Heat of the Sun

As I’ve said in previous posts, if I like an actor in a particular series, I tend to seek out other work they’ve done. That’s the case here. I loved Trevor Eve in Waking the Dead. I wanted to check out another of his performances. That’s when I found Heat of the Sun.

Eve plays Albert Tyburn, a former Scotland Yard police superintendent who is exiled to Nairobi, Kenya because he killed a murder suspect, who just happened to be a well-connected individual in England. So, he’s been dismissed from Scotland Yard and dispatched to head the new criminal investigation unit in Nairobi, on the edges of the British Empire.

The year is 1931 and a rich group of socially elite Brits have created for themselves a decadent way of life, a life where they either make up their own rules or have none at all. They’re called the “Happy Valley set.” Here the police are treated like servants and the native population like slaves. The police have no interest in proper protocols and pretty much let the upper class do whatever they wish. That is until Tyburn, “the new sheriff,” comes to town.

Tyburn cares about enforcing the law and about the natives in Nairobi, even though his superiors would rather the native police take care of their own issues. Albert Tyburn is not dissimilar to Trevor Eve’s character, Peter Boyd, in Waking the Dead. He’s a pretty moody guy who is always focused on solving the crime and punishing those responsible, even if they are one of the British elite.

This three episode mini-series was part of PBS’s Mystery!. Each episode has surprising plot twists that will keep you guessing “who dunnit” until the very end.

Episode #1: Private Lives
Tyburn investigates the disappearance and subsequent mysterious death of Lady Daphne Ellesmere. While on the case, Tyburn finds the privileged elite have a lot of secrets and have no qualms about covering up a crime.

Episode #2: Hide in Plain Sight
A young native girl is found dead which leads to more murder and blackmail. Hugh Bonneville, Lord Grantham from Downton Abbey, appears in this episode.

Episode #3: Sport of Kings
An annual horse race is the backdrop for this episode. A young African stable boy is murdered. To solve this case, Tyburn must go with his gut, even though it’s against the wishes of Police Commissioner Burkitt.

MAIN CAST:
Trevor Eve – Superintendent Albert Tyburn
Freddie Annobil-Dodoo – Corporal Jonah Karinde
Michael Byrne – Police Commissioner Ronald Burkitt
Susannah Harker – Emma Fitzgerald
Sean Gallagher – Chico de Ville
Julian Rhind-Tutt – Asst. Superintendent James Valentine
David Horovitch – Dr. Emil Mueller

Total Seasons: 1 (3 episodes)
Seasons Available on US Formatted DVD: 1
In Production: 1998
Viewer Discretion: Some violence and adult situations