Steve Coogan stars in Legends, a six-part thriller based on the true story of a group of ordinary customs officers recruited in the early 1990s to infiltrate major drug cartels. The series, written by Neil Forsyth, imagines what would happen if the A-Team were composed of disgruntled baggage searchers and VAT investigators. Coogan plays Don Clarke, a former undercover police officer tasked with assembling the team for the home secretary and HMC's director of investigations.
The recruitment process is depicted as fun but slightly silly, with candidates ejected for asking about overtime or legal details. Those who excel at lockpicking make the grade. The team includes Guy (Tom Burke), a 'lone wolf' sent to London to pose as a drug importer; Kate (Hayley Squires), a hardbitten Essex native tired of tracking perverts; Bailey (Aml Ameen), a thoughtful VAT investigator; and Erin (Jasmine Blackborow), a data analyst. Burke's performance is noted for its monotone delivery, which becomes increasingly irreconcilable with his character's rise through gangland ranks.
The series explores themes of underdog heroism and establishment betrayal, but struggles with credibility. Lines like 'You think a few customs officers can take on the biggest drug gang in Britain?' risk bathos, especially given Coogan's comedic background. Despite competent execution, the thriller feels unoriginal, relying on familiar tropes of corrupt cops, gangland power struggles, and last-minute escapes.
Forsyth, known for The Gold, largely avoids the trap of risibility, but the series never fully escapes the shadow of its own premise. The true story is compelling, but the adaptation lacks the originality to make it stand out among similar crime dramas.
