My Critique of Rebus
The original ITV/STV Rebus series remains a foundational pillar of Scottish noir, its defining achievement being the uncompromising, location‑literate evocation of Edinburgh as a city of entrenched class divides and institutional rot. The early Hannah episodes, especially Black and Blue, establish a novelistic density and moral murk that allows the character’s bruised conscience to interrogate corruption without tidy resolution.
Yet the production’s quality was inconsistent, and the recasting—while eventually strengthening the lead—exposed a tonal wobble and occasionally stagey plotting. Set beside contemporaries like Life on Mars or Cracker, Rebus is leaner and less flamboyantly performative, prioritising procedural persistence and urban texture over grandstanding.
For modern viewers, the series matters less for procedural pyrotechnics than for its sober portrait of civic compromise. Those prepared to accept its early-2000s aesthetic will find a rigorous, adult drama about the civic compromises that underpin crime.
This context clarifies why later iterations would rebrand the detective while keeping the city’s bruised character.
Principal Characters & Performances
Detective Inspector John Rebus
The character of John Rebus is the troubled, dogged heart of the series, brought to life by two distinct actors. John Hannah originated the role, presenting a more introspective and younger Rebus.
His portrayal often used voice-over to convey the character’s internal monologue, a direct line into his cynical worldview and personal demons.
This approach gave the early episodes a novelistic feel. When Ken Stott took over the role, the character aged and hardened.
Stott’s Rebus was physically more akin to Ian Rankin’s literary creation—gruff, weathered, and perpetually at odds with authority.
He dispensed with the voice-over, his performance relying on a simmering intensity and world-weary expression. This shift grounded the show in a grittier, more procedural reality.
Both actors captured Rebus’s essential traits: a deep-seated compassion for victims, a stubborn disregard for protocol, and a life perpetually unbalanced by the job.
Detective Sergeant Siobhan Clarke
Siobhan Clarke serves as Rebus’s professional anchor and frequent conscience. Initially played by Gayanne Potter alongside John Hannah, the character was established as a capable and patient foil to Rebus’s maverick tendencies.
When Claire Price assumed the role for the Ken Stott series, Clarke evolved into a more central and assertive figure.
Price’s Clarke is fiercely intelligent and ambitious, often navigating the investigations with a clearer strategic mind than her mentor. Her dynamic with Stott’s Rebus is pivotal; she respects his instincts but increasingly challenges his self-destructive methods.
Their partnership, built on mutual trust frayed by professional worry, provides the series’ emotional core. Clarke’s journey mirrors the viewer’s perspective, balancing admiration for Rebus’s dedication with frustration at his personal cost.
Notable Support and Guest Stars
The series boasted a formidable roster of Scottish acting talent, creating a rich world around Rebus. James Cosmo made an indelible mark as gangster Morris Gerald “Big Ger” Cafferty, Rebus’s formidable nemesis.
His presence loomed over multiple episodes, embodying the entrenched corruption Rebus constantly battled.
Key police figures included Sara Stewart and later Jennifer Black as Detective Chief Inspector Gill Templer, representing both a professional complication and a personal history for Rebus. Ron Donachie brought authority as Detective Chief Superintendent Jack Gunner in the later series.
Guest performances elevated individual stories. Julie Graham appeared in “The Naming of the Dead,” and Michelle Fairley featured in other episodes, bringing depth to complex victim and suspect roles.
These performers grounded the often-dark narratives in authentic human emotion, ensuring the crimes had real weight beyond the procedural puzzle.
Key Episodes & Defining Stories
Black and Blue
This inaugural episode, adapting Ian Rankin’s breakthrough novel, had the monumental task of establishing the television Rebus universe. It introduces John Hannah’s inspector amidst a sprawling case involving a copycat serial killer and deep-rooted police corruption.
The narrative weaves through Edinburgh and beyond, immediately establishing the show’s strong sense of place. James Cosmo’s first appearance as crime boss “Big Ger” Cafferty is crucial, planting the seeds for a lasting feud.
Fans remember it for setting the tonal template: gritty, morally complex, and unflinchingly attached to its Scottish setting. It proved Rankin’s intricate novels could be translated into ambitious, cinematic television drama, making it the foundational chapter of the entire series.
The Hanging Garden
This John Hannah episode is a masterclass in weaving personal stakes into a professional investigation. The case involves human trafficking and gang warfare between Tommy Telford and the imprisoned Cafferty, but the drama is electrified when Rebus’s daughter is critically injured.
The episode bravely connects Edinburgh’s criminal present with hidden wartime atrocities, as Rebus pursues a suspected Nazi war criminal. This blend of the personal and the historical showcased the series’ ambition to be more than a simple whodunit.
It is remembered for its emotional rawness and its demonstration of how Rebus’s life and work are tragically, inextricably linked. The fallout from his daughter’s accident becomes a shadow that lingers over his character.
Resurrection Men
Often cited as a high point of the Ken Stott era, this episode delves into the rot within the police force itself. After a disciplinary incident, Rebus is sent to a retraining course, which is actually an undercover operation to expose corrupt detectives.
Guest actors Jon Morrison and Des McAleer deliver sharp performances as the officers in Rebus’s crosshairs. Meanwhile, DS Siobhan Clarke runs a parallel murder investigation that gradually converges with Rebus’s secret task.
Fans prize this episode for its tight, suspenseful plot and its unflinching look at institutional betrayal. It captures Rebus at his most isolated, operating in a grey zone where the line between catching criminals and becoming one is perilously thin.
The World of Rebus
Edinburgh is not just a backdrop in Rebus; it is a central character. The series uses the city’s stark contrasts to powerful effect.
Scenes shift from the historic grandeur of the Royal Mile and the Castle to grim housing estates and rain-slicked tenement streets.
This visual dichotomy underscores the social and economic divides that fuel many of the crimes. The fictional St Leonard’s police station is the gritty, functional hub, while the city’s pubs and clubs reveal its underworld.
Stories often venture into the Scottish Parliament or government buildings, pulling political power into Rebus’s orbit. The show paints a comprehensive portrait of a modern capital city, one where ancient history and contemporary corruption exist side by side, providing the perfect, complex landscape for Rebus’s investigations.
Origin Story
The television series Rebus was produced by Scottish Television, later STV Studios, for the ITV network. The first series in 2000 was a co-production with Clerkenwell Films, where lead actor John Hannah was a partner.
Filmed on location in Edinburgh, it adapted Ian Rankin’s bestselling novels. The initial episodes were led by executive producers like Philip Hinchcliffe, with directors including Martyn Friend.
After the first series, a hiatus preceded a revival with Ken Stott taking the iconic role, leading to three further series until the show concluded its original run in 2007.
Narrative Style & Tone
The series evolved stylistically between its two leads. The John Hannah episodes employed a more novelistic approach, using Rebus’s voice-over to convey his inner thoughts, which created an introspective, almost noirish tone.
When Ken Stott took over, the show adopted a grittier, more conventional police procedural style, relying on visual storytelling and performance. Throughout, the tone remained consistently dark and morally complex.
Handheld camera work and authentic locations gave it a realistic, street-level feel. Storylines dealt with organised crime, political corruption, and historical guilt, interweaving Rebus’s personal struggles with the central mystery to explore the profound cost of justice.
How is Rebus remembered?
The original Rebus series is remembered as a cornerstone of early 2000s British, and particularly Scottish, crime drama. It paved the way for what is often called Tartan noir on television.
While the recasting from John Hannah to Ken Stott initially defined its legacy, both portrayals have found their audience.
Stott’s interpretation is frequently praised for its closer alignment to the literary Rebus. The show maintained solid popularity during its run, and its frequent repeats have sustained a loyal fanbase.
It is celebrated for its authentic Edinburgh atmosphere, complex storytelling, and a compelling central character whose flaws were as gripping as the cases he solved. Every new adaptation of Rankin’s work inevitably looks back to this definitive initial television incarnation.
In Closing
From its atmospheric Edinburgh setting to its deeply flawed hero, the original Rebus series set a high bar for character-driven crime drama, offering a compelling and enduring portrait of justice and its personal price.