How does Waking the Dead compare to Silent Witness?

[Italiangreyhound]

How does Waking the Dead compare to Silent Witness?

We watched both and always preferred waking the dead, much more likeable characters and more interesting storylines.

Forgot to say better actors in waking the dead as well.

I read this as 'Walking Dead' and thought it was an odd question

I've started watching the pilot of Waking the dead.

I loved Silent Witness so must confess I am a bit disappointed so far! but pilots are always a bit hit or miss, maybe, and maybe it will get better...

I also read this as the walking dead and was confused 🙈

Started watching first episode after pilot and it's getting better.

I like both - I think Waking the Dead is more "grown-up" for want of a better term, and has better storylines - But the music is ridiculously loud - and be honest, would you want to work with Boyd?

less simplistic. I preferred Silent Witness after Dr Sam Ryan left - but get a bit sick of "quirky" women on these shows.

And why do almost all the women have what are traditionally "boys'" names? Sam Ryan, Nikki Alexander in SW; Mel Silver, Frankie Wharton; Felix (FELIX!!!) Gibson in WtD - there's only the psychologist Grace Foley who is unashamed of having a woman's name.

It's the same in Judge Deed. Daughter Sam, ex-wife George, long-term lover Jo - even his clerk is known as "Coop".

Sorry for sending off - it mildly irritates me . . .

@SchadenfreudePersonified it's imterestinf to get a different perspective.

I so loved Silent Witness, loved the would they wouldn't they of Nikki and Harry.

But yes loads of male names.

I sometimes watched Silent Witness and couldn't figure out who actually did it!

I am watching Silent Witness on iplayer now! I like Waking the Dead too but Trevor Eve annoys me. SW has got more ridiculous over the years though. Loving series 8 with Tom and Leo, and Nikki just starting.

It does get very ridiculous. But brilliantly so.

I sometimes watched Silent Witness and couldn't figure out who actually did it!

I was watching an episode of WtD last night that ended up in the air - I couldn't workout who or why or how anything had happened.

Plus, Boyd had been set up (the wife of a murder victim had spiked his drink, and then driven his car with him asleep in it and deliberately run into a motorcyclist in order to compromise him). Boyd was charged, lost his warrant card etc, motor-cyclist was very badly injured - critical - but we never found out what happened. Did theguy's widow admit what she'd done,or what? (She ended up murdering her husband's killer, so she'd hardly go down for any longer - but I hate being left in the air like that.)

SchadenfreudePersonified which episode?

I'm just about to watch part 2 of Blond Beggar (the third pairing). Dear old dh is off to bed but I need to who did it!

It's gerting good now do glad i persevered!

I preferred Waking The Dead and enjoyed them all again during lockdown. Though maybe its because i'm older now, this time around Boyds constant shouting made me think 'no way in real life would everyone he works with put up with that shit' 🙂 but then again, it's not a documentary!

Italiangreyhound

Series 5 episodes 3and 4 - Black Run.

The next story - 5 and 6 - Subterranean also had me bamboozled

I always liked Waking the Dead more than Silent Witness and felt very short-changed when the former ended abruptly. Agree that Boyd is a PITA but when you understand the issue with his son it makes sense why he is as he is. Love Grace Foley.

I read this as walking dead and was about to say they don't compare at all 😂

Grace Foley is brilliant!

Both the character and the actress - Sue Johnston is superb!

WtD until it started with Boyd's child and Bosnia and a horrid episode about organ donation...
Too disturbing after that

TheNemesisOfLame interesting, Silent Witness has an episode about organ donation.

There was a good radio 4 broadcast set before the tv series of Waking the dead. It was really good, set the scene filling in back stories. Pretty sure it had Nicola Walker? as well as Sue Johnston, called Unforgiven, about a serial killer. Anyway, just looked and it's no longer available.

Oh the organ 'donation' (harvesting a better term) one is totally grim :-(.

I used to watch it avidly but rewatching them, I didn't actually recall a lot f the stories, except for the 'tower' body one (with religious significance) and the Jewish family (at the end of WW2) one which is what rekindled my interest in seeing them again.

A pity that the radio broadcast drama isn't available. I gather Trevor Eve didn't take part though?

I was quite surprised how quickly he aged from series one to about four. Love Sue Johnston ever since she was in Brookie getting on for forty years ago????

Sue Johntson is fab. So versatile. In the same league as Julie Walters but with less recognition.

I’m laughing at this thread as I’ve just realised that I was that I always thought that they were the same programme.

As you were.

@21missyB1, @31FrodoTheDodo thanks for encouraging me to watch it. It's getting good.

@13SchadenfreudePersonified "But the music is ridiculously loud" yes it is!

@23Xmasbaby11 I'm definitely getting into it now.

It's getting good. But sad of course. I can't help recognising the actors.

'Fanny' from Some and Sensibilities is the prisoner in this episode. I've turned into my dad, trying to work out where I've seen people before.

It's funny seeing Simon Charles Kunz as the police guy when I always remember him as the guy at Four Weddings and a funeral.

Doesn't Waking the Dead seem to happen in the dark? I remember jokes about them only having one 40 watt lightbulb.