Critic's Choice

Burnside: Exposed, Part 1, Friday, ABC, 8.30pm ***

by Brian Courtis

It must be the season for serial killers. Frank Burnside, another detective who thinks loud talking offers dramatic presence, is this week treading a spookily parallel path to DCI Boyd in Nine's Waking The Dead. He's growling a lot and that scowling shark-like expression seen so often in The Bill is rarely off the screen. Most of the trouble in Lizzie Mickery's story, however, seems to involve Burnside's energetic young assistants. Sam Phillips (Zoe Eeles) starts taking alarming risks with a photographer suspect, while Dave Summers (Justin Pierre), who we learn was once known by his police mates as The African Queen, goes chasing the last victim's boyfriend. But Burnside (Chris Ellison) also gets some hard-to-figure information from the squad's profiler, Dr Anna Grantham (Kate Gartside). It's a technique of exposition that won us over in Cracker, but it just doesn't work quite so well here. Exposed again is an inflexible Ellison performance. You can't help wondering whether a crime series in which the two young assistants are more interesting than their boss will survive.

***** Cancel all appointments

**** Excellent viewing

*** Better than average

** Worth considering

* Fugedabadit!

© 2001 John Fairfax Group Pty Ltd

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