''A Mind to Kill'' is a

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...

television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...

police detective series, that developed from a feature-length pilot episode first broadcast in 1991. The series stars

Philip Madoc Philip Madoc (born Philip Arvon Jones; 5 July 1934 – 5 March 2012) was a Welsh actor. He performed many stage, television, radio and film roles, and was recognised for having a "rich, sonorous voice" and often playing villains and office ...

as protagonist DCI Noel Bain. Four series were broadcast between 1994 and 2002, though the Christmas special is sometimes counted as a separate series, bringing the total to five. The show first aired as ''Yr Heliwr'' on S4C, before being broadcast on Channel 5 in the UK. The series was filmed in both English and in Welsh, with each scene being shot first in one language and then in the other. The series has since been dubbed into more than a dozen languages and shown all over the world. The series is set in

South Wales South Wales ( cy, De Cymru) is a loosely defined region of Wales bordered by England to the east and mid Wales to the north. Generally considered to include the historic counties of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire, south Wales extends westwards ...

, and features a variety of post-industrial, rural, urban and seaside landscapes. The pilot episode was filmed in the

Aberystwyth Aberystwyth () is a university and seaside town as well as a community in Ceredigion, Wales. Located in the historic county of Cardiganshire, means "the mouth of the Ystwyth". Aberystwyth University has been a major educational location in ...

area. All twenty-two episodes are available on DVD.

Synopsis

plays Detective Chief Inspector Noel Bain, a man who looks back fondly to the days when policing involved chasing villains, playing rugby and drinking beer. However, he has come to realise that contemporary policing imposes dilemmas that no training manual could ever anticipate. He is a man out of time and seeks to protect the old way of life, and what he believes are important traditional values. Bain is a widower who has a tempestuous relationship with his daughter, Hannah. Despite resenting the lack of time her father spent with the family because of police work, Hannah becomes a WPC on the same police force. Bain often sees his position as not just a job; but his

raison d'être Raison d'être is a French expression commonly used in English, meaning "reason for being" or "reason to be". Raison d'être may refer to: Music * Raison d'être (band), a Swedish dark-ambient-industrial-drone music project * ''Raison D'être' ...

; meaning that his journey is often an emotional and painful one as the personal and professional universes collide. Bain has a close friendship with police pathologist Professor Margaret Edwards (

Sharon Morgan Sharon Morgan (born 29 August 1949) is a Welsh actress of stage and screen, currently based in Cardiff. She was brought up in the village of Llandyfaelog. She is best known for her work within the Welsh film and television industries and has be ...

), but his true feelings for her remain ambiguous. Other regular actors included Gillian Elisa,

Meic Povey Michael "Meic" Povey (28 November 1950 – 5 December 2017) was a Welsh screenwriter, director and actor in Welsh and English language roles, considered to be one of Wales's leading playwrights and screenwriters.Bryn Fôn Bryn Fôn (born 27 August 1954) is a Welsh actor and singer-songwriter. He also became the first ever artist to play live on BBC Radio Cymru in 1977. Biography Bryn Fôn was born in Llanllyfni, Caernarfonshire. He attended Ysgol Gynradd Lla ...

Ieuan Rhys Ieuan Rhys (born 24 December 1961) is a Welsh actor. His television work has included thirteen years in the BBC Cymru soap opera ''Pobol y Cwm'', Seargent Tom Swann in the last series of ''A Mind to Kill'' (for Fiction Factory/ Channel 5) and s ...

, Huw Llyr and Elen Bowman. The series featured many guest spots from well known actors such as

Margaret John Margaret John (14 December 1926 – 2 February 2011) was a Welsh, BAFTA award-winning actress, known for her role as Doris O'Neill in ''Gavin & Stacey''. Early life Born in Swansea, as a child she wanted to be a nurse or vet, but she could ...

Ioan Gruffudd Ioan Gruffudd (; (born 6 October 1973) is a Welsh actor. He first came to public attention as Fifth Officer Harold Lowe in ''Titanic'' (1997), and then for his portrayal of Horatio Hornblower in the '' Hornblower'' series of television films ...

Sue Jones-Davies Sue Jones-Davies (born 1 January 1949) is a Welsh actress, singer and local politician. She played Judith Iscariot in the film ''Monty Python's Life of Brian'' (1979) and was Mayor of Aberystwyth from 2008 to 2009. Early life and education Sue J ...

David Warner David or Dave Warner may refer to: Sports * Dave Warner (strongman) (born 1969), Northern Ireland strongman competitor * David Bruce Warner (born 1970), South African alpine skier * David Warner (cricketer) (born 1986), Australian cricketer Oth ...

Mark Lewis Jones Mark Lewis Jones (born 31 August, 1964) is a Welsh actor, whose roles include that of a First Order Captain Moden Canady in '' Star Wars: The Last Jedi'', a police inspector in BBC drama series '' 55 Degrees North'', a whaler in the film '' Ma ...

John Rhys-Davies John Rhys-Davies (born 5 May 1944) is a Welsh actor best known for portraying Sallah in the ''Indiana Jones'' franchise and Gimli in ''The Lord of the Rings'' trilogy. His other roles include Michael Malone in the 1993 series ''The Untoucha ...

David Lyn David Lyn Jenkins (30 April 1927 – 4 August 2012), known professionally as David Lyn, was a Welsh television, film Archie Panjabi Archana Panjabi (born 31 May 1972) is a British actress. She has had various roles in both UK and US television including as Maya Roy in ''Life on Mars'' (2006–07), Nas Kamal in NBC crime drama '' Blindspot'' (2016–17, 2020), Kendra Malle ...

and

Siân Phillips Dame Jane Elizabeth Ailwên Phillips (born 14 May 1933), known professionally as Siân Phillips ( ), is a Welsh actress. She has performed the title roles in Ibsen's ''Hedda Gabler'' and George Bernard Shaw's '' Saint Joan''. Early life Phi ...

Reception

The ''Windsor Public Library'' stated that the series drew upon "Intricate plots, strongly drawn characters, and gritty authenticity", making it a "riveting Welsh drama series". ''Eclipse Magazine'' said of the series; "''A Mind To Kill'' is a dark and twisty show... CSI's ancestor. Murder is the most extreme human action and stories sometimes play out against the most extraordinary of circumstances, e.g. a

Miners' Strike Miners' strikes are when miners conduct strike actions. See also * List of strikes References {{Reflist Miners A miner is a person who extracts ore, coal, chalk, clay, or other minerals from the earth through mining. There are tw ...

, when the traditional way of life of the community is already under threat." They continued by stating that; "There is a strong psychological element, and as the series proceeds, the stories begin to dig deeper into Bain’s subconscious. The unresolved death of his wife causes great mental anguish and torment, and his dealings with the people he meets and the crimes he investigates are not always as straightforward as they should be."Eclipse Magazine - http://eclipsemagazine.com/dvd/15098/

Episodes

Pilot (1991)

Series 1 (1994—1995)

Series 2 (1997)

Christmas Special (1998)

Series 3 (2001)

Series 4 (2002)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Mind to Kill British crime television series S4C original programming British drama television series 1990s British drama television series 2000s British drama television series Channel 5 (British TV channel) original programming 1994 British television series debuts 2002 British television series endings Television shows set in Wales English-language television shows Detective television series