A good reason to like Mondays
5:42pm Monday 17th March 2008
IF LIKE me, rainy days and Mondays get you down, discovering a new gem to watch on TV at the beginning of the week is a special joy. The Fixer (ITV1, Monday) looks like being such a jewel.
The central character, John Mercer, is ex-Special Forces and was imprisoned for the murder of his uncle and aunt, whom he killed for abusing his sister Jess.
After five years he is released on licence to the mysterious Lenny Douglas, and the price of his freedom is to act as a hitman, dispatching criminals the law has been unable to punish.
This could have been just another vehicle for gratuitous violence, but the first episode showed enough depth to suggest that there will be more to this drama than gung ho killings.
An excellent cast is headed by Andrew Buchan, who plays Mercer as a strong, silent type. This contrasts beautifully with Jody Latham's portrayal of young Calum, his chatty, ex-con sidekick.
Former EastEnder Tamzin Outhwaite is Rose Chamberlain, another of Lenny's colleagues and one would imagine a future love interest for Mercer. In a blast from the past, she came face to face with Sam Mitchell as the wife of a corrupt policeman in Monday's episode.
Another familiar face was Annie from Life on Mars (Liz White) as Mercer's sister Jess. This drama is full of atmosphere and, while I am no fan of ultra fancy camerawork, there were moments when its use added to the tone of the piece.
If you didn't catch The Fixer this week, check out the second episode on Monday.
Conversely, if you haven't yet tuned in to Rock Rivals (ITV1, Wednesday), save your precious time for something else. Despite the best efforts of Michelle Collins, this is one offering that needs to be voted off the screen as soon as possible.