Jack Taylor (Seasons 1-3)

If witty crime drama is your sort of thing, then this Irish series is worth checking out.  It centres around a hard drinking, wisecracking, middle-aged policeman-turned-private investigator, brilliantly essayed by Iain Glen.  He has an unfailing knack of being in conflict with the law, and attracting trouble and beautiful women. 

A note of caution: don’t keep your overall expectations too high.  Glen’s presence and performance is easily the best thing across the series.  The supporting cast and characters, especially in the first few episodes, are very good: they greatly add to the entertainment value. However, as the series progresses, their impact diminishes.  While the plotting, in general, is not worth writing about, some episodes have a rather convoluted narrative.

I’d recommend watching the first episode (which I thought was pretty entertaining), and then deciding if you’d like to watch more.  Each of the 9 episodes (so far) features a self-contained 90 minute story. 

Here’s a link to an extended trailer.