Channel 5’s new drama Ellis IS Vera’s perfect replacement – but could become a borefest if a massive issue isn’t fixed
LAST night Channel 5 launched their brand new detective drama Ellis – a fitting replacement for Vera as it ends on ITV.
Bosses at the broadcaster commissioned a three-part series to rival the Brenda Blethyn-fronted show.
Starring Sharon D Clarke who plays detective Ellis, she’s joined by Andrew Gower who plays her sidekick DS Chet Harper.
On first impressions, Ellis is easily a fitting replacement for Vera – which ends next January after 14 years.
It has all the hallmarks off a gripping detective drama and striking similarities to its ITV counterpart.
Detective Ellis is an unassuming character, much like Brenda’s alter ego who can often be underestimated.
The tenacious cop is sent to lead an investigation after schoolboy Rowan is discovered dead when his car entered a river. However, in a further twist, his girlfriend Maggie disappears at the same time.
It’s clear inspiration has been taken from the ITV stalwart as Clarke’s character has the typical sixth sense a telly detective has.
While watching an interview take place with a suspect, Ellis just knows when to have the door to the room unlocked – seconds before the detained man lunges at the officer. Perfect timing and suspense TV.
However, unlike Vera, viewers are also given an in-depth look at Ellis – and her emotional side that she tries so desperately to hide from her peers.
The first instalment revealed Ellis’ problems extend beyond her work, with her estranged daughter ignoring her attempts to reach out. It makes the series multi-layered and offers the chance for viewers to connect with Clarke’s character on more than a surface level.
Channel 5 bosses will be breathe a sigh of relief after it peaked with 1.4 million viewers and 10% share of the viewing public, despite going up against the long established MasterChef. which drew 2.2million.
It’s impressive given each episode drags on for two hours – 30 minutes more than Vera, which is already too much.
Casual viewers will find it a chore to commit to that length of time for a continuing drama, packed full of complex details and character progression.
The Sun understands execs are hoping the show will become a multi-series drama – with ratings for its debut the decider of its faith.
Should Ellis be given another murder case, writers should look at making the series longer, with shorter episodes of an hour.
Top Channel 5 dramas
Channel 5 has become a hub for gripping drama, these are some of the best My5 has to offer.
- All Creatures Great and Small – Based on the best-selling novels by real-life vet Alf Wright, the show revolves around a trio of vets working in the Yorkshire Dales in the late 1930s. Eccentric Siegfried Farnon (Samuel West) hires James Herriot (Nicholas Ralph) for his veterinary practice at Skeldale House alongside himself and his younger brother Tristan (Callum Woodhouse). There James settles into his new life and even finds love with local farmer’s daughter Helen (Rachel Shenton).
- The Ex-Wife – New parents Tasha (Céline Buckens) and Jack (Tom Misson) seem to have the perfect life, but the constant presence of Jack’s overly friendly but suspicious ex-wife Jen (Janet Montgomery) puts pressure on the couple. But as the series progresses it becomes less clear who the bad guy really is and how far everyone will go to get the life they think they deserve.
- Heat – EastEnders alum Danny Dyer leads this four-part action thriller, set in Australia, which sees two families holidaying together during bushfire season. But instead of rest and relaxation, secrets and lies start to unravel — and not everyone will make it out alive…
- Lie With Me – Another soap legend jets off to Australia, this time its EastEnders alum Charlie Brooks who takes as a married woman trying to saving her marriage by moving halfway around the world after her husband had an affair. However it’s far from plain sailing, as a young and attractive live-in nanny comes to work with the Fallmont family, and tensions soon build and eventually, someone ends up dead.
- The Drowning – Jill Halfpenny plays Jodie, a woman whose life is shattered following the disappearance of her beloved four-year-old son, Daniel. However, ten years later, the grieving mother thinks she’s finally found her missing child, and embarks on a journey to discover the truth about him. But has she really just found the son she has been missing for so long?