A Touch of Cloth

Hannah plays DI Jack Cloth, who is called in to investigate an apparent series of serial killings alongside his new partner, DC Anne Oldman, described as a "plucky, no-nonsense sidekick". Playing with the cliches and conventions of British police dramas, subplots include Cloth dealing with visions of his dead wife and the bisexual DC Oldman coming to grips with her feelings for both her female fiancee and Cloth.

A Touch of Cloth (2012-2014) is a British television crime comedy and police procedural parody created by Charlie Brooker and Boris Starling for Sky One. John Hannah plays DI Jack Cloth, a detective who is called in to investigate an apparent series of serial killings alongside his new partner, DC Anne Oldman, played by Suranne Jones, a plucky, no-nonsense sidekick. Supporting principals include ACC Tom Boss, played by Julian Rhind-Tutt, and the forensic-minded Dr. Natasha Sachet, played by Daisy Beaumont. The engine of the show is the collision between a case that seems straight out of a gritty drama and a squad that cannot stop undermining it. Each short episode mocks the clichés of British crime shows, from dramatic chases to melodramatic confessions, while Cloth wrestles with visions of his dead wife and Oldman sorts out her feelings for her fiancee and her partner. The series runs for three seasons across six episodes, a small-scale run whose jokes build on one another. The tone is deadpan, irreverent and affectionately mocking, with a self-aware wit that rewards viewers who know the genre. Fans of Hot Fuzz, Spaced and Psych will find resonance in its blend of spoof and character comedy.

Audiences rate the parody positively, with the show's send-up of British police drama conventions and its absurd murder mystery praised for consistent comic invention.

• Hot Fuzzshared parody of police procedurals, deadpan British comedy, serial killer investigation
• Spacedshared spoof of British detective conventions, absurdist comedy tone
• Psychshared satirical treatment of crime television tropes and self-aware tone

Created by

Charlie Brooker, Boris Starling

Release Date

2012-08-26

Episode runtime

60 min

Rating

7.8 / 10 (81)

What is A Touch of Cloth about?

A deadpan British spoof of police procedurals follows an eccentric detective and his plucky partner as they chase apparent serial killers.

What is A Touch of Cloth like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of A Touch of Cloth as brisk, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as simple.

Is A Touch of Cloth violent?

Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in A Touch of Cloth as mild.

What did critics think of A Touch of Cloth?

Audiences rate the parody positively, with the show's send-up of British police drama conventions and its absurd murder mystery praised for consistent comic invention.

Which shows are like A Touch of Cloth?

Shows with a similar feel include Hot Fuzz, Spaced, and Psych.

How long is A Touch of Cloth?

A Touch of Cloth: 3 seasons, 6 episodes.

Is A Touch of Cloth still running?

No, A Touch of Cloth has ended.

Where can I watch A Touch of Cloth?

In United States, A Touch of Cloth streams on Tubi TV.