The Suspicions of Mr Whicher: Review

The Suspicions of Mr Whicher is ITVs cosy Sunday night drama for this week. I say cosy because this production was based on an infamous Victorian murder case, notorious for the brutality in which a three year old boy was killed, yet people of a sensitive disposition need not worry, audiences are well and truly guarded from the gruesome details.

Adapted from the best-selling non- fiction book by Kate Summerscale, The Suspicions of Mr Whicher opens in 1860 and follows the murder investigation of Saville Kent from the point of view of detective inspector Jack Whicher, Paddy Considine. It quickly begins to look like an inside job at Road Hill House, but getting evidence to back up his suspicions is what becomes the drive of the narrative. Whicher is eaten up with frustration at the case, which is helped in no way by the local Superintendent Foley, Tom Georgeson, who seems determinedly apt in miss-direction.

Inevitably Mr Whicher’s frustrations transcend to the viewer, as they are never treated to any extra reveal, which so frequently occurs in detective dramas. Instead, being limited to Whicher’s point of view, whose only real confidence is in his knowledge of the criminal mind and its motives, it becomes tragically apparent how much guesswork and simple self-belief was involved in the criminal justice system in the 1800s.

Paddy Considine’s sincere and textured performance was very accomplished; without it the drama could have been left quite dry. And the eventual culprit (or culprits depending which way you want to look at it) pulled off the feigning of their innocence so well that, although it was clear they were guilty, I was left unconvinced of their capabilities of cold-blooded murder. As a result, this dramatization of a real-life case felt more like a soft, inoffensive fiction.

The Suspicions of Mr Whicher does build up tension and mystery well and is an exciting whodunit, with enough ‘suspicions’ still left over at the end, rather than proof, that will keep you guessing about what really happened in the murder at Road Hill House for a long time afterwards.

To catch-up please click here.

This review is also featured at Step2InspireTV.

TV News - ITV to Bring Titanic to our Screens

ITV are set to bring back Titanic as an epic new TV drama.

Written by Jullian Fellows of Downton Abbey fame, the production is being made to coincide with the 100 year anniversary of the disastrous sinking of the Titanic in 1912.

Quinn Taylor of ABC Network said: “The tragic tale of the Titanic has retained a powerful hold on people around the world for almost 100 years, and this new miniseries will offer a compelling take on this epic, tragic story."

Set to jump on board is a whole host of British talent, including BAFTA award winning producer Nigel Stafford Clark (Bleak House), actress Sophie Winkleman (Peep Show) and actor Stephen Campbell Moore (Ashes to Ashes).

The drama will feature both fictional and historical characters, from steerage to the upper classes, whose lives will interweave in mystery and romantic plot lines.

Viewers are warned not to expect a happy ending, after all this is the ill-fated story of the Titanic and death is an inevitable conclusion for some characters.

Filming for the four hour long episodes is set to begin in Hungary at the end of April.

What are your thoughts? Do we really need another dramatisation of Titanic? How might this one be any different? Can the romance ever live up to Leo and Kate's?

(You can also read/reply to this discussion on Step2InspireTV here)

The Crimson Petal and the White Part 1: Review

The much-anticipated Crimson Petal and the White is the latest BBC period drama to hit our screens - surprisingly not on a Sunday night, which is the usual slot for these Victorian affairs. Presumably this is testament to the content, which, instead of focusing on the cosy upper classes, has the grim life of a prostitute take centre stage. Its weeknight slot suggests the audience appeal is slightly different to that of your typical period drama.

The Crimson Petal and the White was adapted from Michel Faber’s 2002 bestseller. Upon researching the unbelievably vast scale of prostitution in Victorian England, Faber set out to reflect its true realism using “the riches of Victorian prose without any of the usual artificiality costume drama.” This same vision is clearly what writer Lucinda Coxon and director Marc Munden have attempted to re-create on screen.

Set in the desolate streets of St Giles, London, where poverty and starvation is ripe, Mrs Castaway’s whorehouse is the prime-place for business. Played by Gillian Anderson, Mrs Castaway is a dishevelled character akin to the likes found in the pages of Dickens. Her star attraction is Sugar, Romola Garai, who has a reputation as a girl who “never disappoints”. Self taught to read and write, she is an intelligent and driven individual, who finds solace in writing a sadistic novel in which she seeks revenge on “every pompous trembling worm who taps at Mrs Castaway’s door”.

In pursuit of Sugar is William Rackham, Chris O'Dowd, a failing writer and businessman. Fragile and disturbed, his wife Agnes, played superbly by Amanda Hale, is bedridden. Although all is not as it seems as you quickly discover that she is a victim of the abusive Dr Curlew, Richard E Grant.

If Sugar is the crimson petal then Agnes is the white. Both suffer at the hands of men in a misogynistic world. Agnes has money, is devoutly religious, and is sexually prudent, Sugar is poor, sells her body for money, and is sexually adept. However, it is clear that female submission to men transcends across the classes and in Victorian England men remain powerful and have the free reign to exploit it.

Thankfully The Crimson Petal and the White firmly portrays the grim reality of prostitution without unnecessarily sensationalising it for those who tuned in to see a good romp. The audience is forced to watch it from Sugar’s perspective, often through an extreme close-up on her hollow face. She takes no pleasure from the indignity she has to endure: her body is being used and she has no choice but to let it be.

Like with the majority of BBC period dramas The Crimson Petal and the White is of a high standard. And, as with most great dramas, I was gripped enough that when the episode ended I just wanted it to continue.

To catch up on this episode please click here.

The London Comedy Writer's Festival 2011

I was stunned and completely honoured when I was told I had been picked from a large number of people to be one of two reporters for the London Comedy Writers Festival 2011. Thank you to Step2InspireTV for this wonderful opportunity.

Excerpt: Griff Rhys Jones kicked off proceedings as keynote speaker at The London Comedy Writer’s Festival 2011, which was hosted by the London School of Film, Media and Performance at Regent’s college.

The Festival took place over two days. The first an intense day of seminars dedicated to informing and educating people in the world of comedy writing, and the second an informal networking day, mixed with workshops and seminars that people could attend at their leisure.

Click here to read on at Step2InspireTV.
Click here for important tips and advice for aspiring comedy writers.

Doctor Who Trailer for Series Six

It seems everyone who's anyone in the TV blogging world is excited about this link... The series begins Saturday 23rd April.

Journey's End: Theatre Review

New for TV and Film Chat... a little bit of theatre chat. With thanks to David Bradbury for the press tickets.

Fresh from the West End, this tale of a company of soldiers living in the WWI trenches is a moving production which has received high critical acclaim.

Olivier nominated and winner of Tony and Drama Desk awards, Journey's End follows the young soldier Raleigh, freshly recruited to the British trenches at St Quentin.

His enthusiasm escalates when he realises that the Captain of his company, Stanhope, is an old school friend whom he idolized.

However, Stanhope has been serving in the trenches for a year, longer than any one else in the company, and he is a broken man.

Addicted to whiskey to numb his relentlessly brutal reality, Stanhope is furious at the arrival of Raleigh who's sister he courted.

Raleigh is respectful and well meaning, which immediately demands audience empathy. As a result there are some heartbreaking moments as he comes to experience the trauma of fighting in a war.

He also suffers the anger directed towards him from Stanhope which is unfair and at times mentally abusive. However, it does not follow that Stanhope's bullying automatically places him into the 'bad guy' category. Due to an excellent performance by James Norton, it is possible to completely understand his disjointed behavior. It is a realistic portrayal of the complexity of the human psyche which so frequently fluctuates between what is considered typically 'good' and 'bad' behavior.

The play is performed on a single set which emphasises the claustrophobic experience of life in the trenches. You'd have thought watching two hours and forty minutes of this would be a grueling experience, however, the characters are so richly dynamic that it's easy to become involved in the narrative and not notice the time pass.

It is nearly a century since The Great War and so few of us have any real connection with it today. Real men were subject to extraordinarily cruel conditions and it is important that we take the time to reflect upon the incredible sacrifices they made. Journey's End provides a means for that reflection.

The fierce sound of artillery fire sends shivers down the spine and completely serves to give a moments snapshot of the environment that soldiers were subject to.

A recommendation I would make if you wish to see this production is to try and get tickets near the front. I was frustrated to begin with that I couldn't see the expression on the characters faces (a reminder of the limitations of theatre, the frustration is equivalent to watching a feature film shot entirely from one angle). Despite this I still became emotionally involved with the characters and was moved to tears at the poignant ending.

Stoke Your Fires Film Festival Opening Night