The Level (2016–2017) User Reviews (22)

Appealing but somehow inexplicable crime drama....

[s3276169 · 6/10 · 15 February 2017]

The Level is yet another crime drama from the UK. That's not a bad thing in itself but I do feel, at times, they start to run short of ideas and The Level is a case in question.

Firstly lets look at the good. Its predictably well acted, directed and ably creates an atmosphere of rising tension, that fits well with the series overriding plot.

The bad is reflected in the fact that the whole notion, is a little far fetched. The proposition of a cop having a personal link with an individual from a questionable, legal background is fine. Whats inexplicable are the cops actions after initial events unfold. Whilst most people would be keeping a low profile, maybe even resigning or transferring to stay off the radar, she wades into an investigation that stands to expose her. Of course, this is the at the heart of the story but it is in my opinion "weak tea" and more than a little implausible.

That's not to say this series is not watchable. It is for the most part but I found it stretched my credulity more than a little. Six out of ten from me.

Well worth the watch!

[thedrells-1 · 8/10 · 21 January 2017]

I have just watched this over 4 nights over here in NZ. It was a solid work, gripping to the point of silencing my son (16 so old enough!) when the final episode was on. I found the story intriguing with good acting. There were only 2 moments where I though "wow, really??" but both were obviously in order to move the story along. While a fellow reviewer called the main character a snowflake (gah!) who didn't live up to her story reputation it needs to be kept in mind that she has just lost a key person in her life and sustained an injury - it's true she's no John McClane, and I can live with that. The story is as much about her and her personal relationships as it is the whodunit thriller. Sit back and enjoy the ride. The only criticism I found was that Noel Clarke's character was a little one dimensional, I would love another series with more character progression for him. LOVED IT!

When the obvious becomes obvious...

[SamudraAmbara · 6/10 · 10 November 2020]

...and patterns repeat and repeat, and the story adds a few too many flaws, even an excellently performed show like this falls down into nothingness. That's what happened here. But worth watching if you have no better thing to do.

Blood Test, Anyone?!

[MooniePinkslip · 17 April 2017]

There was really only one major discrepancy throughout the ENTIRE series, start to finish, and that is the "5th bullet" they found in the tree at the site of the murder, that had DS Nancy Delvin's blood on it (for those who haven't watched this yet I won't explain anything further, no spoilers!). But without spoiling the rest of the show, it can be asked: how was she NOT found out right at that point, when she is a detective in the police force...if they ran a blood test on it (and they did, which I'm also not giving away!), it would immediately have come up with a match to DS Nancy Delvin, as all police force staff and members have blood and DNA on file...it's a standard. So that's a major fail, and they don't even try to make a feeble excuse for it all thru the series....

.. has interest, but is still very early in the game

[bjarias · 7/10 · 4 November 2016]

Have you watched all the episodes.. and was it all that horrible.. no. When a show kinda works, you don't readily think about quitting.. and if you can get though the script without saying it's absolute bs.. then it's in the running. All the actors in The Level admirably perform their parts, and you don't have much of a problem with any one of them in particular. Does it break ground.. that's hard for most any show today.. but for the most part it works, and it's on the schedule to look forward to the next episodes. There's lots of programming to watch.. is it all the best it can be, hardly.. but this one's not that bad. Will it continue for multiple seasons.. that remains to be seen, but so far, am willing to at least give it a chance.

What a good serial this could have been

[dmdehill · 6/10 · 19 January 2017]

I tend to agree with Mr Ogden. This was a very uneven production. However, the main characters were miscast and their performances rather wooden. The plot had real potential - an interesting view of crime and police relationships on a professional and personal basis, rather than plain old cops and robbers. The layers of deceit and the twists and turns in the story do credit to the writer. There were a few cringe moments when the script seemed to slide off the edge of the turntable, but these would not have been so noticeable, had the acting been more credible. However, I felt that this was not entirely the fault of the actors, but rather poor directing. The ending left an obvious door open for a sequel. I will probably watch it in hope that the direction is improved and better performances drawn out of the cast, though I doubt the lead investigator could be made more realistic, sadly.

Rather compelling drama.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 8/10 · 23 February 2019]

I don't think any fan of the crime drama genre can say that the last few years haven't produced some truly high quality productions. Foolishly I didn't watch The Level during its original run, as I thought it looked run of the mill, I was wrong, and whilst I wouldn't deem it a classic, I would have to say it's very good at least. The acting is exceptional, the characters are engaging, and of course it's very well produced, but the key element for me, has to be the writing, it's so incredibly good, there are multiple twists and turns, and half way through you're left wondering as to who are the good and bad guys, so the writing is so clever, that nothing's particularly black or white.

Nancy is a great, complex character, she's sincere and very likeable, Karla Crome is terrific throughout, a shame for her no second series happened, as she could definitely have done more with that character. Also very good are Amanda Burton, Joe Absolom, Noel Clarke and Laura Haddock. I was so glad to see Philip Glenister in the cast list, but in all honesty he could have been anyone, and was shamefully underused.

Intriguing from start to finish, this is a very high quality series. 8/10

GREAT "WHO DUN IT"!

[lyninbyron · 8/10 · 6 June 2018]

Just binge watched it and it kept me guessing. Very enjoyable way to spend a wet afternoon. Great job to all concerned. Keep the U.K. Dramas coming please!

The Level is Mostly Uneven

[durango_kid-74018 · 5/10 · 24 November 2016]

I am a sincere fan of drama from Across the Pond. The Level was held up to a great extent by a solid supporting cast. However the lead investigator, as portrayed was greatly lacking in credibility. She appeared to be in a constant state of confusion and panic from the very beginning. Although she was given to be an established and respected Investigator it was a stretch beyond reason to accept. The dialogue as previously indicated could have been much better. But when a lead characters presentation is allowed to be more annoying than anything else it makes for a long long series. A Deer In The Headlight look became almost amusing as a frequent presentation in most situations. Ultimately, I cannot help but wonder where was the Director during shooting or any daily screening. This series could have been made better quite easily. Sadly it was not.

J.L.Ogden Sr.

Quality Production

[neprout · 8/10 · 16 February 2018]

Just watched this on Acorn, excellent plot with many twists. The quality of acting we have come to expect from a British production. Hope there is a sequel in the pipeline

Silly,silly,silly!

[qui_j · 4/10 · 23 June 2018]

I have to agree with the majority of viewers on here that canned this series. The first episode drops you in the middle of something, about which you have no idea, and just continues to get worse as time passes. There is little in the way of character development that would help viewers make the necessary connections between the characters, and if that came later in the series, I did not stick around to see. There were just so many holes in the plot e.g female lead gets shot but is able to carry out most of her duties, including clubbing and drinking. The acting is mediocre at best, horrible at worst! The editing, with the constant use of flashbacks just proved too overused. The first episode is a great indicator for each viewer to make up their minds as to whether they'll continue watching. If you make it through that, it's likely that the series will work for you.

Mean spirited review

[midorosan-mike · 17 November 2016]

This is the second time I have seen your comment on the "Trevor Eve" school of a acting, who are you to cast such aspersions on what is a perfectly reasonable, fairly ordinary crime series which I for one enjoyed. This pompous attitude has no place in serious reviews and simply reflects the reviewers limited and jaundiced views, try to be a little more genuine and remember you are reviewing for others not your self centred self. There is a mass market out there that needs this kind of entertainment what do you think Shakespeare was doing when he was writing his plays? He wanted people to come and see them and not pontificate from so low level of understanding as to what it was all about. Suggest you chill out but you seem to be one of those serial reviewers who believe people might take you seriously well get over it they don't.

Excellent British crime thriller full of surprises

[robertemerald · 10/10 · 17 January 2018]

This show gets everything just right. It's a taunt, well-scripted edge-of-your-seat thriller full of unfamiliar scenarios and wonderful perplexities that will delight anyone looking for something new in crime. The acting is superb, the characters are unusual and have depth, and the back-story and plot are brilliantly original. There is a gritty realism here. This show I think captures a version of the British criminal underworld that, even if fiction, comes across as highly believable. It's driven by motivated female characters which is also refreshing. Without leaving any loose ends it also sets itself up for a second season which is something to look forward to.

Great show

[sandywelter · 8/10 · 8 January 2019]

This show had me hooked. Wish the second series had followed

Started off OK went downhill

[simplicity-nz · 1/10 · 22 May 2018]

Love a bit of British crime drama e.g. Happy Valley Shetland.

The Level started off well, unfortunately the ridiculous story got in the way. For a so-called detective, the main lead just makes poor choice after poor choice. Most of them unbelievable for the average person let alone a detective. It's like the production team didn't even consult with real police to understand anything about police procedure.

If you're looking for something to fill in time, it's watchable. If you're looking for a quality crime drama, go for something else.

Worth the binge-watch

[pamamaorso · 9/10 · 2 August 2020]

It's worth the binge-watch, only 6 episodes. It's a pretty good mystery/thriller/drama show, not boring at all! I don't think the storyline is that ridiculous. The actors are good, so I hope there's a Season 2.

Not impressed....it was too pedestrian.

[sooz6069 · 3/10 · 29 April 2019]

This has got to be most badly acted drama I've seen in a long while aside from Lindsey Coulson (DCI Michelle Newman) who always gives good value. The lead character Detective Nancy Devlin (Karla Crome) looked and acted more like a junkie than a credible Police Officer. There were so many holes in the storyline I almost gave up. I wish I had.

Edge of the Seat suspense police procedural

[daphnew · 8/10 · 12 June 2017]

We watch a fair lot of Brit Police drama, and this kept our attention very well. Liked the multicultural, gender balanced cast and against the grain sort of story. For a change, no one is the good guy (perfect) and the bad guy does not get a comeuppance in the end. Sort of hoping for a 2nd season based on the last episode of season 1. Possible?

I could not stop watching!

[ritakc-46893 · 10/10 · 31 May 2021]

I loved it and pray there are more seasons!!! Don't stop now! I loved the characters - some were slimy, some were bad to the bone, some just human! Great characters and plot! Kept me guessing ... wrong most of the time. Pleeeeeeze more seasons. We need some good drama!

Ludicrous dross!

[khunkrumark · 1/10 · 24 October 2016]

Just awful!

No reviews? Not one? Oh, well - it falls upon me to be the first to warn everyone!

I knew from the opening scene of the first episode that this would be cringeworthy to watch and the rest of the program proved me right.

Snowflake copper Nancy Devlin gets a surprise award for being a brave cop and her first reaction is to shag the cop she saved... but wouldn't you know it - just as they both get down to the nitty-gritty she gets a phone call! Yeah, that TV timing... AGAIN!

But maybe Nancy isn't a snowflake after all because after being shot in the stomach she staggers over to the chemists and gets a couple of aspirin and seems to be just fine after that.

Hang on, though... it's snowflake alert again because she has mentalist parents who both need her attention so we really wonder how the poor dear copes with it all- what with being a hero and being shot in the stomach!

So here we have it... the usual 'Trever Eve' school of British actors (who will do anything for money) roll up their sleeves and perform this ludicrous 'flow-chart drama' joke of a series.

This insulting dross probably appeals to people who can't afford the equipment to stab their own eyes out!

Incomprehensibly weird and off-kilter crime drama

[Laight · 3/10 · 10 August 2022]

Nothing in this show makes sense -- from the very beginning there are plot holes that are never resolved, characters who are never developed, and actions that are completely inexplicable. It's almost as if an artificial intelligence machine wrote the script: let's make sure we have a tough female running the station, the vulnerable cop who's screwed up but has a heart of gold, the boyfriend who's not what he seems to be, the bad guys who are all, well, bad guys -- and then we'll just have a lot of incoherent scenes that are almost impossible to follow. The only reason this gets three stars instead of zero is that the actors stuck in this morass are doing their best; you can't blame them for the sorry lines they have to spout. You can, however, blame everyone else involved.

A few interesting twists but too becomes tangled up

[catnapbc · 4/10 · 21 November 2023]

Despite the presence of a number of good actors, the dialogue/writing fails to give any authenticity or even real 'drama' to this series. The lead 'Nancy' is a total mystery in her capacity as a detective. She looks and behaves like some rookie, unhinged and undisciplined teenager, rather than someone who is a professional, central to this 'investigation'. There is far too much going on with too many characters (most of whom are not very believable) and it goes from being very vague at the start to being very chaotic and unrealistic in so many ways. Overall the 'feel' of this series was that it lacked depth and any real cohesion. None of the characters really mattered, neither to one another, to the viewer, or had any real chemistry with anyone else. It leaves you just wanting to get this over with and so whatever potential for real tension or drama could have been there, is lost in a quagmire of threads going in too many directions. It's probably ok if you need to fill some empty time but don't expect to use your brain too much. A disappointment. And thankfully, only one season. It ended just as unbelievably as it started.