"Rebus" Mortal Causes (2001)

Director:

Dave Moore

Writers:

Mark Greig (writer)
Ian Rankin (novel)

TV Series:

"Rebus" (2000)

Original Air Date:

27 September 2001 (Season 1, Episode 4)

Genre:

Crime

Plot:

The motto of the Scottish kings - Nemo mi impune lacessit ("Don't Mess With Me") sets the tone for this story...

Plot Keywords:

Based On Novel

Cast

John Hannah	...	DI John Rebus
Sara Stewart	...	DCI Gill Templar
Gayanne Potter	...	DS Siobhan Clarke
James Cosmo	...	Morris Gerald Cafferty
Michelle Fairley	...	Janice Mee
Michael Nardone	...	DI Martin Kilpatrick
Ashley Jensen	...	Mhairi Henderson
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Russell Anderson	...	Lachlan Murdock
Eric Barlow	...	DS Ken Smylie
Barbara Barnes	...	Eleanor Moncur
James Bryce	...	Dr. Curt
Suzanne Dance	...	Estate Agent
Paul Doonan	...	Davey Soutar
Gregor Duncan	...	DS Calumn Smylie
Michelle Gomez	...	Caro Rattray
Sheila Grier	...	Teresa Cunningham
Surinder Hoonjan	...	Nahid
McGreechin Martin	...	Funeral Director
Vincent Marzello	...	Clyde Moncur
Kevin McMonagle	...	Frankie Bothwell
Craig Moncur	...	Jamesie McMurray
Mark O'Hare	...	Christo
Jenny Patterson	...	Jools Docherty
Jenny Ryan	...	WPC Ellen Logan
Christopher Schönning	...	Jackson
Ron Stirling	...	Uniformed Police Officer

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Australia:M

Company:

Clerkenwell Films

Trivia:

This episode was scheduled for broadcast in the UK on 20 September 2001 but was withheld until 1 November 2004 because of the terrorist attacks on the USA of 11 September 2001 and the collapse of the World Trade Center towers. It was broadcast on digital-only channel ITV3 and so was not available to viewers who only have analogue televisions.

Movie Connections:

Followed by "Rebus: The Falls (#2.1)" (2006)

Good - but John Hannah isn't my idea of Rebus!

This is the first episode of Rebus that I've seen: I missed the earlier ones which were shown in 2000/2001. This episode was made at the same time and was scheduled to be shown in September 2001... then 9/11 intervened and the episode was postponed and was only shown in the UK in November 2004.

"Mortal Causes" is a very good and gripping adaptation of Ian Rankin's novel, but it is spoiled a bit by the casting of John Hannah as Rebus. In the books, Rebus is described as being world-weary, probably a bit (a lot?) overweight and aged in his fifties. Unfortunately John Hannah is too lean, "smooth" and young to be a convincing Rebus. I'd opt for someone like Ken Stott (Messiah, Promoted To Glory) to play the character: he's the right age, has an authentic accent (to my untutored English ears!) and has the right, slightly dishevelled roughness to play Rebus perfectly.