Change Your Image
niallsop
Reviews
Bonusfamiljen (2017)
The rot set in quickly after series 1
Series 1 showed promise as the 'bonus' families tried to sort themselves out.
Unfortunately, between series 1 and 2, many of the characters suffered personality changes so that they were now unable to deal rationally and sensibly with the things that they encountered in the first series.
In particular Patrick changed from being a fairly erudite and sensible human being (and teacher) to becoming an ineffectual idiot.
For me it was as if the script writer(s) decided to make each series more improbable than the one before without taking into consideration the well-formed characters they had created for the first series.
A shame ... promising premise, good cast .. all spoilt by erratic and flimsy characterisation and increasingly weak story-lines.
The Long Call (2021)
It's not Ann Cleeves' fault ...
I've read the book and would read another about the same Ann Cleeves character. It's the ITV adaptation that is awful.
Wooden characters all of whom seemed to lack any sort of enthusiasm for their role and probably lacked any inspired direction. Bland, contrived, uninspiring, sleep-inducing ... the director should be put out to pasture as soon as possible.
Many of the cast have definitely done better which is why I think the direction was wanting but the lead was truly forgettable and lacked any of the personality that Ann Cleeves created for him in the book.
Write another Matthew Venn book, Ann, but don't let ITV touch it unless they change the lead and find a director who knows how to develop the story and motivate the actors.
The Investigator: A British Crime Story (2016)
Rubbish, terrible, awful ... one star is way too generous
This is a truly awful series ... don't waste your time.
As others have noted, it would have been just as interesting as a one-episode, 20-minute, mini-series.
The main presenter, an ex-detective, has as much charisma as an ash-tray. How any producer fell for this series is beyond belief.
The female journalist, Branagh Munro, who does something similar for the BBC is light-years more authoritative and thorough.
Curious how the only 8-star review appeared here just a week before the screening of Series 2 ... don't fall for it, watch paint dry instead.