Blue Lights, on BritBox

If it is this dangerous policing Belfast today, just imagine what it was like during the Troubles. Many days, the response officers working out of the fictional Blackthorn Station hardly know the difference. That is because James McIntyre, the head of Belfast’s biggest “paramilitary” gang, seamlessly segued out of IRA terrorism into the organized crime business. That makes Belfast a challenging place to work as a cop, but three rookies think they want to do it anyway (maybe) in writer-creators Declan Lawn & Adam Patterson’s six-part Blue Lights, which premieres tomorrow on BritBox.

Every morning probationary Constable Annie Conlon check under her car for explosive devices. Remember, Blue Lights is set in the present day. Since she hails from a Catholic Republican family, her choice of work makes her a target for turncoat accusations (and reprisals). Unfortunately, her training officer, Constable Jen Robinson, is a terrible cop. She has been fast-tracked, since her mother is a high-ranking police official, but Robinson really cannot handle the job.

Rookie Tommy Foster is luckier. Not only is he fast-tracked himself, but he was also assigned to Constable Gerry Cliff, a crafty old veteran, who clearly sees himself as an Obiwan figure (not without good reason). Former social worker Grace Ellis also had good fortune with Constable Steve Neil. He is more reserved than she is accustomed to, but they slowly develop a good rapport. It might even be turning into something deeper for the widowed Neil.

Much to everyone’s frustration (except perhaps Robinson), Inspector David Johnston regularly declares certain neighborhoods “out-of-bounds,” or “double-O-B.” He has been deferring to a shadowy MI5 agent, who has been running McIntyre as an informant and subsequently protecting him, in a manner reminiscent of the Whitey Bulger debacle. However, the frequency and scope of the “OOB’s” arouse the suspicion of the maverick-inclined Cliff and the perceptive Sergeant Helen McNally, who can also tell Robinson is a shirker. Unfortunately, it is difficult for McNally to discipline the protected rookie, because Robinson has been exploiting her affair with the married Johnston for special treatment.

Blue Lights will probably sound like a fairly standard cop show in most write-ups, but the actual viewing experience is something very different. It has a gritty intensity that feels fresh in the way NYPD Blue did back in the 1990’s. Every episode has several white-knuckle moments that will shock and exhaust viewers. Like NYPD Blue, the cops of Blue Lights are largely quite flawed, but you really must give them credit for putting themselves in harm’s way, over and over again.

Of course, the intensity just compounds, as the audience invests in the characters. The cast is outstanding, particularly Richard Dormer, who is wonderfully charismatic as Cliff. Sian Brooke and Martin McCann forge some subtle but terrific screen chemistry as Ellis and Neil. However, both Katherine Devlin and Hannah McClean will really surprise viewers developing real complexity in Conlon and Robinson, while Joanne Crawford’s McNally is the glue that holds the show (and the station) together.

Reportedly, Blues Lights was quite an eye-opener when it premiered on BBC, for those with an out-of-sight-out-of-mind attitude towards Northern Ireland. It is still a dangerous place. In fact, Muammar Gaddafi even gets a shout-out for a cache of assault weapons he supplied to McIntyre’s old outfit. More importantly, Blue Lights is great television. There are scenes in episode six that will stick with you for a long time. It is quite a ride that pays off in a big way. Very highly recommended, Blue Lights starts streaming tomorrow (1/17) on BritBox.