Inspector Alan Banks

Detective Superintendent Alan Banks[1] (born 1958) is the fictional protagonist in a series of crime novels by Peter Robinson. From 2010 to 2016 several of the novels were adapted for television, and other original stories were produced, under the series title DCI Banks with Stephen Tompkinson in the lead role.

For other people named Alan Banks, see Alan Banks (disambiguation).

Alan Banks
First appearanceGallows View
Created byPeter Robinson
Portrayed byStephen Tompkinson
In-universe information
GenderMale
TitleDetective Inspector, Detective Chief Inspector, Detective Superintendent
OccupationPolice Officer
NationalityBritish

Background

Most of the first dozen novels focused on crimes investigated by Banks. In the 1999 novel, In A Dry Season, Banks and his wife, Sandra, are separated and eventually divorce. The character of Detective Sergeant (subsequently Detective Inspector) Annie Cabbot makes her first appearance as a member of Banks' team. Subsequent novels have a sub-plot about the on-off romance between Banks and Cabbot.

A colleague of Banks from his time in London, Detective Superintendent (later Chief Superintendent) Richard "Dirty Dick" Burgess, is another perennial character who appears in many of the novels. Initially hostile to Banks when they first met, they become good friends over time and have established a natural (if still slightly edgy) rapport by the early 21st century.

A detective inspector during his London period and a detective chief inspector in most of the books, Banks receives a promotion to detective superintendent at the time of "When the Music's Over."[1]

Awards

The Banks novels have won and been shortlisted for prestigious awards in crime fiction, including the Arthur Ellis Award, the Anthony Award, and the Edgar Award.

Adaptation

In July 2010, ITV commissioned a television adaptation of the novel Aftermath, with Stephen Tompkinson playing the role of Banks. The adaptation was broadcast as two one-hour episodes, airing on 27 September and 4 October 2010.[2] The viewing figures were successful enough for three more adaptations to be commissioned – the novels Playing With Fire, Friend Of The Devil and Cold Is The Grave – under a series title DCI Banks showing as six one-hour episodes, which started airing on 16 September 2011.[3] A second series, consisting of three adaptations of the novels "Strange Affair", "Dry Bones that Scream" and "Innocent Graves", again produced as six one-hour episodes, began airing on 10 October 2012, and was followed by a third series, consisting of three adaptations of the novels "Wednesday's Child", "Piece of My Heart" and "Bad Boy", again produced as six one-hour episodes, began airing on 4 February 2014. The series went on for two more seasons, although these were not based on adaptations of Peter Robinson's novels, with the fourth season airing in 2015 and the fifth and final season airing in 2016.[4]

Novels

Associated novels

Short story collections

References
  1. "When the Music's Over – 2016". Retrieved 20 July 2016.
  2. DCI Banks Archived 12 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine, 14 September 2010, www.itv.com. Retrieved 23 September 2010.
  3. Kirk (6 September 2011). "DCI Banks Series to Air Starting Friday 16 September". Retrieved 31 March 2020.
  4. Dowell, Ben. "ITV axes DCI Banks after five series". Radio Times. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
  5. "Books by Peter Robinson". 26 June 2007. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
  6. "Many Rivers to Cross – 2019". 3 July 2019. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
  7. "Not Dark Yet – 2021". Retrieved 12 July 2022.
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