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A Touch of Frost

David Jason as Jack Frost in A Touch of Frost
  • Posted at 5:20pm
  • 23 October 2008
  • by AlisonGraham-RT
  • 14 comments

We're all doomed. Nothing to do with the global financial meltdown, but with Kerry Katona. The gurning former Atomic Kitten, who appears to labour under the illusion that she's a much-loved public figure, is currently screeching her way through her latest TV ad campaign for a certain frozen food supermarket chain.

With her "friend", the shrieking Katona is seen lurching through the serried ranks of mega-freezers, both alighting gleefully on new products. And - this is the point where the world tilts off its axis - her friend picks up a box and announces, "Look, this is new: chicken tikka lasagne!" We might as well all abandon hope right now. Do you want to share a planet with chicken tikka lasagne? Think about it, that's a mixture of curry and pasta. Curry and pasta.

We might as well start whitewashing our windows and fashioning makeshift shelters out of dining-room furniture if such culinary abominations are to be routinely let loose on a troubled world. And please, I can't even bring myself to say anything about Johnny Rotten advertising a brand of butter. No, it's just too much. Is that the Four Horsemen I see cantering along the road?

And talking of things coming to an end . . . David Jason recently told RT that next year will mark his last as Detective Inspector Jack Frost. Having watched this week's episode of A Touch of Frost (Sunday ITV1), the demise of Frost won't come a moment too soon.

It's a wheezy old thing these days is A Touch of Frost, and it's not just Jason who is showing his age (the man is 68 after all). Its fossilised plots are dragged out to a lethargic two hours, with the elderly detective and his creaky sidekick Detective Sergeant George Toolan pottering about eating full English breakfasts as the bodies pile up.

Frost munches bacon sarnies at crime scenes (I think this is supposed to mark him out as An Ordinary Bloke) and has comedy run-ins with his buffoonish boss, barely troubled by the fact that, in Sunday's episode, three shrouded bodies have been discovered in a mass grave.

What's really astonishing is that A Touch of Frost has survived this long (it began in 1992), into an era of unforgiving gore-fests like Wire in the Blood, Silent Witness and anything by Lynda La Plante. I suppose it's got everything to do with a curious national devotion to David Jason and the fact that Frost is broadcast on Sunday nights.

And we all know TV's oddly 1950s view of Sunday nights, where it's still bath night, dad still polishes the shoes for school the next day, there's honey for tea and nothing disturbing on the telly.

**

Alison Graham is TV editor of Radio Times.

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Comments

  • Posted on 31 October 2009
  • at 5:32pm
  • by Katie

Along with Taggart, Waking the Dead and Poirot, a Touch of Frost makes up much of what I watch. Morse was also a favorite. I was not around in the 50's so have no idea if it belongs there but I love it. The quality of the acting, the low key (not in your face) drama and the quirky characters make for enjoyable viewing.

Alison comments on Frost having run ins with his boss and barely blinking as a mass grave is discovered. If real police reacted in the way sometimes portrayed in the OTT action scenes we often see they'd be in counselling by now. It is a job. Police witness some horrendous scenes, and Frost actually portrays it very well. It is another programme I will be sad to see go.

I am also in my twenties, it is Saturday night and I am staying in for once. The only thing worth watching is Frost at 9 on ITV3. Until then a good book will suffice.

  • Posted on 28 October 2009
  • at 3:47pm
  • by salt & pepa

Its good to see Gordon back on the box dishing up bowls of criticism for the not so faint hearted. He has had a number private issues raised in the public domain but his professionalism and dedication to his job will in the end have many of us watching and smiling while he loses his crackers over an overcooked parsnip. Roll up and roll on Tuesday to what should be nothing less than expected from an individual with bouts of skill and charisma.

  • Posted on 01 August 2009
  • at 8:36pm
  • by EWAdams

I used to love Frost for his dogged, low-key nature and the fact that he worked on multiple cases at once. But now he gets self-righteous and shouts all the time, especially if there's a child involved (as there is, every other show). Frost shouting self-righteously is not the Frost I came to love. He has been supplanted in my affections by Dangerous Davies, The Last Detective, who has many of Frost's old qualities and Emma Amos besides.

  • Posted on 18 July 2009
  • at 7:28pm
  • by Tayo

Er, this one is on a saturday night folks, what does this mean?

  • Posted on 15 May 2009
  • at 12:00pm
  • by JerMor

"A Touch of Frost" has been my favourite crime show on TV ever since episode 1. I am really sad they they won't continue as I believe it truly was different from all the other crime series.

This mornig I read that they are currently shooting the final 2 part drama right now.

"Three endings will be filmed for the episode which will see Britain's best loved detective tackle his final case. Viewers will be kept waiting to find out how Frost will depart the series which has been running for 17 years. Sir David himself, together with Producer David Reynolds, and senior drama executives at ITV will decide in post-production which ending is screened. The decision will be shrouded in secrecy with only a small number of colleagues aware of how the last episode concludes.

The two-part film entitled If Dogs Run Free follows Frost's battle to convict Gerry Berland (Adrian Dunbar), a dangerous criminal masquerading as a successful businessman. He's been evading prison for years and, tenacious as ever, Frost is determined to send him down. Tipped off by RSPCA officer, Christine Moorshead (Phyllis Logan), Frost raids an illegal dogfight organised by Berland, but fails to trap him. Berland is convinced that his son's classmate is the police's informant and urges him to teach him a lesson. However, when a scuffle results in the murder of a teenage boy, to which Christine is the only witness, the case against Berland becomes more pressing. As Frost protects Christine from the mounting harassment of Berland's thugs, he finds himself falling for her. Will Frost find love in this concluding story?

The episodes will also see Frost investigating a series of homicides which appear to mirror the crimes that he failed to solve over 16 years ago. It soon becomes clear that the copycat killer has a personal vendetta against Frost, but will he get to the bottom of it before the murderer strikes again?

John Lyons returns as Frost's loyal sidekick DS Toolan, Bruce Alexander plays Superintendent Mullet and Arthur White returns as Trigg. Guest starring Adrian Dunbar, Phyllis Logan, Niamh Cusack, Leah Bracknell, Simon Shepherd George Costigan, Fiona Glascott, Branko Tomovic and Adam James."

Sounds fantastic - Can't wait!!

  • Posted on 17 April 2009
  • at 7:03pm
  • by Smokey

I emigrated 6 years ago to France and was surprised to see 'Inspector Frost' for sale over here on DVD - evidently much liked by the French. A recent return to English TV after 6 years absence left me stunned as to the number of old and well-worn programs on offer - perhaps there is your answer - does A Touch of Frost continue to be popular simply because the alternatives are no competition?

  • Posted on 24 February 2009
  • at 11:56am
  • by Kernow Keith

Polishing shoes for school? Do people use polish these days?

  • Posted on 30 January 2009
  • at 9:58am
  • by Edward

I think Ms. Graham is one of our most perceptive and honest critics.She may get under the collar of the PC brigade who fear criticism and would stifle debate but is to her credit.Personal attacks by those represented here are not called for.Inspector Frost is way past its sell-by date and only persists because Mr Jason is good box office and a cash cow for ITV.Like Last of the Summer Wine and Heartbeat this is entertainment of the feeblest kind for people with too much time on their hands.

  • Posted on 17 January 2009
  • at 6:13pm
  • by JuanDerFul

I think Alison Graham is well past her sell by date. Frost repeats and all still give much pleasure to all, which is more than Alison Graham with her regular grumpy opinions will ever do. Long live Frost and AG well ? please go away...

  • Posted on 03 November 2008
  • at 10:57am
  • by Ali282

If you think as Peter does that Frost deals with real-life situations then think again. In a recent episode a diabetic woman was portrayed as being in danger because she could not obtain her insulin injections. She was then shown eating a calorific snack... Any diabetic will tell you that this would hasten her demise! How inaccurate can you get!? Also in my opinion the programme is not only well past its sell-by date but is covered in mould.

  • Posted on 31 October 2008
  • at 4:44pm
  • by Peter

Alison

I regularly read your column. Usually, I find it interesting and your opinions are very similar to mine. Please, keep up the good work.

However, on reading your comments about the demise of "A Touch of Frost" not coming a moment too soon had me a little troubled.

With all due respect, has it ever occurred to you that the reason "A Touch of Frost" is so popular is not due to a devotion to David Jason? I was a fan of "Del-boy". So, when I watched the very first episode of "A Touch of Frost" I considered it would be a flop. I was totally wrong.

In my opinion, the reason why the programme has been so successful is because it deals with real life situations. As for "fossilised plots", when did you last read your local newspaper, or even sometimes the Fleet St. media? They usually have the same old "fossilised" stories like burglary, mugging, car theft, stabbings and murder. "A Touch of Frost" just deals with things in a normal way - well, normal for Frost.

Also, David Jason, John Lyons and Bruce Alexander act their parts superbly and they are like real people we all know! I work with someone just like Mullet, but about half his age. Many of my co-workers are like George Toolan! Most of us work hard and relentlessly, get dropped in the brown smelly stuff by superiors (often our Mullet), have full English breakfasts - and the odd bacon sarnie!

Has it also ever occurred to you that there are MANY people in the real world who do not wish to see "unforgiving gore-fests" constantly? I gave up enjoying them when I saw "The Exorcist", an excellent but disturbing movie and "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre", an absolute turkey!

Finally, I do agree with your outlook that Sunday night TV is still 1950's. So, we still agree on some things!

Thank you for reading this.

Peter Fay

  • Posted on 30 October 2008
  • at 11:59am
  • by ChilliConkCarny

I have to agree with Alison. Frost is past its sell by date. Whenever I see it about to be broadcast, I reach for the Radio Times to see if something else is on. Much the same as when the music comes on for The One Show....

  • Posted on 26 October 2008
  • at 7:08pm
  • by WhistlingWind

What is Alison Graham for - that is, what purpose is she supposed to serve? I read her articles weekly with increasing irritation at her sneering and unquestioning (of herself that is)opinions. Who is she writing for? Does she suppose that she's speaking for all viewers? Or is her lip-curled technique yet another journalistic way of showing off?

  • Posted on 25 October 2008
  • at 5:57pm
  • by PyroClaire

I usually agree with Alison's observations but on Frost I think she has lost the plot.

I am no stranger to the true gore fest, or real forensics and police. While most cop shows now seem to rely on edgy shaky camera flachbacks and characters doing jobs they never would in real life to keep people watching, Frost has realistic plots with complex and interesting characters and moral quandaries, and a type of copper that really exists.

Rather than being boring, it is entertaning, comforting, and perhaps even inspirational for the viewer, rather than being frightening them beyond beleief as many shows try to do today.

As for being tv of the 1950's, all I can say is I wasn't around back then so I have no comparison, but as someone in their 20's I love Frost (as do many of my friends) and I will be sorry to see it end.

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