BFI (British Film Institute) curators picked out their TV highlights of the year, and Ellis made the list!
2024 marks the deserved ascendency of Sharon D. Clarke, who has previously commanded attention for supporting roles in Doctor Who and Mr Loverman (see below) and is a recognised star in theatreland. Clarke now takes the eponymous lead in Channel 5’s smart, addictive detective drama Ellis.
We don’t learn the first name of DCI Ellis, a dedicated and taciturn (and well dressed) ex-Met inspector who is parachuted in to solve complex cases for rural police departments. Along the way she picks up a deputy – hapless but eager DS Chet Harper (Andrew Gower) – and their partnership is entertaining and heartfelt. Ellis bears all the hallmarks of a crowdpleasing TV detective stalwart, but it also transcends the trappings of its genre, particularly in its upfront depiction of the racism and misogyny Ellis encounters from her fellow police detectives.
Read about all the other TV series that made the BFI list!
Andrew Gower Online 