The Turkish Detective: a familiar tale in a new setting

In the not so very distant past of British television, capers in the company of avuncular, maverick detectives were the ratings sureties around which peak-time drama schedules were built. Although viewing figures are much diminished, such shows remain plentiful.

These detective stories remain generally compliant with the wisdom that they should have two defining features. The first is an emotionally intelligent, workaholic, central character (or two) who can see what others cannot. The...