I came for David Tennant and stayed for the understated humor of watching a ragtag bunch of river cops go about their day and generally just exist. There are some truly golden jokes and weirdly heart warming moments set against the backdrop of an idyllic backwater. The characters are funny and engaging, there isn't much plot, there also is no laugh track. Your mileage may vary whether the exchanges between Marilyn and Ollie are an example of the values dissonance of the 90's or just some black humor. I found it a light, pleasant watch that was truly one of the most endearing shows I've ever seen, making me very sad that only seven episodes exist and no more will be ever made. All in all, will watch repeatedly just to hear David Tennant shouting "We saw a maermaid" in his beautiful brogue.

This was a good ITV Sitcom which only lasted one series in 1998.Starring Richard Wilson as PC Roland 'Prof' Rose, An Elderly constable who has been there, done that and bought the T-Shirt.The series was set around a River Police station and the gentle, mundane goings on. It was a gentle, old fashioned type of comedy in the same vein as the BBC's long running sitcom 'Last Of The Summer Wine' However, ITV obviously thought that it could capitalise on the fact that 'One Foot In The Grave' was on a 5 year break and by putting Richard Wilson in a Police uniform and having him act almost exactly like Victor Meldrew would bring in viewers who were craving more 'One Foot...' Sadly, it didn't work. It seemed to make the public just want 'One Foot In The Grave' to come back and thus, the series was cancelled.It is notable for having future Doctor Who star David Tennant as Prof's sidekick the geeky PC Simon 'Darwin' Brown and Samantha Beckinsale as WPC Gillian 'Marilyn' Monroe.This could have gone on to be one of ITV's great sitcoms if it wasn't for Victor Meldrew! ;-)

I've finally caught up with this and am glad I did. It's all perfectly charming, in the best sense, and contains engaging characterisations by a talented bunch of actors, led by Richard Wilson, David Tennant, Samantha Beckinsale and more. Some of the shore-side characters are a bit OTT silly, but they act well. OK, the plots aren't Shakespeare nor Pinter, much less Russell T Davis, but they are entertaining enough, with well-paced dramatic and comedic touches to keep the viewer occupied. The pastel-tinted scenes of life along the Thames are rather lovely. My main gripe is with the senior officer, played by Geoffrey Hutchings, a dysfunctional bundle of neuroses and forgetfulness. He bored me to death, but the acerbic yet never cruel wit of Wilson made up for it, as did the big-eyed naive decency of Tennant's 'Darwin'.

i remember watching this one day simply through boredom. I didn't find it very funny at all. It tried too hard to get laughs and had virtually no plot whatsoever. The only thing that i found at all notable was that craig fairbrass, who i remember from eastenders was in it. Not one for the collection! however if you are a fan of the more light-hearted comedy and are a fan of Richard Wilson then you may find some amusement in this average comedy series. You will also recognise Sue Johnson, from the Royle Family who plays Val. Only one series was made and possibly if more had been made, then this river comedy would have had more of a chance. Like i say only if you are very very bored.