The Interrogation (radio series)

---

The Interrogation (2012 - present) is a BBC Radio 4 crime drama series starring Kenneth Cranham as Detective Superintendent (DS) (later promoted to Chief Inspector [DCI]) Max Matthews and Alex Lanipekun as Detective Constable (DC) (later promoted to Detective Sergeant [DS]) Sean Armitage. The series, created and written by Roy Williams, began in 2012 and was originally broadcast as part of BBC Radio 4's Afternoon Drama series; the two most recent series were broadcast as part of BBC Radio 4's Drama series. There are currently five series, each series consisting of three 45-minute stories.

Series Premise

DCI Max Matthews (Cranham) and DS Sean Armitage (Lanipekun) are members of the CID of the Metropolitan Police in an unnamed borough in London. In each story, the crime they are assigned to investigate includes an intense interrogation of the chief suspect. Though from different worlds and generations, they develop a grudging friendship as they discover that together they make a formidable team to try and uncover the truth.

Characters

Max Matthews

Max is a veteran detective with three decades on the force, experiencing both good and bad times, including a battle against alcoholism and the death of his wife (which happens between Series One and Two). However, he nonetheless retains a dogged determination to uphold the law in spite of the legal red tape that often inhibits his investigations. While not a xenophobe, he makes no secret of his feelings about Americans, distinguishing between "Americans" (whom he likes) and "Yanks" (whom he dislikes), a distinction that continues to baffle Sean. He is also a big fan of James Bond and has quite a few conversations with Sean about the different Bond "universes".

Sean Armitage

Sean Armitage, an Anglo=-African and relative newcomer (at least compared to Max) to the CID, is assigned as Max's partner and tries to establish himself as a detective. Sometimes he wishes that he could return to a relatively quiet life on the beat - especially when the chief suspect in a case is connected to him in some way, but he carries on regardless, even though he finds it difficult to keep his emotions at bay, and he has a high respect for Max. In the final episode of Series Three, Sean is shot and nearly killed by an old school-friend; however, he survives and returns to duty in Series Four.

Episodes

Series One

• 1. Rod (13 Feb 2012) - Rod, a Premier League footballer accused of rape, discovers his skill, wealth and fame mean nothing in a police station.
• 2. Jermaine (14 Feb 2012) - Why is Jermaine, a ruthless and amoral young gang member, so disturbingly keen to confess?
• 3. Sarah (15 Feb 2012) - Married into a racist family, Sarah has been holding out against their influence for years, but now her husband is missing under suspicious circumstances and Max feels that she's hiding something.

Series Two

• 1. Marc (29 Apr 2013) - Marc, an ex-colleague, is suspected of domestic violence, but while Sean is maybe too close to the case Max has an uncanny insight into the crime.
• 2. Grace (6 May 2013) - Grace, an ambitious local woman, made a name for herself during the London riots and has struggled to rise from her past until only one thing stands in her way.
• 3. Simon (13 May 2013) - Simon, a sixth-former, is attacked on his way to school and hospitalized. When Max and Sean start to investigate, they hardly expect to uncover a love story.

Series Three

• 1. Colin (17 Apr 2014) - Colin's wife and daughter have been brutally attacked in their home, but no one seems to have broken in.
• 2. Jonny (24 Apr 2014) - When the defendant in a rape case is found innocent, Max just can't seem to let it go.
• 3. Kellie (1 May 2014) - When Sean agrees to go for a drink with his old schoolfriend Kellie, he has no idea what he's letting himself in for.

Series Four

• 1. Tom (2 Sep 2015) - Tom is the son of a wealthy scrap metal merchant and his wife is an ex-PC and an old colleague of Max's. It's also Sean's first day back since he was shot, and both he and Max are finding it hard to adjust.
• 2. Rix (9 Sep 2015) - An American movie star is burgled, but the details of the case seem odd with the involvement of Rix, a paparazzi.
• 3. PC Joanne Laverty (16 Sep 2015) - Sean's friend and colleague Police Constable (PC) Joanne Laverty was inspired to go into the police force by her grandfather, but the job is not turning out as she expected.

Series Five

• 1. Beverley (29 Mar 2017) - Beverley has reported her elderly father missing, but something's not right about her story. Max and Sean use their unique style of interrogation to find out what...an interesting way to celebrate their fifth anniversary as partners.
• 2. Mickey (30 Mar 2017) - A young man who is well known to the police has an unusual complaint: he claims his dog was kicked to death by his neighbor, a former gangster linked to the blinding of a police officer years ago.
• 3. Neil (31 Mar 2017) - A victim statement about a riot at a football game (attended by Max and Sean) causes Max to suspect that the victim may be connected to an even worse crime.

External links

• The Interrogation on BBC Radio 4
• "Character Building" by Kate Chisholm, The Spectator February 2012
• "The 10 Best Crime Dramas This Week", The Spectator 03-26-2017

This article "The Interrogation (radio series)" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:The Interrogation (radio series). Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.

---