The premise is so absurd (a detective solves cases with the help of the ghost of his deceased business partner) and the special effects so primitive, that it's very surprising how well it works.
The atmosphere is almost Hitchcockian in the first episodes, with some comedy added. But the grittiness is such that an alternative interpretation is possible: that there's no ghost and the cases actually happen only in the confused mind of the surviving partner. In the latter episodes the tone is mellower and more comical -- personally I prefer the early ones, but I know that opinions differ on that.
The actors are all fantastic, especially Mike Pratt -- a Bogart in minor mode, with his perma-ciggie, elegance and the battered look of someone who has seen too much of the world.
Unlike other commentators, I saw this series for the first time as an adult, and I was surprised that it has a moderate reputation for being a children's show: it's way too scary for kids. Still, it totally deserves to be rediscovered.
The atmosphere is almost Hitchcockian in the first episodes, with some comedy added. But the grittiness is such that an alternative interpretation is possible: that there's no ghost and the cases actually happen only in the confused mind of the surviving partner. In the latter episodes the tone is mellower and more comical -- personally I prefer the early ones, but I know that opinions differ on that.
The actors are all fantastic, especially Mike Pratt -- a Bogart in minor mode, with his perma-ciggie, elegance and the battered look of someone who has seen too much of the world.
Unlike other commentators, I saw this series for the first time as an adult, and I was surprised that it has a moderate reputation for being a children's show: it's way too scary for kids. Still, it totally deserves to be rediscovered.