The Cutprice Guignol

As you may have guessed from perhaps my favourite article of all time, I’m a big fan of the John Rebus series by Ian Rankin, and, in particular, the mid-2000s adaptation of the same starring Ken Stott.

Which is to say that I am very precious about that particular series, in all the tartan noir nonsense it propagates – and, when I saw that a new version was being produced, set in 2024 and starring Richard Rankin as the titular man himself, I was more than a little sceptical. Could a character like Rebus make the jump to modern television? Would we lose some of the full, rich world Rankin created around him? Would I ever truly love again after Ken Stott? Much to consider.

Long story short, I was wrong (well, about everything other than the Ken Stott thing). This adaptation of Rebus is a genuinely brilliant one, a worthy successor to the excellent versions of the past, and one that knows when to diverge and knows when to stick with the classics. Writer Gregory Burke has done a brilliant job here, making moves to differentiate the show from previous iterations while capturing the central throughline that makes Ian Rankin’s stories so distinct. At a tight six episodes long, the overaching story doesn’t outstay its welcome, a satisfyingly well-crafted collection of interlocking pieces that come together in the third act.

But what of the man himself? Fundamental to the character of Rebus is a healthy dose of shithousery, and it was that which I feared might be first up to the chopping block in a modern reboot of the show – but, thank God, it’s still here, and it’s what ultimately sells the show for me. Richard Rankin can do gritty, he can do brooding, he can do troubled – all central to the character – but more than that, he can do bitchy and witty, and that’s what I ultimately come to these stories for. I can find a divorced alcoholic dad anywhere on TV, but it’s much harder to find one who is capable of God-tier silliness, you know?

And, to be fair, I think that Rankin is supported by a truly excellent supporting cast here – this is truly a stroll through some of Scotland’s most impressive character actors, and it shows. Caroline Lee-Johnson as lead detective inspector Gill and Stuart Bowman as the series’ legendary villain Cafferty bring some of that tartan noir, hard-boiled fun to the cast. But, really Brian Ferguson is the standout here for me, in an honestly kind of brilliant performance as Michael, Rebus’ brother, an ex-solider struggling to navigate daily life in the face of financial hardship. Ferguson captures a real sense of offness in Michael’s attempts to live a normal life without ever taking it to parodic or unbelievable territory; he’s one of the central figures of the season-long story, and so much hinges on Ferguson being able to make some sense of the choices Michael makes over the course of these six episodes, which he does with enormous skill.

As a full piece, I think this new version of Rebus is much stronger than I expected it to be – there’s no sacrifice made at the alter of modern TV here in the character work or the setting, and it’s a worthy successor to other versions of the story – and character – that have come before.

What did you think of this version of the Rebus series, either as a new fan or an old one? How does it stand up to other versions of the character? Let me know in the comments!

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(header image via Radio Times)