Lucky Man (2016–2018) User Reviews (62)

Fortune favors the bold and brash detective

[quincytheodore · 7/10 · 25 January 2016]

Cop drama is a crowded genre and audience might be reluctant to invest on a new one if there's no instant hook. While "Lucky Man" has Stan Lee advertised on its title, it's not a superhero series, it's borderline investigation thriller with a pinch of supernatural gimmick. It doesn't take the genre by storm, but what it does have is nifty stylish approach sufficient to create a different tone.

Harry (James Nesbitt) is a detective with vices, he has problem with gambling, among others. One night she meets a lady, and thus his luck changes. The good point about Harry is he's not created to pander the audience. He's not a single parent or other sympathy-grabbing character, he's rude in a anti-hero kind of way. This is not a buddy cop drama either, at least not entirely since the main focus remains on Harry while any aide takes largely supportive role.

The more unworldly aspect is done with care, it's far from Supernatural or Constantine, yet manages to put surreal ambiance to the plot. Events occur both in the favor or disfavor of the main lead, so in more way than one it affects his personal and work life. The case in hand is approachable and kept in check in steady flow, which is proper since it has to cater for different elements.

Location is presented nicely, there's ample visual cue for each important set-piece and they are shown quite stylishly. Script also does a fine job in creating tension and intrigue or effectively introducing characters. However, the show does have a bit of problems. The slow pace at some scene might not be appealing and those seeking for more colorful spectacle might find little heroism or spark here. The case itself needs time to gain momentum, this is not Agatha Christie style that can immediately grasps people's attention.

While some flaws still remain, "Lucky Man" might just roll the right number of mystery and thriller to at least have the chance to hit the jackpot.

Not a Marvel Universe story.

[RAFTOPOULOS-2 · 7/10 · 6 March 2016]

Reading the other reviews, I believe that most people expected to see a spandex-dressed superhero series. Stan Lee's name in the very title of the series would cause that.

This is a police story. Police detectives who have to deal with something seemingly impossible. It is the concept of ordinary people who have to deal with extraordinary situations.

It is closer to "Fringe" than anything else. Not much action, but plenty of mystery. It has an intriguing plot (with a few minor flaws) that keeps interest quite high. Acting is OK, nothing exceptional, but nothing disappointing either.

Overall this is a great story, told in a satisfying way. As I am a fan of the genre, I consider "Lucky Man" to be one of the top 3 series of 2016.

Take a chance!

[urthpainter · 8/10 · 1 February 2016]

This is exactly the type of TV show that has an great first season, but due to lack of initial momentum does not get picked up for a second. That is why I urge anyone who is thinking about watching this show to take a chance with the first two episodes, and go from there. Odds are, you'll appreciate the gamble, and eagerly await the next chapter.

On the surface is a very well produced detective/mystery show with episodic, seasonal, and perhaps even a series arc. The main character is a very colorful fellow at the outer edge of middle age. He's clearly a man of contradiction - experienced, good at his job, but also an addict with his personal life spinning out of control.

The surrounding characters are very well cast, and there really are not any weak links to the ensemble. Everyone comes off as well thought out, with their own lives, history, goals and desires.

This isn't your typical comic book hero, or comic book realm. By all accounts this is the same reality we inhabit, but with a touch of magic in the form of an enchanted object. Once the power can't be denied, it becomes a question of what to do with this yin yang ability involving the positive and negative qualities of luck.

Perhaps the number one quality on display here is the writing. The dialog comes off as believable, the deliveries are well performed. This says something about experience, and the actors we are dealing with. It's refreshing to watch a new show with no gimmicks, just rock solid writing, production, acting, and premise.

Lucky man has gotten off to a great start, and deserves a following to ensure not only a first good season, but a complete series run.

An excellent start - 8/10

Very interesting concept, could yet be a winner

[jeffsunflowerseeds · 25 January 2016]

I felt obliged to write something as the review showing on the main page was written by such a Negative Nelly and needs displacing as quickly as possible. So far only the pilot has been released so no rating but it shows early signs of promise.

Harry is a detective, played by the seemingly ageless James Nesbitt, who becomes imbued with the ability to bend luck in his favour after he inherits an ancient-looking trinket. However the person he gets this from did not seem at all happy with it and the show begins to hint at an early stage that all this good luck has a Newtonian counterpart that must be suffered others.

Investigating a series of deaths seemingly linked to the item and dogged by his new, straight-arrow boss, Harry must try to get to the bottom of the mystery of his new-found amulet, the mysterious and gorgeous woman who forced it upon him and the as yet unknown character trying to get it back again.

It's early days as yet but the plot is intriguing, the acting of British quality and the main character is most certainly an anti-hero, which I personally find quite appealing. Worth a look.

A new monkey's paw

[Amadio · 9/10 · 1 February 2016]

I was delighted to see that "Stan Lee's Lucky Man" was not yet another interminable '~man' (Bat/Ant/Super/X- etc etc ad nauseum) comic on screen. Instead we are treated to a show for adults rather than teens/YAs. Remarkably, the drama is set in London and features as the eponymous character a rather flawed and somewhat insular copper. We soon see that "Lucky Man" may not be that lucky at all, and that his luck is rather double edged. The characters are believable, often unlovable, and well portrayed; the roles are quickly fleshed out and we easily grasp the character of each participant. The background of London does not distract, as say New York might, instead it provides a gentle and interesting canvas against which the story rapidly, and often brutally, unfolds. Well written, well acted, and tightly edited, I haven't felt that the show slackens at any point. Excellent and believable drama despite the 'comic book' premise.

Has potential- need to see more

[jk-692-236394 · 7/10 · 23 January 2016]

I like James Nesbitt so that is always a good start. I am a 38 year old female and I never thought I would be watching this many comic book based shows. I also love sci-fi, so those are the type of super hero shows I will watch. The Flash, Marvels Agents of Shield, Legends of Tomorrow and now this one. That is a lot of comic book super heroes for a 38 year old. My teenage son does not even watch these shows. He just likes the big movies with the characters. This one could be a good one. Need to see more episodes. They did the set up in the pilot well. We get the premise and it was fun to see James Nesbitt get to be flash and daring. The boat chase at night on the water was beautiful. I am not sure where they actually shot that, but it looked great, except the really obvious tacky green screen shots with James and the other cop in the boat, that was bad. Worth checking out for sure so far. Update-2018- We are now on Season Three. This show has met my expectations and is one of my favorites. Interesting stories and great cast. Season three is my favorite so far. Watch this is you can get it where you live. Hopefully it will go to a streaming service where more people can see it eventually.

Love this show

[suelovesmolly · 10/10 · 4 April 2017]

I am not a huge fan of cartoon animation of good versus evil. However I am a huge fan of suspense thrillers and murder mystery. I absolutely love this show and surprised at the casting of these actors whom I find wonderfully cast in these roles. Kudos. I'm hooked on this show on many levels. Very macabre. Excellent!

Starts well and goes downhill thereafter

[kjruk · 6/10 · 29 April 2017]

This started out well enough, sort of, if you can suspend all intelligence and just enjoy hokum. But the more it has gone on the more irritating it has become. Nothing makes any believable logical sense. Who is this Eve? How come she is the keeper of a pair of magic bracelets? Where do they come from? You will never find out. She is nothing but trouble. Why does she give a bracelet to a bad character. Who is she? Can somebody wake me up?! Even Superman has an origin, an explanation of what he is - a backstory - to use that horrible word. All the Superheroes have a cause and effect but not this story. The "hero" becomes weaker and weaker, more and more pathetic, she becomes stronger and stronger - and why? How? Who knows. The last episode is a piece of ridiculous overblown, unbelievable nonsense when we are supposed to feel sorry for the evil one? Really? And it didn't take much effort to get rid of her, too easy. Or maybe there will be the Moriarty effect and she will be back. God I hope not.

I was glad when it was finished. The only reason I watched was because of Nesbitt, his performance holds the whole thing together but his character became irritatingly weak, hysterical and resorted to huffing and puffing, and it seemed he never understood what was going on! Yet another wasted opportunity like a lot films that depend on special effects that are often really good- but the story needs a believable plot, at least some element of believability and possibility. Terminator was fantasy but grounded in logical possibility as is Aliens. Modern series producers think we are all so stupid they don't need to bother with intelligent plots anymore.

Wow! A Second Season Hurray!

[xetaprime-64257 · 10/10 · 27 March 2016]

Being honest I watched 2 episodes then said Meh, and stopped. Not because it wasn't good but perhaps there was just more to catch up on. having said that and weeks later having run out of things to watch I gave this series another shot and boy am I glad I did! Each episode delivered and raised the stakes to another level. I rarely yell at my monitor screen but I did a few times near the end there. What a great freak'in show! Can't fault any of the performances. Can't fault who's bad or good or both because it was all great! One of the best series I've seen in a long while and quite unexpected!

Though there is a premise of a magical Bracelet, this series did not fully rely on it. Character driven and who knows what comes next is the base of this delicious show. Give it a chance and you might be as blown away as I was. Wonderful TV!

I know everyone's entitled to their opinion, but...shut up!

[michaelant555 · 7/10 · 6 April 2016]

For crying out loud! Why can't people grow up and stop being sanctimonious, nit-picking morons? It's not perfect, but it is pretty good. It's fast paced, has interesting characters and plot lines and James Nesbit's acting is bloody brilliant. The rest of the cast do a great job, too. The story has a nice supernatural twist with the bracelet, but if you don't like that kind of thing I wouldn't watch it, and don't leave a negative review because of it. As well as that, it's a pretty good and gritty crime drama. I've reached episode nine so far and I'm looking forward to a second season if they choose to keep this series going. There are some really bad films and programs being churned out these days, but this isn't one of them and I think its 7.2 rating is pretty close. Go with that and give it a shot...unless you think you might have sanctimonious, nit-picking tendencies, then you might want to give it a miss to save yourself the stress and frustration of it all.

Season 3, and this show is done

[geoffmcleod · 1/10 · 5 August 2018]

Season 1 & 2 were great. Season 3? What utter dross. Bad acting, terrible story line, a monkey could direct better. What went wrong? It's like they decided to do a season 3 at the last minute, and only had 2 days to finish it all. Really, really disappointed. As in the story line, for every piece of good luck, there has to be bad. For every decent series, there has to be a bad one.

A fantastic show.

[sambowring · 10/10 · 11 March 2017]

James Nesbitt stars in this crime oriented supernatural drama. Let me preface this review with point that It is hard for me to fully explain the successes of this TV show, since usually I do not write reviews for TV shows (I just felt this was worth one). Now let's get straight into it.

The cast's performance is astonishing; James Nesbitt creates one of the most believable characters in recent history... whilst wearing a magic bracelet? That may sound oxymoronic, but what this show does so impressively is incorporate the supernatural with, an impressive on its own, crime drama. Nesbitt's performance makes the supernatural utterly believable, even more so his reaction to it. It would be easy to write about every member of the cast, but my personal favourites are Nesbitt Karan. Karan always delivers in her roles and this is no exception. Her character's relationship with Hagan (Nesbitt's character) really highlights the realities of working with a friend in the criminal justice system whilst providing us with a solid friendship that the viewer is always rooting for.

The writing itself is so maturely done, in ways that much of TV fails to do. As stated earlier, the supernatural is implemented impeccably. And although the premise may seem far-fetched it is done in a way where you never think "yeah, well that would never happen in real life", as the rest of the show and the characters truly immerse you deeply.

The show is consistent, enjoyable and emotional. I highly recommend this to anyone and believe, well certainly hope, that this will continue for many seasons to come.

Cannot decide anything after seeing the pilot!! may turn out better than expected!!

[sckrishna · 6/10 · 22 January 2016]

Other than the 5 second Stan Lee's cameo, nothing stands out in the pilot. The main character is a detective (like we are running short of detective TV shows!!!) who gets lucky because of a bracelet. Apparently, people who have that bracelet have unlimited luck but with a price (yeah karma is a bitch!! we all know that). A woman suddenly shows up and gives the bracelet to the detective after helping him win some money in a casino. Also the detective owes money to the casino owner and he is killed the night he gets the bracelet. The rest of the plot is him trying to solve the murder which ends in a high action chase. The writing is sloppy. Actors are OK. May be time will tell whether this is good or not.

Lot of potential at start but suspension of disbelief needed

[s_imdb-623 · 4/10 · 20 March 2016]

As other reviewers indicated, it had a lot of potential at the start but the suspension of disbelief gets more and more as episodes progress. I started off with 7/10 rating but this has dropped to 4/10. I managed to stick with it until episode 6 but really can't stand to watch anymore. The contrivances have turned it into a humourless pantomime. Whoever wrote and directed this lives in cloud cuckoo land as far as policing (and even common sense goes) - possibly the way things were done in '60s popular shows (when the public knew no better). The method of policing we see is: find some hearsay, arrest and accuse the alleged perpetrator very loudly, run into things without any backup and collect no evidence, get shouted at by horrible boss for there being no evidence, alleged perpetrator (who we really hate) gets released by horrible possibly evil boss, we are all supposed to be sympathetic with the heroes.

Here's an example of disbelief: cops raid container yard; one cop runs off chasing bad guy; isn't seen or heard from since for 12 hours; no-one bothers to do anything, his partner apparently tried to get him on his cell and thats all. By the way, he was kidnapped by a baddie from the container yard. This is a senior police officer going missing during work and no-one bats an eyelid - very convenient. If only this was an isolated incident, those of us who actually have a working brain could get into the fantasy.

Another issue I have is that all the actors/cops seem to be playing characters from children's TV, apart from Nesbitt. Especially his partner played by Karan. Its very difficult to imagine a children's TV presenter as a cop. The baddies on the other hand are well played, as are the side characters, especially Jing Lusi and Omid Jalili. The side characters are played with a lot of real-life angst - like the waiter whose family is being threatened by crooks. Nesbitt plays himself as usual and for some reason that always works well.

Its a shame because the novelty is that its a Marvel Hero based in London. Its refreshing; the city, the stories, the characters, and the British production.

Classic British drama with a twist

[simon_sanos · 8/10 · 28 January 2016]

It's early days, but the pilot episode shows real promise. Played out as a proper British cop show/gangland drama, with characteristic British tropes, the excellent London setting and some fine actors, but with Stan Lee influence. What's not to love as a concept!

There is a danger that it may over play the clichés and tropes - court room, marriage drama, mysterious strangers, corrupt cops, hard arse bosses and instantly dislikable colleagues all make an appearance (not spoilers!). That's fine as long as the writers continue to keep them balanced.

But if they can maintain this balance and keep it dark and true then it bodes well.

Third series literally ran out of luck

[RosieD101 · 6/10 · 7 January 2021]

This series started with great potential, but they really missed the opportunity to end on a high note at the end of series two. Series three was a mistake, a big mistake. By the time I was watching the third last episode of series three it had become so repetitive and boring that I threw the towel in and fast forwarded to the final episode. Loved the first two series, but series 3 was utter tosh and heaven forbid they ever make a series 4!

Lots of fun.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 8/10 · 29 September 2017]

I was intrigued to see how the book would convert into a TV series, despite a fair bit of apprehension I must admit to being pleasantly surprised, as has been said it's written along the lines of a comic book, but the production team managed to create a series with a degree of depth, with some great characters and slick production values. It takes a few episodes to get you hooked, but once you buy into Stan Lee's world you get further drawn in. The latter part of both first and second series are the strongest parts for me, where you see all characters pushed to extreme. Nesbitt is brilliant throughout, making Harry a truly likable rogue, Sienna Guillory and Eve Best are great throughout, as is the wonderful Amara Khan, who gets some great stories.

A very enjoyable watch. Lucky Man, Lucky viewers. 8/10

Don't Get It.

[jamessshq · 29 April 2017]

Can someone explain why 99% of the characters in this show had absolutely nothing to do with the plot or ending? Golding gets put in prison and is never seen again.

Some random woman kills people who she thinks don't value their second chances in life. Tries to kill Harry and gets banged up. irrelevant to story.

Weird hacker girl and boss going bankrupt, she programs the car to crash. Has some coding project. None of which mean anything whatsoever to the story.

Mad man vicar with his hate crimes gets run over. That's it. A whole episode for a guy getting run over.

The whole "Eve" character. whats that all about? Wheres the Chinese casino owner gone to? why was she even trying to get money from the guy for the house? Why did the detective go to the office block, only to find "no one there" after he said he went for a job? Who was the random Swedish guy we saw for about 10 seconds before he died, why was he in the thing? it was 10 episodes when all the plot needed was a serial killer with a bracelet and a bloke trying to stop her. None of the plot lines had any relevance to anything.

First series was alright but the 2nd was useless.

Intriguing but may not be everyone's cup of tea

[puzzledresearcher · 6/10 · 31 January 2016]

This review is compiled after watching the first two episodes.

As a "super-hero" show, though in this case the hero is not supernatural but rather gifted with an unusual object, Stan Lee's Lucky Man is atypical compared to the legion of Marvel and DC comic inspired creations which litter small and large screens.

Very much the first two episodes are about the nature of human flaws, the fabled human condition, and the weaknesses of men. In Harry's case it is gambling. Other characters suffer from this or that addiction or character flaw.

Indeed, the protagonist Harry is a seriously flawed human, portrayed well by the actor James Nesbitt as a gambling addict.

So far one weakness of the show is that in the first two episodes the police station and unit are portrayed as being a bit too lame, the police service unrealistic, and the new section chief is a stereotype of the boss-out-to-get-you. If you are looking for a show about police work Stan Lee's Lucky Man is not for you.

After just two episodes it is difficult to figure out where the story arc is heading. We are left with an unraveling crime story with no apparent direction. The supporting characters around Harry garner more sympathy from me than does the lead character, and while the villains are indeed villainous they are too much the tropes - e.g., the mysterious oriental, the suspicious Mediterranean immigrant, the jealous office worker, etc.

As a small screen production the work is quality (acting, directing, sets, etc.) but not especially innovative or catching. Overall I can describe the production as satisfactory without being trend setting.

I suspect this show will entertain a viewer looking for a little bit of an escape, but don't expect the typical super-hero. This show is not up to the high mark set by genre leaders like Daredevil, but is acceptable and I intend to catch the rest of the season. Perhaps after watching the entire season I may upgrade my rating from the initial 6.

Excellent show with clever storylines and great acting

[virginiacottrell · 9/10 · 21 July 2018]

Love this show, so glad its returned for the 3rd series. James Nesbitt excels in his character in the main role. The concept of a magic bracelet may seem cheesy but the stories are complex as the plot thickens.

This show will grow on you, it just goes from strength to strength. Don't be put off by a 'magic bracelet', its a fabulous bracelet with a big history as we find out. As another reviewer says, it may seem far-fetched but so cleverly done it hooks you in.

Could have been better

[modironak · 6/10 · 26 January 2016]

Just watched the premiere episode of this show and I do not feel excited about it. The story revolves around detective Harry of London who has been handed over a bracelet by a complete stranger that has the power to bend LUCK into favor of the person wearing it.

Harry has been shown as a gambling addict who has lost control over his life due to it. All of a sudden he meets a stranger who hands over this LUCKY bracelet that can change his life which is the gist of the whole series.

There are certain things in this pilot which do not impress me at all like there is no proper character introduction or building of character, we do not get any idea as to who would be the important characters in this series. Things are happening too fast within a span of one episode and writers have not focused on the how exciting it can be to bend luck in your favor.

Hope coming episodes are good enough and story evolves better to keep you glued to it.

Series 1 and 2 Great , Series 3 diving downhill fast.

[jerrym54 · 2/10 · 28 August 2018]

Series 3 started the decline mainly lazy writing, scripting for example :- Episode 6 debts from Private Poker games at Clubs/Pubs especially for non verified ownerwhip of valuables let alone property even with the verified deeds wouldnot be enforceable under UK law and doubtful if under US law. The best they could hope form is civil proceedings for fraud. Yet the police officer and experienced s8ccesful Antiquities/Antiques dealer both who would need extensive knowledge of the law and in particular property ownership and legal transfer, not least to because of stolen it4ms and fencing of them, which both of these characters have demonstrated knowl3dge of previously, just let a poor cockny accent, a thug and the word Bailiff stop them from evicting said individuals and surrender all legal rights.

Why even include it just to show bad blood with his brother, surely it would have been easier to plot stealing his brothers life savings, pawning his valuables?

I have noticed more and morem of these poor plot lines that were not present in the tight crafted earlier scripts. Rushing its way from award winning to good to corny third rate cliches drama.

Really enjoyed this show

[martin-dearlove-564-397785 · 8/10 · 29 March 2016]

OK, as others have pointed out, there's some elements in this that stretch belief, but, come on, he's wearing a magical bracelet; surely once you've accepted that, it isn't hard to overlook some of the show's flaws.

I actually found the show got better as the series went on. By the time the final episode comes around it had me truly hooked.

Production is very good and setting it in London gives it more of an air of reality. The cast is full of good actors with Nesbit, as always, very watchable, especially as his life and career appear to be getting out of control.

There are some parts that don't make sense, but, overlook those and it's a really enjoyable thriller, just far enough off the normal cops and robbers model, to make it novel.

Looking forward to the next series - just a shame we have to wait until 2017.

Great Start, Ran Out Of Ideas......

[wraightshaun · 6/10 · 3 March 2024]

Such a great premise - part cop drama/part sci-fi fantasy - and a great cast (James Nesbitt as Harry is particularly good and Amara Karan makes a great sidekick) BUT ........after a really good first series and a pretty good follow up, they just appear to have completely run out of ideas and just got the trainees to come up with the third series storyline. Was just a complete mess and let down the rest of the show. The ending in particular was such an anticlimax after the build up.

Stan Lee must have been really pissed off that this was the outcome of his idea.

Would definitely recommend giving this a miss.

So far, so good!

[khunkrumark · 2/10 · 25 January 2016]

SPOILER: So far - so good.

Having only watched the first episode, it's difficult to write a sensible review.

So far so good, though. The first episode moves swiftly along and introduces a pretty good plot with some interesting characters. The normally annoying James Nesbitt seems to have matured into a good looking (and better) actor these days.

It's unusual to have such an icon (Lee) doing his thing in somewhere outside the USA. But so far, the London locales work well, even if the accents aren't always easy to understand.

For older people like me - who judge movies and TV by how annoying it is - you are in for a pleasant surprise.

It's almost not annoying at all.

Best of all - nobody cried. (That's how you can tell it's not an American TV program.)

So, based on the first episode only, it's a winner. If that changes in the future, I'll update this review.

• - - - - - -

UPDATE: OK, just finished the second episode. The 'blub' count is up to 3. Yes, the writers found good reasons for 3 women to start blubbing before the end of the second episode.

It looks like this is another IROBOT series, where everything is crammed in to the first episode and the remainder is just people in the entertainment business shamelessly urinating in your face.

Will be interesting to see how many people burst into tears next week - stay tuned... I think I'm gonna be one of them!

• - - - - - - -

After THREE episodes...

The most shameless, overused and lazy cliché in history has been dragged out of mothballs in an effort to lift this awful rubbish - the cop has an ex-wife who's a lawyer and guess what? Yes, you did guess correctly, she's assigned the very case that puts her opposite the 'Lucky Man! Brilliant writing - who comes up with these inventive twists? Ha ha!

This week it's ME that's crying.

• - - - - - - -

After FOUR episodes...

This is now just bloody stupid. I'm done.