Vexed

Vexed: Series 2 Episode 2 review

This latest episode shows off Vexed to its very best; an out of place, out of date yet hilarious oaf of a man alongside a confidently insecure and playfully smart woman (doesn't hurt that they're both easy on the easy too) have fun, whilst "solving" a crime along the way.

Sparring duo Jack and Georgina investigate a student's murder and uncover a world of gender politics. Which, of course, gives Jack the chance to bumble around and offend anyone who'll listen with the use of words like "lesbetarian". Away from crime-fighting, they edge nearer to getting it on, except there are a couple of obstacles in their way: Jack keeps banging on about his man-like girlfriend and George briefly meets the man of her dreams. Fun.

The second series of Vexed, possibly the most irritating cop show ever known, has got under way. It's billed as a "comedy-drama police procedural", a portmanteau phrase that chills the blood. It stars Toby Stephens as DI Jack Armstrong. Jack is cool, laconic, leather-jacketed and drives an old Mercedes sports car. He's a flirtatious ladies' man. He doesn't play by the rules. He has no time for research or paperwork. For some reason he speaks with a mid-Atlantic drawl ("We're working on the assumption that he died from a bloadertha head."). To his horror, his new partner is cool, feisty, know-all feminist DI Georgina Dixon (Miranda Raison) who's a better driver than he, interrupts his poker game to check on progress, and raises a half-indulgent eyebrow at his rampant sexism. Wearing a coat zipped up to the neck, she's basically Emma Peel from The Avengers, and Ms Raison plays her with watchable spirit and aplomb.

God knows what Stephens thinks he is, but his character comes across as an 18-carat arsehole. And God knows what BBC2 is doing giving air space to this queasy, misconceived hybrid of Dempsey and Makepeace and Carry on Copper.

Vexed review

It was a boring idea that was poorly executed in 2010, and this new series hasn't made enough solid improvements to justify its unexpected return.

Vexed returned with as many faults as it had before

Offbeat crime drama Vexed returned to our screens, pairing Toby Stephens with new cast member Miranda Raison - but the only real mystery here is how the show got re-commissioned in the first place.

Cop comedy drama Vexed has returned for a second series, complete with a brand new partner for Toby Stephens' lazy, disorganised and self-regarding detective inspector Jack Armstrong. Lucy Punch leaves the cast to be replaced by Miranda Raison as DI Georgina Dixon, and I'm sorry to say there is as little chemistry between the new pairing as there was between the old. Possibly even less.

This is something of a problem when your whole series is predicated on one of those love/hate, chalk/cheese, will they/won't they relationships beloved of television producers.

It is never helpful to apportion blame, but nonetheless the fault lies with Stephens' insistence on trying to play the comedy instead of the character. What he produces is a bizarre and wholly irritating combination of Simon Templar and Swiss Tony, the car salesman from The Fast Show. He attempts loveable oaf, but manages only the second bit.

No Lucy Punch in the second series of this comedy detective drama. Instead, we have Miranda Spooks Raison's ambitious Georgina Dixon alongside Toby Stephens as laid-back DI Jack Armstrong. She ruffles his feathers as she tries to beat him solving their first case together. More sparks to come, we think.

Away from the Olympics, I'm chuffed to say Vexed is back for a second series on BBC2 (9pm).

You remember Vexed? Oh, well, never mind, it's really good, trust me - a sort of off-beat comedy detective drama, with Toby Stephens as shambolic DI Jack Armstrong and ex-Spooks star Miranda Raison as his sharpwitted new partner, DI Georgina Dixon.

If you've not seen it before, stick with it for a while because admittedly it does seem pretty daft to begin with. Come to think of it, it seems pretty daft by the end as well. That's the whole point.

Toby Stephens 'Vexed' Q&A

You may have missed detective comedy show Vexed when it briefly appeared on BBC Two back in 2010 (for a measly three weeks), but that's okay, because according to its star Toby Stephens the imminent second series is all about "starting again".

TV review: Vexed

The new series of this cop drama is almost guaranteed to make you watch the Olympics instead.