The Field of Blood, BBC 1 Scotland, Thursday/ Friday 9pm

Adapted from Denise Mia’s novel by the writer and director David Kane, the 1984 miners’ strike is the backdrop for this crime drama. And what a crime it was 84 000 miners then—and then there was none, but that’s a different story. Here it was a simple case of disinformation and the Government using GCHQ to spy on the miners’ leaders and there was a bit of murder thrown in. I like Paddy Meehan (Jayd Johnstone) and Ford Kiernan as her cynical partner and closet gay works very well. But I watch it for the patter, which was good. I like Paddy’s bossy mum and she steals the very last scene when Paddy tells her she is pregnant, she says nothing, but tears spring from her eyes. Pause. Then she hands Paddy the Christmas decorations and asks for a bit of help with them. I’m also looking for places that I know. The Locarno featured heavily in the opening shots, but everything else is closed down into frames where nothing much of Glasgow can be seen. Places are mentioned on telephones: Bearsden and Easterhouse, for example, but all that is shown are a grand house and the inside of a dumpy office for the latter.  There was a good line about the gangster/ heavy—he was that mad he flung his dog out the windae for chewing on his good Rangers’ scarf--  that was working as a front man for one of the spooks M15/M16 or Mmm I don’t know.  The sister of the murder victim never looked convincing. It was the look a bit grubby and roll your eyes about lots and hope for the best kind of scenes. Sometimes a bit of bruising was added to show the mad dog thrower had his evil way with her. Her from Coronation Street (can’t remember her name) was brought in to spread a bit of spite and disharmony in the newspaper office. She was good as the wicked witch. Alas Thatcher, the real witch,  came and conquered.