The two series have no meaningful connection, and are so different that they should have their own entries on IMDb. The DVD sets were sold separately. The first episodes of series two were so forgettable that I felt I could live without the rest.
Series One was so very good that one gets the impression that some of the minor roles pushed themselves up the quality ladder in order to stay with the main portrayals. This was the first time I came across Stanley Tucci, and whereas he's always been an asset in everything thereafter, this was his finest hour. Daniel Benzali seemed to move faultlessly into a well-oiled parenthesis of TV perfection in the lead role. The mysterious storyline didn't seem that important compared to these and other performances.
The downside was the quality was too high for the domestic market, even during its first broadcast, and I got he impression there was desperate last-minute changes to the final episodes, to their detriment, in a futile attempt improve the ratings.
Series One was so very good that one gets the impression that some of the minor roles pushed themselves up the quality ladder in order to stay with the main portrayals. This was the first time I came across Stanley Tucci, and whereas he's always been an asset in everything thereafter, this was his finest hour. Daniel Benzali seemed to move faultlessly into a well-oiled parenthesis of TV perfection in the lead role. The mysterious storyline didn't seem that important compared to these and other performances.
The downside was the quality was too high for the domestic market, even during its first broadcast, and I got he impression there was desperate last-minute changes to the final episodes, to their detriment, in a futile attempt improve the ratings.