The show ran for just two series from 2004-2005 and followed DS. Nicky Cole (Don Gilet), a London detective who relocated to the River Tyne City after exposing police corruption. The series co-stars Dervla Kirwan as Clare Maxwell, a CPS lawyer whose relationship with Cole is a dominating side plot of both series'.
55 Degrees North is a police drama at its core, but like many police dramas that we see on the box today it covers many aspects of the lives of those in the force. It focuses deeply on racism, police corruption and harassment as well as love and personal relationships (lucky us)!
I do strongly believe that this did pave the way for Brenda Blethyn, her plastic mac, extremely large four-by-four and tweed hat.
The series received solid reviews and was praised for placing Newcastle on the map without overly playing on 'Geordie' stereotypes and harmful depictions of the North East that have been embedded in 21st century pop culture and yet the show still remained grounded in realism and the reality of day-to-day life in the North East.
However, despite its diverse storylines and varied, well-rounded depiction of Geordie Land, the show did not become a smash hit. The reason for it, I am not so sure, perhaps it was the time it was released at a time when police dramas were rife, shows like 'The Bill' and 'Merseybeat' dominated the telly schedules and ratings alike, making it difficult for space to be made in telly land for '55 Degrees North'.
Although it was not as successful as Vera, I do strongly believe that this did pave the way for Brenda Blethyn, her plastic mac, extremely large four-by-four and tweed hat. '55 Degrees North' demonstrated that Newcastle can sit at the heart of a TV police drama. It highlighted that a successful police drama did not need to be smothered by the backdrop of the metropolitan city or metropolitan police for that matter. It highlighted that a successful police drama could focus on the lives of people in the north and narratives of the north whilst still being fascinating and gripping.
Finally, to Gen Z, I hope this show (and article) can reinforce and remind them of the way in which Newcastle can be taken seriously in telly land. I hope it highlights that it can produce more than just fly on the wall documentary's about working class communities, more than just reality TV shows about dropping Kebabs in the street and getting barred from Tup Tup (no offence 'Geordie Shore'- we do love you!).
P.s. If you fancy taking a peak at where the show was filmed, head across the millennium bridge and take a look at the base of HMS Caliope, the Royal Navy Reserve next to Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art. This served as the exterior of the police station throughout the show!