Vigil: Episodes 1 & 2 – BBC1

Vigil is a six-part submarine thriller, leaving from the fictional town of Dunloch in Scotland and heading off out into the North Sea. On board are the crème de la crème of the British acting fraternity, including Suranne Jones, Rose Leslie, Martin Compston and Paterson Joseph, and of course, this is on BBC1 in the Sunday night thriller slot. Because of Bank Holiday Monday we’re two episodes deep already, so both are reviewed below, and it’s spoilerific. You have been warned.

We begin with 007 credits referencing the Cold War, Scotland versus Trident, which I expect the writers to make more of, and the risky collection of nuclear warheads that rove around the world’s oceans as submarine (or boat but never ship apparently) HMS Vigil looks to get dangerously entangled with a trawler of WAF (that’s wet ass fishermen) who come off much, much, worse in that spectacularly unfair fight. Martin Compston is Petty Officer Craig Burke who gets a proper bollocking for daring to suggest the trawler men need help, and is dismissed from his post on deck after arguing with his superiors who are prioritising stealth over civilian lives, leaving those poor men to drown. He’s told to go back to his cabin where he suddenly dies. All this happens in the first 10 minutes of the first episode. It’s the old Line of Duty formula and yet we’re still shocked. I don’t know how writer Tom Edge managed to get away with it, but he absolutely did. And all credit to the cast and crew for keeping that detail a secret. Despite being burned before, we the viewers are just too trusting, and that’s kind of adorable.

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'Unforgotten' Series 3 – ITV

SPOILER warning: this post deals with the final episode of Unforgotten Series 3. Do not read on unless you are up to date with both series 2 and 3. Catch up with all the box sets on ITV Hub now.
Unforgotten bowed out after a tremendous third series at the weekend. No one disagreed that it was an acting masterclass from start to finish, led by stalwarts Nicola Walker as DCI Cassie Stewart and Sanjeeve Bhaskar as DI Sunny Khan.  Since inception this show has attracted top quality British actors. This series was dominated by awesome performances particularly from Alex Jennings, James Fleet and Neil Morrissey (getting better and better in each drama part,although here he certainly need more screen time). But I wasn’t expecting such a split opinion on the ending, especially as this has become a truly beloved British drama. I wasn’t immediately on board back at their humble beginnings, and I admit I snarked at the first episode back in 2015. I was very happy to be proven wrong; the atmosphere wasn’t lacking in comparison to Scandi drama – it was just different.
Online, people seemed annoyed that there was no twist in the tale and that the final episode ran out of steam. Although, thinking about it, do any of the series so far provide a neat and satisfying ending? In series 2 because of the nature of the crime, the number of perpetrators and the time passed the police decide there was no value in pursing and prosecuting anyone. Was this what the audience wanted? Do we demand everything tied up neatly in a bow? Or do we realise if you strive for realism on TV in style and storyline that endings will inevitably be messy, just like in real life?
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'Eyewitness'

The Norwegian crime drama Eyewitness is a tricksy little fiend before we even start. I’ve been looking forward to this for literally months. Walter Iuzzolino (of Channel 4 Walter Presents fame) mentioned it as one to watch back at the end of last year at the live event in Birmingham Literary Festival in October. I might have been writing this blog for 18 months now, but I still have much to learn about what ‘coming soon’ means in the world of television.  Soon wasn’t soon enough, and while constantly refreshing the Walter Presents schedule I was getting antsy. Surely lovely Walter wouldn’t fail me. The days and weeks ticked by and winter became spring. It wasn’t in any listings for shows coming soon  until suddenly I saw an advert for it two weeks before the air date. Unfortunately for me, three weeks before the air date I’d bought it. In a dark moment of desperation I gave up on Walter and got the DVD. Lesson being, trust Walter and don’t worry. He’ll see you right.
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'Apple Tree Yard'

Spoiler warning: this is a full review of Apple Tree Yard so if you’re spoiler conscious, please look away now!
Apple Tree Yard is an eye-catching thriller, adapted from the novel of the same name by Louise Doughty about Dr Yvonne Carmichael (award-winning Emily Watson) and dashing Mark Costley (Ben Chaplin). The pair meet by chance at the Houses of Parliament. She’s there to give a talk on her work in genetics. Why he’s there is never really explained. He bats his eyelashes at her and invites her to tour the secret chapel. That’s the magic words as within about 5 minutes of meeting they’re having sex! This is the very definition of a whirlwind romance.
This secret romance is a big deal to Yvonne. It’s all a bit grimy and sordid, but very exciting. She falls head over heels for a man she knows nothing about. It’s sort of a way to get her own back on her dodgy husband Gary (played by Mark Bonnar, an actor who seems to be in literally everything), but mainly to feel like an interesting and attractive middle-aged woman. I’d argue it’s the affair, not her Mr X as a person, that makes her feel good. It’s what it represents – the fight against aging and slowing down the inevitable invisibility as a desirable sexual woman. All this comes hot on the heels of her about to become a grandmother, and that’s surely no accident.
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'The Living and The Dead' – On the Box

Wooo! Arrrh! Woooo! …and other ghostly noises. It’s a new spooky drama on BBC1. So far, so standard but the whole series of The Living and The Dead is already available on iPlayer. The first episode doesn’t actually air on the old-fashioned telly box until Tuesday 28 June. This is the first original drama the BBC has premiered in this way, and a nod to how the ability to binge watch is super important these days.Even without use of my mystical crystal ball and Ouija board, I can see the future!
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