From Sally Wainwright, the creator of the brilliant At Home with the Braithwaites, this is another family comedy/drama with a splash of fantasy thrown in. Who hasn't looked at idiotic politicians and thought they could do a better job? Ros Pritchard (Jane Horrocks) does just that, and her view strikes a chord with the British public. To her surprise, she is elected Prime Minister! Yes, totally ridiculous that we would vote in an unknown supermarket manager to run the country, but it's a nice daydream. Jane Horrocks is surprisingly sane after a career of eccentrics, but my favourite is the magnificent Janet McTeer as the chancellor, Catherine Walker, a Tory convert. McTeer exudes class and intelligence, even in this far fetched political fantasy. A great cast of women includes Jodhi May, Geraldine James, Sally Philips, Frances Tomelty, Sylvestra La Touzel and Meera Syal. Yes, hardly a man in sight! Steven McIntosh as Ros' husband is a pretty limp and lame character too. In fact the most sympathetic male is probably Catherine's rather cute toyboy Ben! The politics *is* rather liberal, but as escapist fantasy of women running the country, this is a fun show.
Review of The Amazing Mrs Pritchard
