TV Review:
The Force: Manchester.
Today’s Tuesday Tip is another TV review. This time it’s The Force: Manchester.
There have been several seasons of this fly-on-the-wall policing documentary, dating back to 2015. We have been watching it weekly in repeats on the Pick TV channel, however it is available across several different streaming platforms.
Previously I have reviewed 24 Hours in Police Custody (Tip#129), an occasional series which looks at an individual investigation from 999 call to trial. I then reviewed Night Coppers (Tip#145) which focuses on response police officers doing the night shift in Brighton.
The Force: Manchester again deals with uniformed response officers, but covers day and night shifts across Greater Manchester. Like Night Coppers, this is less about the investigation, more the day-to-day policing and the incidents that police are called to. There is a good mix of roads policing, drugs raids, mass disturbances (including policing volatile football matches), dog searches and domestic disputes.
As always, there is good entertainment to be had in some of the bizarre interactions officers deal with, as well as scenes that will make you feel anger or despair. As a writer, it is again full of useful nuggets of information and little details. What I really like though, is the candid nature of the officers when talking to the camera. One particular roads policing officer is very open about his thoughts regarding bad and dangerous driving. Other officers are openly exasperated at the time wasted by domestic disputes (note: I’m not talking about domestic violence – rather ‘my neighbour keeps on moving my wheelie bin’ etc). As more than one officer observed, there are too many people who are incapable of resolving disagreements in an adult fashion and automatically call the police.
The show is several years old now, so one can only assume that the ongoing budget cuts have made things even worse, especially with the Covid crisis.
There have been several seasons of this fly-on-the-wall policing documentary, dating back to 2015. We have been watching it weekly in repeats on the Pick TV channel, however it is available across several different streaming platforms.
Previously I have reviewed 24 Hours in Police Custody (Tip#129), an occasional series which looks at an individual investigation from 999 call to trial. I then reviewed Night Coppers (Tip#145) which focuses on response police officers doing the night shift in Brighton.
The Force: Manchester again deals with uniformed response officers, but covers day and night shifts across Greater Manchester. Like Night Coppers, this is less about the investigation, more the day-to-day policing and the incidents that police are called to. There is a good mix of roads policing, drugs raids, mass disturbances (including policing volatile football matches), dog searches and domestic disputes.
As always, there is good entertainment to be had in some of the bizarre interactions officers deal with, as well as scenes that will make you feel anger or despair. As a writer, it is again full of useful nuggets of information and little details. What I really like though, is the candid nature of the officers when talking to the camera. One particular roads policing officer is very open about his thoughts regarding bad and dangerous driving. Other officers are openly exasperated at the time wasted by domestic disputes (note: I’m not talking about domestic violence – rather ‘my neighbour keeps on moving my wheelie bin’ etc). As more than one officer observed, there are too many people who are incapable of resolving disagreements in an adult fashion and automatically call the police.
The show is several years old now, so one can only assume that the ongoing budget cuts have made things even worse, especially with the Covid crisis.
Definitely one worth watching.
Have you watched any decent documentaries or fly-on-the-wall series that you would recommend?
As always, feel free to comment here or on social media.
Until next time.
Paul
If you are a writer with a tip to share, or fancy writing a fictional interview between you and one of your characters, please feel free to email me.
