Cracker Complete Collection (Box Set) (DVD)

=== CRACKER The Complete Box Collection ===

All 11 'Cracker' episodes in one box set.
Robbie Coltrane stars as "Fitz" l in Jimmy McGovern's groundbreaking, gritty drama as Fitz, a man whose psychological insight extends to everyone but himself.

== Titles ==

1. The Mad Woman In The Attic
2. To Say I Love You
3. One Day A Lemming Will Fly
4. To Be A Somebody
...
...7. Brotherly Love
8. Best Boys
9. True Romance
10. White Ghost
11. Cracker

===Background on Fitz ===

Robbie Coltrane stars as Dr. Eddie 'Fitz' Fitzgerald. A forensic psychologist, who loves hard drinking and gambling as much as his job. He is highly intelligent and like to let everyone know it.

His bad habits may constantly interfere with his personal life and try his long ... more

CRACKER The Complete Box Collection

All 11 'Cracker' episodes in one box set.
Robbie Coltrane stars as "Fitz" l in Jimmy McGovern's groundbreaking, gritty drama as Fitz, a man whose psychological insight extends to everyone but himself.

Titles

1. The Mad Woman In The Attic
2. To Say I Love You
3. One Day A Lemming Will Fly
4. To Be A Somebody
5. The Big Crunch
6. Men Should Weep
7. Brotherly Love
8. Best Boys
9. True Romance
10. White Ghost
11. Cracker

Background on Fitz

Robbie Coltrane stars as Dr. Eddie 'Fitz' Fitzgerald. A forensic psychologist, who loves hard drinking and gambling as much as his job. He is highly intelligent and like to let everyone know it.

His bad habits may constantly interfere with his personal life and try his long suffering wife Judith (,Barbara Flynn) but they do not stop him from solving complicated cases for the Greater Manchester Police.

Episode1

==The Mad Woman In The Attic==

This is a stunning first foray into the extremely complicated world of "Dr. Eddie 'Fitz' Fitzgerald" (Robbie Coltrane)

Fitz is called in to help GMP when the body of a brutally murdered young girl is found in a train compartment. She is the latest victim of a serial killer known as Sweeney, because of he uses of a razor as a murder weapon. This is a comparison with Sweeney Todd:

A blood-splattered man called Thomas Francis Kelly (Adrian Dunbar) is found lying unconscious beside the railway tracks and he immediately becomes the prime suspect for the murder. He however is claiming to be suffering from amnesia.

Can Fitz figure out if he is guilty? or as he claims is innocent?

An excellent start to the series.

Starring

Dr.Edward "Fitz" Fitzgerald - ROBBIE COLTRANE
DS Jane "Panhandle" Penhaligon - GERALDINE SOMERVILLE
DCI David Bilborough - CHRISTOPHER ECCLESTON
DS Jimmy Beck - LORCAN CRANITCH
Judith Fitzgerald - BARBARA FLYNN
Hennessy - NICHOLAS WOODESON
Kelly - ADRIAN DUNBAR

Episode 2

The is a brilliant episode and is my personal second favourite to " To be a somebody"

This episode begins with Tina Brien( Susan Lynch) entering a pub. She is taken aback by the singing of Sean Kerrigan (Andrew Tiernan) in a karaoke contest. She becomes involved with him and the two of them become inseperable. In her own words, just like Bonnie and Clyde and even to the point of killing for each other!

Tina hates her parents and has moved out, living in a squat with Sean. She owes money to a loan shark called Cormack, In desperation she resorts to asking her parents for money. They of course refuse, unless she dumps Sean and returns home to their stable middle class family.

In desperation they murder Cormack. They seem to get a taste for murder. Enter Fitz, his insight to the case gives them their first lead and with the police are on their trail they set their sights on one of the detectives looking for them DC George Giggs - (Ian Mercer) .

Meanwhile, Judith has left Fitz. His home life is still in a shambles. Judith asks for a meeting to discuss things .Fitz wants his wife to move back in with him, but she will only agree if he joins Gamblers Anonymous. (A fine chance of that happening)!

Can Fitz stop the killers before their killing spreee continues???

Starring

Dr.Edward "Fitz" Fitzgerald - ROBBIE COLTRANE
DS Jane "Panhandle" Penhaligon - GERALDINE SOMERVILLE
DCI David Bilborough - CHRISTOPHER ECCLESTON
DS Jimmy Beck - LORCAN CRANITCH
Judith Fitzgerald - BARBARA FLYNN
DC George Giggs - IAN MERCER
Tina Brien - SUSAN LYNCH
Sean Kerrigan - ANDREW TIERNAN

Episode 3

== One Day A Lemming Will Fly ==

This episode starts with a chase scene...Tim is being chased through a wood, later he is fdiscovered hanging from a tree. The couple who discover him dont report it immediately as they are engaged in an affair. The woman, however, having seen the parents plea on the news eventually rings the police and the body is found.

Tim's parents are separated, and thus have difficulty supporting each other. His brother believes he knows who is responsible and proceeds to attack two boys who have been bullying Tim.

Tim’s English teacher, Nigel Cassidy (Christopher Fulford), attempts to commit suicide. Fitz manages to talk him down from the roof of a shopping centre.
The police arrest Cassidy as a suspect in the murder of Tim.

With local feelings running high the police car bringing Cassidy to the station is attacked. The sitituation is made worse, because of the lack of forensic evidence linking Cassidy to the murder, subsequently Cassidy is released.
Billborough believes that Cassidy is guilty and challanges Fitz to get him to confess.

Fitz promises Cassidy that he will support him and share the burden of guilt that Cassidy must be feeling over being responsible for the death of a child if he confesses.

Can Fitzs get the confession?? and if so what burden will he have to share?

Starring

Dr.Edward "Fitz" Fitzgerald - ROBBIE COLTRANE
DS Jane "Panhandle" Penhaligon - GERALDINE SOMERVILLE
DCI David Bilborough - CHRISTOPHER ECCLESTON
DS Jimmy Beck - LORCAN CRANITCH
Judith Fitzgerald - BARBARA FLYNN
Nigel Cassidy - CHRISTOPHER FULFORD

Episode 4

== To Be A Somebody ==

My Favourite Episode

"L - I - V - E - R - P - O - O - L....... Liverpool FC"

This episode opens with the funeral of Albert “Albie” Kinsella (Robert Caryle), father .
His fathers death and the breakdown of his marriage has had a profoundly disturbing effect on him. Later that day he goes into his local shop to buy a box of tea-bags and a copy of the Guardian newspaper. He is however four pence short and the Asian shopkeeper refuses to let him take the goods and pay the rest later that day.

Infuriated by this Albie goes home and shaves his head. He returns the shop with the money and his father’s army bayonet. He berates the shopkeeper for treating him like working class scum.

Albie then stabs the shopkeeper with his father’s bayonet and writes the numbers 9615489 on the wall of the shop. This is the main clue to the motive behind Albies killings.

Witnesses who saw Albie leaving the shop discribe him as a skinhead, this convinces the police that the murder has a racist motive.

They persue this line and make raids on the premises of all National Front sympathizers but without success.

Fitz and Bilborough have not spoken since the Cassidy case. So Bilborough brings in another psychologist, Dr Nolan.

Dr. Nolan gives a television interview in which he describes the killer as being white, uneducated and a football supporting thug . Albie sees this interview and is infuriated by the general assumptions Nolan made, Albie murders him in the University where Nolan has been giving a lecture.

Fitz is then called in to help with the investigation and he agrees on the condition that from now on they “seek truth and justice.

Can Fitz find Ablie before he carries out his plan??

This is a fantastic episode with lots of twists and turns.

Starring

Dr.Edward "Fitz" Fitzgerald - ROBBIE COLTRANE
DS Jane "Panhandle" Penhaligon - GERALDINE SOMERVILLE
DCI David Bilborough - CHRISTOPHER ECCLESTON
DCI Charlie Wise - RICKY TOMLINSON
DS Jimmy Beck - LORCAN CRANITCH
Judith Fitzgerald - BARBARA FLYNN
Albie Kinsella - ROBERT CARLYLE

Episode 5

== The Big Crunch ==

This episode sees Kenneth Trant (Jim Carter) a headmaster and preacher in a sect that he leads, he is secretly having an affair with one of his students, Joanne Barnes (Samantha Morton),

He is secretly photographed sex with Joanne by Norma his sister in law. She shows the pictures to his wife Virginia.

Virgina and Norma, kidnap Joanne and lock her in the basement until Kenneth comes home. Once confronted by Kennenth,Joanne tells them that she is pregnant.

Kenneth has such a power over his family that they absolve him of all blame. Instead they blame Joanne. They strip her, draw religious markings on her body, and intend to kill her by giving her gin and prescription drugs and throwing her in a paper shredding machine at their factory.

Dean, a member of their religious group, who is shall we say is somewhat mentally challanged, is instructed to dump a box containing Joanne’s body in the shredding machine at Michael’s factory.

He has a crush on Joanne and once he opens the box and sees her inside he cant bring himself to do the evil deed. He lets her go. Joanne,is picked up by the police, and taken to hospital.

Fitz is sent to interview her, she gives him vital clues to the killers however, Joanne dies in hospital as a result of her ordeal. Dean is picked up as a suspect, DS Beck forces him to admit that he killed Joanne. Dean then hangs himself in his jail cell because of the guilt. The police think the case is closed Fitz does not.

Can Fitz prove the Trants involvement in the murder of Joanne?

== Starring ==

Dr.Edward "Fitz" Fitzgerald - ROBBIE COLTRANE
Judith Fitzgerald - BARBARA FLYNN
DS Jane "Panhandle" Penhaligon - GERALDINE SOMERVILLE
DCI Charlie Wise - RICKY TOMLINSON
DS Jimmy Beck - LORCAN CRANITCH
Kenneth Trant - JIM CARTER
Michael Trant - JAMES FLEET
Norma Trant - CHERITH MELLOR
Virginia Trant - MAUREEN O'BRIEN

Episode 6

== Men Should Weep ==

In this episode we see Floyd Malcolm (Graham Aggrey) employed as a minicab driver while collecting dole money.

Floyd is also a serial rapist

His latest victim is Catherine, wife of a fellow taxi driver. Floyd raped her as an act of revenge against his work collegue after he insulted Floyd by telling a racist joke at work.

The police pick up all known local rapists (including Floyd), they have no solid leads.

Whilst Fitz and the police officers are later drinking in the pub, the men begin telling jokes about rape victims. DS Penhaligon tries to join in with teh banter but she clearly shows how uncomfortable. DS Beck taunts Penhaligon by saying that women must allow themselves to be raped because “you cannot thread a moving needle”. He then asks Penhaligon repeatedly whether she fantasises about rape. She finally admits that she sometimes does.

Penhaligon herself is then raped.

Is it the same man and can Fitz catch him???

Starring

Dr.Edward "Fitz" Fitzgerald - ROBBIE COLTRANE
Judith Fitzgerald - BARBARA FLYNN
DS Jane "Panhandle" Penhaligon - GERALDINE SOMERVILLE
DCI Charlie Wise - RICKY TOMLINSON
DS Jimmy Beck - LORCAN CRANITCH
Floyd Malcolm - GRAHAM AGGREY

Episode 7

== Brotherley Love ==

Unfortunately this gives the previous episode away a little.

This episode sees Fitz is going to see DS Beck in a mental hospital where he has been recovering from so called “emotional problems”.

Fitz tries to get Beck to admit that he raped DS Penhaligon but Beck continues to deny his involvement in the rape of DS Penhaligon. He actually states that he screwed her anyway just to get at Fitz.

David Harvey (Mark Lambert), picks up prostitute Jean McIlvanney and goes back to her house. He has a strange ritual before having sex with prostitutes he makes them sing “How much is that Doggy in the Window” by Shirley Temple.

Once he has done the deed he finds that he does not have the cash to pay her. His wife has taken it out of his wallet. He then goes back to his house, leaves Jean in the car and goes in to see if his wife has any of the money left.

Jean thinks he is not going to pay her and decides to knock on his door whilst his wife and children are there. He confronts her before she gets to the door. He gets her back into his car he flies into a rage because she was about to enter his home, he stops in a back street and then beats her to death with a chisel. After killing her, he inserts the chisel between her legs.

Davids brother Michael (who is a priest) agrees to help him avoid detection. Eye witness evidence eventually lead the police to David who is arrested and picked out of a line-up by one of Jean’s friends. Fitz begins to interrogate him but David refuses to admit that he is guilty of murder.

Meanwhile another prostitute is murdered and forensic evidence suggests that it was the same person who killed Jean McIlvanney.

Doubts about whether they have the right man in custody, as the MO is the same yet the police have David in custody.

Fitz begins to suspect David’s brother of trying to get David out of prison by killing women in the same way.

Can Fitz solve the puzzle and stop the murderer before he claims his next victim?

Starring

Dr.Edward "Fitz" Fitzgerald - ROBBIE COLTRANE
DS Jane "Panhandle" Penhaligon - GERALDINE SOMERVILLE
DCI Charlie Wise - RICKY TOMLINSON
Judith Fitzgerald - BARBARA FLYNN
DS Jimmy Beck - LORCAN CRANITCH
David Harvey - MARK LAMBERT
Maggie Harvey - BRID BRENNAN

Episode 8

== Best Boys ==

This episode starts with Jimmy Beck’s funeral. DS Penhaligon causes a scene at the wake when she gets very drunk and starts telling people what happened and what DS Beck was really like.

Bill Preece/Nash (John Simm0 is an emotionally disturbed 17 year old. He lives in a children’s care home, but breaks into the factory where he is doing work experience and is found by the foreman, Stuart Grady (Liam Cunningham) . Rather then report him to the police Grady lets Bill sleep on the floor in his flat.

Grady’s landlady, finds Bill in the flat the next morning, she assumes that he is a rent boy and threatens to call the police.

Out of the blue Grady Bill stabs her to prevent her from reporting them.

However she is only wounded, and Grady deliverers the fatal blow they are both now equally guilty . They then dump her in the cellar.

Her husband comes home and finds his dying wife in the cellar. Inadvertantly he falls down into the cellar whilst trying to help her. He is he later found by the police and charged with his wife’s murder.

Bill's social worker, Ian McVerry, attempts to take Bill back to the children’s home. Grady prevents this from and he and Bill subsequently kill McVerry outside a nightclub.

Can Fitz catch the killers before they strike again?

Starring

Dr.Edward "Fitz" Fitzgerald - ROBBIE COLTRANE
DS Jane "Panhandle" Penhaligon - GERALDINE SOMERVILLE
DCI Charlie Wise - RICKY TOMLINSON
Judith Fitzgerald - BARBARA FLYNN
Bill Nash - JOHN SIMM
Stuart Grady - LIAM CUNNINGHAM

Episode 9

== True Romance ==

In this episode Janice a lab tech at Manchester University has developed an crush on Fitz. She is writing him love letters which he is reading out at his lectures and making a fool out of her affection for him.

Janice believes that she can get Fitz's attention by killing young men. She Janice electrocutes a student and dumps his body near a railway line.

She also leaves a copy of a Dusty Springfield’s song ‘I Close My Eyes and Count to Ten’ with the body.

Shortly after the murder, Fitz receives another letter and realizes that his admirer is the killer, afetr she writes vital information in the letter.

After Fitz shuns her advances she decides to targets Mark Fitzgerald (Fitz'z son) as her next victim: She lures him back to her flat ties him to her bed in the same way she killed her other victims. Janice gives herself up to the police so she can have her time alone with Fitz.

Fitz’s interrogation of Janice is difficult as she has his son. He has to be delicate as he does not want to provoke her.

Can Fitz get her to confess and tell teh police where Mark is being held?

Great soundtrack in this episode.

Starrring

Dr.Edward "Fitz" Fitzgerald - ROBBIE COLTRANE
DS Jane "Panhandle" Penhaligon - GERALDINE SOMERVILLE
DCI Charlie Wise - RICKY TOMLINSON
Judith Fitzgerald - BARBARA FLYNN
Janice - EMILY JOYCE

Episode 10

== White Ghost ==

in this episode we see Fitz in Hong Kong on a lecture tour.

Dennis Philby (Barnaby Kay) is an English businessman situated in Hong Kong. His fortunes are going pearshaped just as he finds out his girlfriend, Su Lin Tang, is pregnant. Su Lin wants to have an abortion, Dennis is furious and decides to imprison her in a storage crate until she is past the date of having an abortion.

He then kills Peter Yang, the man who wanted to take over his business. The Hong Kong police call Fitz in to help with their inquiries. Fitz insists that DS Penhaligon is flown over to help him. There is a shock for him when he gets to the airport to collect her!!

Dennis countinues his killing spree... Can Fitz stop him before he kills Su Lin?

Starring

Dr.Edward "Fitz" Fitzgerald - ROBBIE COLTRANE
DCI Charlie Wise - RICKY TOMLINSON
Dennis Philby - BARNABY KAY

Episode 11

== Nine Eleven ==

Fitz has returned to Manchester (after living for seven years in Australia) for Katie’s wedding. Mark is married with a child.

Kenny Archer (Anothony Flanagan) is a police officer and former soldier, he has PTSD after a tour of duty in Northern Ireland.

He hates America and Americans he believes that 9/11 and “The War on Terror” made the war in Northern Ireland irrelevant and all his comrades who died have now been forgotten about.
He seeks help from the Samaritans and says that he wished he had the courage to kill himself because otherwise he will kill other people.

He proceeds to a nightclub and murders an American comedian in a toilet who has been making jokes about “The War on Terror”

Even though Fitz is spending only 1 week in Manchester, GMP ask him to help investigate the murder.

Kenny continues his killing spree, he also has a good reason to believe that he will never be caught as he is one of the officers involved in the investigation!

Can Fitz solve the killers identity and stop his murderous killing spree?

Starring

Dr.Edward "Fitz" Fitzgerald - ROBBIE COLTRANE
Judith Fitzgerald - BARBARA FLYNN
Mark Fitzgerald - KIERAN O'BRIEN
DI Walters - RICHARD COYLE
DS Saleh - NISHA K.NAYER
DS McAllister - RAFE SPALL
James Fitzgerald - JOHN EVANS
Lilly Fitzgerald - Lilli Ella Kelleher

Summary

Each episode in my opinion is fantastic, teh only episode i think is weak is White Ghost.

I would strongly advise that you buy this collection.

Happy watching.

 

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