|
|
|
Chasing Shadows (TV)
R2 - United Kingdom - ITV DVD Review written by and copyright: Samuel Scott (18th September 2014). |
|
The Show
 ***This is a technical review only. For reviews on the show from various critics, we recommend visiting HERE.*** Chasing Shadows is a thrilling, new four-part ITV drama, set in a missing persons unit that hunts serial killers. Reece Shearsmith (The Widower, Inside Number 9, The League of Gentlemen) plays DS Sean Stone and his partner, Ruth Hattersley is played by Alex Kingston (Marchlands, Arrow, Upstairs Downstairs), whilst Noel Clarke (Star Trek Into Darkness, Doctor Who) takes on the role of DI Carl Prior. Sean is intense and socially awkward, a misfit who is happier dealing with data rather than people. 'His lack of people skills and forthright honesty make him some powerful enemies in the force, and he finds himself exiled to missing persons. Sean's new caseload is overwhelming - up to 300,000 people go missing in the UK each year - but his brilliant mind turns out to be perfectly adapted to his new role. Where others see a hopeless, ever-growing sea of lost faces, Sean spots patterns, that lead to victims... and their killers. Ruth is the analyst from the Missing Persons Bureau tasked with working alongside Sean. She puts people first - a born connecter able to get on with anyone, but Sean pushes even her patience to breaking point. DI Prior has ambitions and a clear plan for rising up the ranks. But all this is jeopardised when DS Stone becomes his responsibility.
Video
ITV Studios Home Entertainment have released British mini-series "Chasing Shadows" on to DVD using the original broadcast aspect ratio of 1.78:1. The transfer is anamorphic, and of expected quality for such a new TV show from a major channel. Like any typical British detective television show, the palette used here has a tendency to focus on various blues, blacks and whites, with the drab office environments helping to give the series a serious tone. Lighter colours are only found in the outdoor environments, but they also show strong clarity and don't exhibit any problems. Skin tones are accurate throughout. Details are good for items in the forefront, and in mid-range, but they do falter slightly in the long-range shots with some slight blockiness and jagged edges, mainly due to the restrictions of DVD in comparison to HD. Facial close-ups are fine though, with some noticeably strong details on the characters lips and hair. There was one occasion where I noticed some slight banding in the final episode (during the final scenes), and there is a little aliasing here and there, but there was no obvious damage to be seen anywhere, and even though all three hours are on a single disc, no major compression issues. This is your typical recent TV show on DVD presentation. The show is uncut, and the episodes are available individually, or via a Play All option. The run times are as follows: - Play All (175:59) - "Episode 1" (42:35) - "Episode 2" (42:50) - "Episode 3" (45:24) - "Episode 4" (45:09)
Audio
ITV have provided a single English Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo track, which sounds typical for television shows of this ilk. Channel separation is good, with dialogue making good use of direction, and sounding clear and concise at all times. The track exhibits reasonable depth, with the occasional action scene such as cars speeding away, helping to immerse the viewer that little bit more. The track isn't particularly impressive, but it is suitable for the task in hand, with consistent volume levels and no problems such as drop outs, scratches or background hiss. Technically efficient. Optional subtitles have been provided in English for the hard of hearing.
Extras
None.
Overall
|
|||||
|