A Mind to Kill is a Welshtelevisionpolice detective series, that developed from a feature-length pilot episode first broadcast in 1991. The series stars Philip Madoc as protagonist DCI Noel Bain. Four series were broadcast between 1994 and 2002; and first aired as Yr Heliwr on S4C, before being broadcast on Channel 5 in the UK. The series was filmed in both English and in Welsh, with each scene being shot first in one language and then in the other. The series has since been dubbed into more than a dozen languages and shown all over the world. The series is set in South Wales, and features a variety of post-industrial, rural, urban and seaside landscapes. The pilot episode was filmed in the Aberystwyth area. All twenty-two episodes are available on DVD.
Synopsis
plays Detective Chief Inspector Noel Bain, a man who looks back fondly to the days when policing involved chasing villains, playing rugby and drinking beer. However, he has come to realise that contemporary policing imposes dilemmas that no training manual could ever anticipate. He is a man out of time and seeks to protect the old way of life, and what he believes are important traditional values. Bain is a widower who has a tempestuous relationship with his daughter, Hannah. Despite resenting the lack of time her father spent with the family because of police work, Hannah becomes a WPC on the same police force. Bain often sees his position as not just a job; but his ; meaning that his journey is often an emotional and painful one as the personal and professional universes collide. Bain has a close friendship with police pathologist Professor Margaret Edwards, but his true feelings for her remain ambiguous. Other regular characters include Gillian Elisa Thomas and Geraint Lewis. Joining the regulars in the last series were Bryn Fôn, Ieuan Rhys, Huw Llyr and Elen Bowman. The series also featured guest characters who were played by, among others, Margaret John, Ioan Gruffudd, Sue Jones-Davies, David Warner, John Rhys-Davies, Archie Panjabi and Siân Phillips.
Reception
The Windsor Public Library stated that the series drew upon "Intricate plots, strongly drawn characters, and gritty authenticity", making it a "riveting Welsh drama series". Eclipse Magazine said of the series; "A Mind To Kill is a dark and twisty show... CSI's ancestor. Murder is the most extreme human action and stories sometimes play out against the most extraordinary of circumstances, e.g. a Miners' Strike, when the traditional way of life of the community is already under threat." They continued by stating that; "There is a strong psychological element, and as the series proceeds, the stories begin to dig deeper into Bain’s subconscious. The unresolved death of his wife causes great mental anguish and torment, and his dealings with the people he meets and the crimes he investigates are not always as straightforward as they should be."
