The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

After playing with our expectations, this turns out to be a very different sort of film.

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

I remember watching this as a 9/10 year old and was a bit spooked by it. The odd characters, the music, the feeling (even then) that the comic aspect to it sat uneasily next to main story of the murder/rape of a young woman.Watching it again recently (on DVD), I now see the naivety of it, the lack of political correctness, the slightly perverse emphasis on the young woman's sex life & her underwear, the painting by numbers plot continually has to circle itself. It's all a bit cack-handed, but scores points for its nostalgic portrayal of what comedy/drama/suspense was like on TV in the late 70's/early 80's.It also scores heavily for its cast. Although the story development is risible, the actors play it mostly straight (save perhaps Lipman).very watchable, but if it was on TV now, you'd want your licence fee back.

Brilliant film. Love it. Definitely NOT dated - except that there's no swearing or sex. If the lack of these dates a film then perhaps you can call it dated but then in that case I'd call that a major advantage, because this one needs none of that. It's a story of a old unsolved murder, and a much maligned detective who is generally treated like rubbish but who comes through in the end. For any of us who struggle for what we think is right but only get stomped on or ignored or ridiculed, this is a wonderful film.Bernard Cribbins is perfect casting. Anyone else would have made a hash of it. You need vulnerability for this role and he literally oozes vulnerability. Yet he knows that a young girls disappearance is really her murder and if the crime is 15 years old, that doesn't change anything. People are important - even 15 years later. Something that many mothers and fathers of missing children certainly know.I'd like to think that there are people out there like Dangerous Davies doing their best against the odds. I'm not so sure of it though. But while this film exists it gives you hope.

Now available on DVD, many more people have a chance to view this lost classic of British TV.A belting story about a cold case file, a young girl's disappearance is reopened by 'The Last Detective' anyone would give a decent case to, played by Bernard Cribbins.The story opens on the 'North West Frontier'... of London with Cribbins tackling yet another dirty police job, breaking into a besieged flat with a dustbin on his head for protection.We soon warm to this robust and human policeman and we discover that he gets all the nasty jobs because his bosses think he's the last detective anyone in their right mind would assign to a murder case.Then by a seeming twist of fate, a seemingly nondescript case involving a recently deceased officer is 'given' to him and through it he unfolds a mystery from long ago, aged witnesses lead him where no one has been before, to clues no one has bothered to follow and to a startling conclusion.A good cast and a fine script, a haunting score underpins the action and the nice unexpected twist in the tale brings a brilliant end to a riveting piece of storytelling.I can still whistle the theme tune even after so long.See it. If you can find a copy. Whistle with me.

An excellent story by Leslie Thomas gives Bernard Cribbins his best dramatic role since the Railway Children. The cast is perfect and as always Thomas combines strong elements of comedy and pathos without descending into mawkishness. This marvellous film is long overdue for release on video!