.
>
> He seems to have only one expression, which consists of his holding his
> mouth an odd way. Inexplicably, the camera seems to love lingering on
> his face while he holds his mouth that odd way.
>
> The show has problems with his main to costars as well. Andrea Lowe is
> beginning to show her age and Caroline Catz, so attractive in Doc
> Martin, has got a very unattractive smear of deep red lipstick and her
> hair pulled back in a tight bun.
>
> As they say, everyone has his own gout, so YMMV.

My mother doesn't like Stephen Tompkinson either (at least not in 'DCI
Banks', I think she liked 'Ballykissangel', but not sure about him in
that).

Along with the awful Christopher Eccelston ('Doctor Who'), they are
probably the British equivalents of the hopeless "actors" like 'CSI
Miami's old "glasses on, glasses off", William Shatner, and David
Hasselhoff.

[Shadow]

On Sat, 07 Jan 2017 10:48:08 +1300, Your Name <Your...@YourISP.com>
wrote:

I always thought David Hasselhoff was the doctor in Steve
Martin's "The Man with Two Brains" - 1983.

I just discovered that was Michael Hfuhruhurr.
Sht. I really enjoyed that movie.
[]'s

PS Worst actor ever in CSI is that effeminate one that tried
to play the tough guy. He's about as scary as a pouffe. Gary Sinise.
Thank the lord he was retired, Fox sometimes does the right thing.
--
Don't be evil - Google 2004
We have a new policy - Google 2012

[Shadow]

On Fri, 6 Jan 2017 12:36:40 -0800, csam...@inetworld.net (Charles H.
Sampson) wrote:

>My wife and I are fans of British cop shows and I particularly like
>police procedurals. As a result, we've been watching DCI Banks for
>several years. We've stopped. I think the plots are unnecessarily
>obscurant and -- worse -- I don't think the lead actor, Stephen
>Tompkinson, can act.

They just announced that there will be no more seasons. Yes, I
thought the lipstick make her look like a whore, the blond one acted
like a whore and the lead detective (Banks) could not act. Or maybe he
could, but the script is so awful he read it as if he could not
believe his own words.
Only British show watching ATM is Death in Paradise. Wish
they'd get rid of that obviously alcoholic chief detective and put a
better actor in his place. The other actors are OK.
[]'s

[David Johnston]

On 1/6/2017 4:05 PM, Shadow wrote:
> On Fri, 6 Jan 2017 12:36:40 -0800, csam...@inetworld.net (Charles H.
> Sampson) wrote:
>
>> My wife and I are fans of British cop shows and I particularly like
>> police procedurals. As a result, we've been watching DCI Banks for
>> several years. We've stopped. I think the plots are unnecessarily
>> obscurant and -- worse -- I don't think the lead actor, Stephen
>> Tompkinson, can act.
>
> They just announced that there will be no more seasons. Yes, I
> thought the lipstick make her look like a whore, the blond one acted
> like a whore and the lead detective (Banks) could not act. Or maybe he
> could, but the script is so awful he read it as if he could not
> believe his own words.

They were really dull books. He was just portraying them faithfully.

[RichA]

I like the show. It's too bad his girlfriend got killed though, she was good as well. But no one will ever equal John Thaw as either Inspector Morse or Jack Reagan in "The Sweeney." Philip Glenister from "Life on Mars" and the even better sequel series, "Ashes to Ashes" is a close second. For a more broody, reserved detective, check-out Richard Harrington in "Hinterland."

[Your Name]

In article <faWbA.237603$hu2....@fx02.iad>, Andrea Catz
<andre...@yorkshire.pd.gov.uk> wrote:

> On Fri, 06 Jan 2017 12:36:40 -0800, Charles H. Sampson wrote:
> >
> > My wife and I are fans of British cop shows and I particularly like
> > police procedurals. As a result, we've been watching DCI Banks for
> > several years.
>

> You have excellent taste!
>
>
> > We've stopped.
>
> And you blow all that cred in on swoop!

>
>
> > I think the plots are unnecessarily obscurant and -- worse -- I don't
> > think the lead actor, Stephen Tompkinson, can act.
>

> Who??? The leads in this show are Andrea Lowe and Caroline Catz...

>
>
> > He seems to have only one expression,
>

> Wouldn't know... only leads are worthy of paying that much attention.

>
> > The show has problems with his main to costars as well. Andrea Lowe is
> > beginning to show her age
>

> I think she is smoking hot! HQ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++!
<snip>

I hope the character isn't showing her age ...

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because she's dead! A zombie on the show wouldn't fit the show's "real
world" universe.

Andrea Lowe is no longer on the show. Her character DS Annie Cabbot was
killed off in an episode that played here in New Zealand recently.

[Shadow]

Then he is an excellent actor. He represented "dull" with
absolute perfection.

[Shadow]

On Sat, 07 Jan 2017 16:33:21 GMT, Andrea Catz
<andre...@yorkshire.pd.gov.uk> wrote:

>On Sat, 07 Jan 2017 15:09:40 +1300, Your Name wrote:
>
>>
>> because she's dead! A zombie on the show wouldn't fit the show's "real
>> world" universe.
>>
>> Andrea Lowe is no longer on the show. Her character DS Annie Cabbot was
>> killed off in an episode that played here in New Zealand recently.
>

>I am well aware of that... And I am still PISSED! You want to kill off
>characters there are plenty of others to kill off!

C'mon, she was giving the British police a worse reputation
than they already have. They've been accused of murder, taking bribes,
and now a TV program shows them as whores ?
It was the diplomatic thing to do.

[Connor]

We liked him in Ballyk but tried DCi Banks and got bored.

We like Death in Paradise but I don't think Humphrey is an alkie.

[seak...@gmail.com]

This is so funny, because I specifically stumbled on this thread and your post because I was trying to find out what brand and shade lipstick Carolyn Catz is wearing in DCI Banks! I love the color and think it looks fab, if severe, on her -- which suits her character, I think. Perspectives are so individual LOL!

As for the show and his acting, I've only just begun watching the series (I am on season 3 now), and I really like it. I think he is actually a fine actor -- I was surprised to find out that he is actually well-known for his comedic skills, considering how dour the character he plays on DCI Banks. But I think that is just the character that he is inhabiting, and that he plays him as he is intended to be. Anyway, again, all perspective and taste, varies by person!

[seak...@gmail.com]

On Friday, January 6, 2017 at 3:36:48 PM UTC-5, Charles H. Sampson wrote:

[Your Name]

On Friday, January 6, 2017 at 3:36:48 PM UTC-5, Charles H. Sampson wrote:
> My wife and I are fans of British cop shows and I particularly like
> police procedurals. As a result, we've been watching DCI Banks for
> several years. We've stopped. I think the plots are unnecessarily
> obscurant and -- worse -- I don't think the lead actor, Stephen
> Tompkinson, can act.
>
> He seems to have only one expression, which consists of his holding his
> mouth an odd way. Inexplicably, the camera seems to love lingering on
> his face while he holds his mouth that odd way.
>
> The show has problems with his main to costars as well. Andrea Lowe is
> beginning to show her age and Caroline Catz, so attractive in Doc
> Martin, has got a very unattractive smear of deep red lipstick and her
> hair pulled back in a tight bun.
>
> As they say, everyone has his own gout, so YMMV.
>
> Charlie

Nope, Stephen Tompkinson can't act. He's been pretty hopeless in
everything he's been in ... quite a lot of which he played a policeman.

Of course he's not alone in the hopeless criminal investigation leader
roles ... there's also David "glasses on, glasses off" Caruso in CSI
Miami.