Keen Eddie

Infobox Television
show_name = Keen Eddie


caption =
format = Action, Comedy, Drama, Mystery
camera =
picture_format =
audio_format =
runtime = 60 min
creator = J.H. Wyman
developer =
executive_producer =
starring = Mark Valley, Sienna Miller, Julian Rhind-Tutt, Colin Salmon, Rachael Buckley
narrated =
opentheme =
endtheme =
country = USA
network = FOX
first_run =
first_aired = June 6, 2003
last_aired = July 24, 2003
num_episodes = 13
website =
imdb_id = 0318390
tv_com_id = 11394

"Keen Eddie" is an action/comedy-drama television series, first aired in 2003, about a brash American police detective who is sent to help solve crimes in London. The basic premise of the show bears a close resemblance to the popular 1980s British series "Dempsey & Makepeace", the only notable difference being that the female partner has been replaced by a female housemate. Stylistically, the series derived inspiration from British feature films "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" and "Snatch", both written and directed by Guy Ritchie. The soundtrack and incidental music for at least the first episode was provided by British techno duo Orbital.

The hour long series was scheduled to be a midseason replacement, but was postponed and instead aired in summer 2003. As a result, the ratings of the show decreased each week, not helped by "American Juniors" as the show's lead-in. The Fox Network then tried to move the show to Thursdays, but canceled it after its first airing in the new timeslot.

The American cable network Bravo picked up the series, including the episodes never aired on Fox. All thirteen episodes of the series were released on DVD by Paramount Home Entertainment in 2004.

In Chile and Argentina, Fox aired the series on Mondays at 21 hrs. during 2003.

In Australia, Network Ten have aired Keen Eddie, first during the spring-summer of 2004; and second during winter 2005. Both were aired late after midnight.

In the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, the series is shown on Sky Digital.

In France, the whole series has been aired on the cable Channel Comédie!.

In Poland, it has been aired on the TVN.

In 2008, the series will air on Sleuth.

Cast

*Mark Valley - Detective Eddie Arlette
*Sienna Miller - Fiona Bickerton
*Julian Rhind-Tutt - Inspector Monty Pippin
*Colin Salmon - Superintendent Nathanial Johnson
*Rachael Buckley - Carol Ross
*Lewis Rose - Mitchell Friedman

Plot

After his investigation into an oxycodone ring results in a botched drug bust, New York police Detective Eddie Arlette is sent to London to assist Scotland Yard with its work on the same case. Eddie and his British police partner, Inspector Monty Pippin, help crack the case, and Eddie is asked to stay on at Scotland Yard. He initially declines but suddenly changes his mind to the surprise of those around him.

In addition to his work, Eddie has an adversarial relationship with Fiona, who occupies the flat he is renting from her parents; she begrudgingly puts up with him (and his Bull Terrier, Pete), because he has threatened to reveal to her parents that she is not actually enrolled at university. Eddie frequently tries to make Fiona question her relationship with her boyfriend, Nigel. It is possible that he would like them to break up so he might be able to date Fiona. In the final episodes of the series, Eddie and Fiona seem to be forming a deeper connection with each other, while still maintaining their teasing relationship. In the final episode, it is predicted that Eddie will fall in love with a woman on a red bus. In the last moments of the episode, Eddie sees Fiona get off a red bus. He clearly notices this fact but chooses not to tell Fiona. Had a second season occurred, it would have likely continued this growing attraction between the two.

Eddie's other influential relationship, while in England, is with his friend and co-worker Monty Pippin. On his first day in London, Pippin takes Eddie to a swingers club. Pippin explains that he is not actually married but he and a friend pretend to be, so they can take part in the club. Pippin has many other strange sexual habits. In one episode, Pippin joins a support group for "sexaholics" (nymphomaniacs) but tells the group his name is Eddie Arlett. He also drops his English accent and takes on an American one. He never takes the support group seriously and promptly attempts to seduce one of his group members. While Eddie puts up with Pippin's antics, he frequently tries to encourage Pippin to change. Eddie also states that Pippin's personality is not natural as everything Pippin does contradicts something he did previously.

Eddie also has albeit a seemingly imaginary flirtatious relationship with Carol Ross (Superintendent Nathanial Johnson's assistant), whom he calls "Ms. MoneyPenny" and with whom he banters using "double entendres" of a sexual nature. When he asks her seemingly innocent questions, she gives a sexy reply. Eddie frequently asks those around him if they heard her response. Excepting a single incident in the episode "Keeping Up Appearances", no one ever appears to have heard her sexy response but simply hear a neutral comment.

Eddie owns a dog named Pete, who is extremely ill-tempered. Eddie attempts to leave him in quarantine at the airport when he arrives in England but Pippin rescues Pete, by claiming Pete is a police dog. Pete chews on everything and frequently destroys TV remote controls and cellphones. He also has strange sexual appetites, from Fiona's cat to a fur coat to sleeping humans. More than once, he has aggressively cornered visitors at the apartment and forced them to stand motionless for hours until Fiona or Eddie come home.

Maybe last but certainly not least, Eddie also has a catch-phrase when introduced to a villain or upon making an arrest: "How do you like me so far?"

Music played a strong role in the series. Throughout the different episodes, it was common to hear popular multi-national and UK artists not heard on USA airwaves, adding to the flavor of the series and further helping the viewer connect with the environment Eddie was in. Bent's "Beautiful Otherness" played as Detective Pippin was in a cafe by himself, contemplating being alone. FC Kahuna's "Hayling" also featured at least once, in a scene with Fiona. And those were just to name a few. Several fans were upset that the DVD version of this album is lacking the original music used in the series.

Episodes

Paramount opted to put the episodes in the order they were aired, not produced. The most notable evidence of this is Eddie’s map of London, where he tacks a matchbook relating to his adventure. The number of matchbooks noticeably fluctuates when watched in broadcast order. Reference: [http://www.entopia2002.com/reviews/dvd/keenEddie.shtml Entopia Review] .

In the fine print on the bottom of the DVD set box, Paramount Home Entertainment admits "MUSIC HAS BEEN REPLACED FOR THIS HOME ENTERTAINMENT VERSION."

References

*cite web | url=http://www.popmatters.com/tv/reviews/k/keen-eddie.shtml | title="Keen Eddie": An American Cop in London | accessdate=2006-12-24 | last=Kelly | first=Stephen | date=June 9, 2003 | format= | work= | publisher=PopMatters | language=English | archiveurl= | archivedate=

External links

*imdb title|0318390