Clive Owen who had found earlier TV fame with Chancer (as Stephen Crane) brings a 1990s down-at-hill vibe to the role of private detective Nick Sharman in a stylish drama based on the best-selling novels by Marc Timlin. Blending classic film noir elements with hard-hitting realism and explosive action, Sharman helped to further pave the way to Owen’s forthcoming superstardom. The series features rapidly paced storylines from, among others, Tony Hoare (The Sweeney, Minder), Guy Jenkin (Outnumbered, Drop The Dead Donkey) and award-winning Paul Abbott (Shameless, Touching Evil)

Nick Sharman is a disillusioned, down-at-heel private investigator. An instinctive loner with a shady past, he can also be charming, quick-witted, determined and, despite his faults, he has an undeniable attraction for many of the women he encounters, while dealing with the fallout from a failed marriage. For his part, there’s only one ‘woman’ who is a constant in his life - his young daughter Judith. Although his line of work seemed a natural choice after his promising Metropolitan Police career fell apart, it is starting to feel like a dead end.

Of all of George A Romero’s films, “Martin” is apparently his favourite, even though many people have probably never even heard of it. Made in 1977 on a tiny budget, it is an extremely unorthodox vampire movie; even today, when our TV screens, cinemas and book shops are crammed with blood-sucking tales for all corners of the market, it still feels fresh and unique.

Newcomer John Amplas (“Knightriders”, “Day of the Dead”) excels as the eponymous character, a troubled teenager who moves in with his much older cousin Cuda (Lincoln Maazel) and Cuda’s daughter Christina (Christine Forrest aka Mrs Romero). Cuda, a staunch Catholic, is convinced that Martin has a terrible curse of vampirism passed down the family bloodline, and is determined to cure him and put stop to his activities. Martin has a bizarre addiction or complex that drives his thirst for human blood, which certainly seems to substantiate Cuda’s beliefs.