It's now impossible to imagine anyone other than Robbie Coltrane as the rather eccentric psychologist Fitz. With his comedy background, Coltrane provided sporadic humorous moments throughout an otherwise bleak but compelling show. The supporting cast were great too, particularly Somerville and Eccleston. Jimmy McGovern's absence can be felt around the third series, (especially in Best Boys, though it's still a good piece of TV in its own right) but along with all previous series of the show, maintains the right pacing and excellent performances. I may have only discovered this show within the last number of years, but I have no regrets. It was bold, unique, even controversial at times, but all the better for it. Cracker rightly holds its place as a classic in television history. They don't make them like they used to.

Despite being a great fan of detective/mystery shows, from Agatha Christie, 'Inspector Morse', 'Midsommer Murders', 'A Touch of Frost', 'Taggart' and 'Foyle's War' to 'New Tricks', 'Monk', 'Columbo' and 'Murder She Wrote' and others {also found myself really liking 'Messiah', apart from the mess that was the fifth and last series), it took a while for me to get round to seeing 'Cracker'.When being introduced to 'Cracker' quite late- in the past six years to be exact- this reviewer found the show every bit as great as the best of the above shows, in fact on par and perhaps even better, coming from someone who has loved Miss Marple, Poirot and 'Inspector Morse' since eleven years old this is incredibly high praise.'Cracker' is made and photographed with supreme atmosphere and classy style. It is also scored understatedly but never in a way that takes away from the full impact of the drama, the main theme is memorable, while the direction is controlled and creates tension, horror and suspense wonderfully.It is a brilliantly written show too, one of the best written of the detective/mystery genre and an example for any good TV show regardless of whether it's comedy, animated, mystery, drama etc. It's violent, and unflinchingly but always effectively and never gratuitously so (not for those easily disturbed), but also with its fair share of poignant emotion and grimly dark and deliciously acerbic humour. It's not just the quality of these individual elements though that bowls one over, but also how they are all balanced, never too much of one or too little of another.Also present in 'Cracker' is an absolute mastery of storytelling. Story lines that could easily have been clichéd, too safe or not covered new ground are intricate, layered, complex, harrowing ("To Be Somebody" really wrenches the gut in a way that few individual episodes of any TV show in existence have managed), touching (the end of "To Say I Love You") and weren't afraid to take balls that many shows before and during wouldn't have had the balls to attempt, like the psychological effects of a key female character's rape, killing off key characters and giving the good characters strengths and flaws and not making the villains irredeemably bad. Instead of being so much a whodunit like 'Morse', 'Lewis' or 'Poirot' for examples or a howdunit like 'Monk', 'Columbo' and some episodes of 'Diagnosis Murder', 'Cracker' is sort of a whydunit and a psychology of the villains' minds, which it deals with so intelligently and often powerfully.The characters are also incredibly well written, Fitz being one of the best-written and most fascinating characters ever to grace television in my opinion. 'Cracker' is superbly acted too. Robbie Coltrane is just extraordinary and to me, despite being a departure for him at the time, Fitz is his best role (no offence Hagrid fans, love that character too but Fitz is a much more interesting character). Barbara Flynn, Christopher Eccleston, Geraldine Somerville, Ricky Tomlinson and Lorcan Crannitch support him impeccably, while out of the villains Robert Carlyle's spine-chilling Albie Kinsella (some of his best ever acting) stands out by a landslide.Overall, incredible in every way. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Sometimes you come across something that "hangs" in your mind. Many years later you still remember story lines, characters or even the name of a movie or show. This is one of these things. Aired late at night years ago, I alway remembered the episodes I saw. Television making optima forma. Yaw-dropping story lines, real characters and the ultimate escape from this real world to another real world. More than a spectator, you are drawn into the story as an active participant. Although not all episodes are equally strong, even the weakest episode is better than anything on TV in recent years. Besides that, the overall level is the highest I saw in years. Think Sopranos but better. Coltrane gives the best performance of his life, he doesn't play Fitz, he IS Fitz. Supporting cast is elevated to the same level of expertise, you feel like you're looking at a cast who worked together for years and years. Never boring, always riveting. Now, after 13 years, I bought the DVD box. Although dated at some points (Fitz is very surprised his son has a cell phone) the same thrilling experience is still there.

I stumbled onto "Cracker" knowing nothing about it nor Robbie Coltrane. After getting into the series, I felt as if I'd died and gone to heaven. Previous writers have written very well about the brilliance of Robbie Coltrane's acting and Jimmy McGovern's writing. "Cracker" and so many other well-directed, -acted, -written British detective series beg the question: Why is Hollywood incapable of this stuff? With few exceptions, the U.S. film industry fails and fails so miserably. Except for the folks at HBO and the Boston PBS affiliate WGBH in collaboration with like-minded professionals in the U.K., "the suits" of the American film industry seem unwilling to gamble on a series like (the British version of) "Cracker." I also highly recommend "Foyle's War," "Touching Evil," and "Second Sight" if you're a fan of brilliant British detective series. "Prime Suspect" remains on my list to watch among some others, all British. I am forever thankful these are all available on DVD.