I am pretty sure it's this one indeed!!!

Thanks!

Thanks, it might be City Central, though I always remembered that being more like The Bill, but I definitely watched it at the time, so it's possible. I added Bugs to the database not that long ago and watched every episode then.

Alright, on Saturday nights on BBC1 in 1999:

starting in Febr. at 9 PM "City Central" police series, until May.

when that ends Jonathan Creek.

3-part drama series "The Passion"

Brit. action series "Bugs" later that year,

Dalziel and Pascoe again, series "The Airport"

8 PM always Casualty

and lots of films.

So I would say http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0147756/ or http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0111904/ is your best bet.

Okay, I'll have a look for it. But not now, it's too cold in the attick.

Sorry, I don't and it honestly could have been late 1998 (the Lexus was the point I remember, and that model came out here early in 1998 or late 1997). I guess it was an hour and a half long programme (I remember the glacial progress of the plot, the Lexus driver didn't get offed until about half an hour in).

I think maybe the 9 O'Clock slot or around that time.

It's no problem. Do you remember a time of year?

It could be Second Sight (though I don't especially remember watching that and none of the episodes seem close). Frost, Silent Witness and Heartbeat are out. One I thought about was the remake of Randall and Hopkirk and Deceased but none of the episodes of that seemed close either. I also don't recall the less talented one from Robson and Jerome being in it so probably not Touching Evil.

I don't want to put you to too much work so you don't have to go through all your old magazines if you don't want. Besides, the rate that I watch and contribute detective movies I'll probably end up watching it myself before long.

Well I have a magazine saved since 1992 wih a tv-guide that includes BBC1,
but let's start with the main detective series from that time:

Heartbeat
Trial & Retribution
Second Sight (First aired: BBC1 1/16/2000)
A Touch of Frost
Touching Evil (ITV 1999)
Silent Witness

?? If it's not any of these I can look through my Humos... (with "u" that is - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HUMO )

Actually yes, probably more like that one. I do remember they used flashbacks to the time in it (though it must be ten years since I've seen it as that Morse isn't repeated very often). Very few cars though (I recall only an Opel Vectra used at the end of the episode in a scene from Ireland)

I have a similar question: Around 1999 or 2000 I saw a detective episode on a Saturday night on BBC1. It was not quite product placement (as this was not allowed in the UK at the time) but there was fairly obvious use of a Lexus GS in it. I remember the owner of the Lexus met this child who was impressed with the car ('It's a Lexus, son' that kind of thing). Anyway, eventually this Lexus driver is killed in what seems to be suicide but his friend (the detective and it was a regular series with this guy) investigates and proves it was a murder.

There was some kind of emphasis upon cosmic ordering in the plot (he tells the young boy he can have a Lexus when he is older if he wishes hard enough for it) but I can't remember much more than that. It is strange that after nearly 15 years so much of the plot is familiar, the car used is familiar (it was the bug-eyed version of the GS and, I think, red) but I can't remember what series it was from. I thought it was Dalziel and Pascoe or Jonathan Creek but I'm pretty sure I've watched every episode of those series it could have been.

It sounds familiar, I'm going for Morse. Episode "The Wench Is Dead" http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0611662/

Although the use of flashbacks is more like Midsomer Murders.