Dead or Alive

Det. Insp. Septimus “Sep” Black, the hero of this middling series launch set in Yorkshire from McCoy (Mad Carew), is having a bad week. He’s convinced that a dirty cop has relocated just to bring him down, his estranged wife has accused him of beating her and won’t let him see their young daughter, a politician accused of child abuse has died while in his custody, and a powerful criminal has kidnapped two children. After a violent outburst in a bar, Sep asks for help and is sent to a psychiatric ward. He’s sure things can’t get worse, but they do, and when he’s released, he goes undercover to find those kids and clear his name. McCoy hits every note for a gritty procedural, including two sadistic henchmen that crack wise and kill with impunity, but this everything-but-the-kitchen-sink approach never rises above cliché, and the violence often feels gratuitous. Disjointed storytelling—Sep goes from just taking a break from his marriage to never really getting along with his wife in a hot minute—further mars this ho-hum effort. (Oct.)