Cracker (1993–1996)

An abrasively eccentric forensic psychologist aids in the solving of difficult police cases.

Creator:

Jimmy McGovern

Stars:

Robbie Coltrane, Geraldine Somerville, Kieran O'Brien

20 wins & 14 nominations.

Cast

Series cast summary:
Robbie Coltrane	...	Dr. Eddie 'Fitz' Fitzgerald (24 episodes, 1993-1996)
Geraldine Somerville	...	DS Jane 'Panhandle' Penhaligon (23 episodes, 1993-1995)
Kieran O'Brien	...	Mark Fitzgerald (21 episodes, 1993-1995)
Lorcan Cranitch	...	DS Jimmy Beck (19 episodes, 1993-1995)
Barbara Flynn	...	Judith Fitzgerald (19 episodes, 1993-1995)
Ricky Tomlinson	...	D.C.I. Charlie Wise (15 episodes, 1994-1996)
Tess Thomson	...	Kate 'Katie' Fitzgerald (12 episodes, 1993-1995)
Christopher Eccleston	...	DCI David Bilborough (10 episodes, 1993-1994)
Wil Johnson	...	D.C. Skelton (10 episodes, 1994-1995)

Storyline

This mystery series from the U.K. outlines the adventures of a psychologist employed by the police to aid them in profiling and questioning suspects. "Fitz" (Robbie Coltrane), an avowed drunkard and gambler, has an uncanny knack for boring directly into the hearts and minds of his subjects, many of whom may in fact be saner than he is...

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 September 1993 (UK)

Also Known As:

Fitz ratkaisee

Filming Locations:

Manchester, Greater Manchester, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

A&E Television Networks, Granada Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min 90 min (9 episodes) 60 min (22 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

Fitz is never seen driving and is always driven by others. The reason is never explained in the series. But in the book "Cracker: The Truth Behind the Fiction", it says that "He's never trusted himself behind the wheel of a car - its just too tempting to put your foot down and close your eyes and gamble that you won't hit anything before you've counted to twenty".

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Quotes

DS Jimmy Beck: He's throwin' fits, Fitz!
Fitz: I'm in custody, CUSTODY!

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Connections

Remade as Cracker: Mind Over Murder (1997)

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Soundtracks

"Summertime"
Sung by Carol Kidd

User Reviews

Cracker

I stumbled onto "Cracker" knowing nothing about it nor Robbie Coltrane. After getting into the series, I felt as if I'd died and gone to heaven. Previous writers have written very well about the brilliance of Robbie Coltrane's acting and Jimmy McGovern's writing. "Cracker" and so many other well-directed, -acted, -written British detective series beg the question: Why is Hollywood incapable of this stuff? With few exceptions, the U.S. film industry fails and fails so miserably. Except for the folks at HBO and the Boston PBS affiliate WGBH in collaboration with like-minded professionals in the U.K., "the suits" of the American film industry seem unwilling to gamble on a series like (the British version of) "Cracker." I also highly recommend "Foyle's War," "Touching Evil," and "Second Sight" if you're a fan of brilliant British detective series. "Prime Suspect" remains on my list to watch among some others, all British. I am forever thankful these are all available on DVD.