Accused: Tina's Story - BBC - Tuesday 4th September 2012

(Rated 4.5/5 )

I'm shaking and still horrified by the power, and again harsh reality, of this week's Accused. And yes - any questions from last week's end up clarified. Then again - maybe I was the only one who needed that clarity?! Or is hindsight a great thing? I mean now I know it's glaringly obvious! But perhaps it could be obvious in one way with still doubt in another. Haha now I'm being obscure!

For this one Jimmy McGovern is joined in writing by Isabelle Grey, and they write for Anna Maxwell Martin as prison officer Tina Dakin.
We meet her as she accompanies Stephen, from last week's story, on his journey into prison. Tina is normal, real, plain Jane, precise at her job, caring and compassionate but that's all appropriately hidden from fellow officers and inmates. She would not have fit amongst the cast of screws in Prisoner Cell Block H!! Tina has a young family, and a loving husband. What on earth could she have done wrong to be the accused?! We are kept guessing until the very end, though if you watch carefully there is a hint at the beginning - or should I say, at several times during the episode. But the skill here is it's hard to work out, and you really want to know, and don't want her to be punished any more for it. Because she does get 'punished' for doing the right thing - and a very severe punishment it ends up being! And again, this is where we are shocked - this kind of thing almost certainly could happen in our prisons. It's a dog eat dog environment, in which all cover their backs if they can - officers and prisoners alike. Whilst I felt Sheridan Smith attempted to play her role ambiguously, it was clear what Anna was doing - holding a whole lot in - to her cost - until she could no longer do so. John Bishop reprises his role as Stephen's father - and oh my goodness - I just had tingles down my spine as I said that. He was monumentally good in this episode. In fact the interaction between him and Anna brings out the best in them both for me.
Sam Hazeldine plays a  very lovely hubby to Tina. And Ewen Bremner impresses as quite a contrasting character!

Again leaves us thinking about a lot of issues. Great Job!

Accused: Tina's Story – Review by TheRestrictedReviewer © 2012

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Accused: Stephen's Story - BBC1 - Tuesday 28th August 2012

(Rated 3/5 )

Disappointing, strange... confusing...
This episode by Danny Brocklehurst and Jimmy McGovern didn't quite hit the mark for me. Stephen (Robert Sheehan) is losing his mother to a terminal illness. A nurse, Charlotte (Sheridan Smith) is brought in by Stephen's father Peter (John Bishop) to help relieve his wife's suffering - Stephen thinks she has relieved it too far and killed his mother to have his father for herself. And then...?!

I won't say what, as again that might give the game away, but this time sadly it's kind of boring and un-engaging and sort of obvious in plot, whilst leaving the real motivations and solution to the viewer to decide for themselves. I didn't really care. I felt it was difficult for the actors to get involved in their portrayals because each of them had to leave it unclear as to whether they were 'good' or bad'. Stephen was supposed to be sensitive with possible anxiety hints at other mental health conditions, but seemed more fascinated by Charlotte's tits than anything else, and I didn't feel connected to the other characters either. Sheridan is usually very good but flat in this. And motives behind the crimes, if they were crimes? Hm, well they didn't make any sense.

I would love to be told otherwise if others experienced this differently? Please let me know :)

Accused: Stephen's Story – Review by TheRestrictedReviewer © 2012

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Accused: Mo's Story - BBC1 - Tuesday 21st August 2012

(Rated 5/5 )

Heart-rippingly powerful drama that had me bawling my eyes out at the intense pain of the situation created by genius writer Jimmy McGovern and co-writer Carol Cullington about two mothers, played by Anne-Marie Duff (Mo) and Olivia Colman (Sue)... and their sons, living in the now depressingly common world of gangs and gun crime.

I foolishly gave last week's episode 5/5, giving myself no room for an improved score... on that basis this should be 7/5... Last week Sean Bean's performance really impressed, and the rest of the drama was good but not great... This week's performances were outstandingly and poignantly emotion-stirring and the twists and turns of the plot superb too. What is so shocking is this is real! This is happening in places around our whole country.

Such tight and well-constructed drama and several surprises, so it is hard and maybe a shame to say much about it. Anne-Marie Duff's and Olivia Colman's characters are very close friends, who work together in a hairdresser's and take a stand against bullying youths, who have dictated that shops be closed... and so the consequences...

Anne-Marie Duff is supremely sensitive in her acting. This small actor has an almost incongruently huge strength of expression and humanity. Olivia Colman, Ruth Sheen (Mo's mother) and Thomas Brodie Sangster are totally believable also - we feel their pain. And this is pain in abundance, but even within that there are some good laughs.

Outstanding to develop such compelling characters in just an hour such that we truly know and feel them. And a cleverly enmeshed plot to put them in the worst plight possible!

Accused: Mo's Story – Review by TheRestrictedReviewer © 2012

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Accused: Tracie's Story - BBC1 - Tuesday 14th August 2012

(Rated 5/5 )

Jimmy McGovern's drama series Accused, that tells the stories which lead up to the accused characters we see on trial, is back. And my goodness this is such high class T

V, though I hope Jimmy wouldn't mind me referring to it that way as someone who writes about those real, unprivileged people from lower classes, iin such challenging moral positions. Do we agree with the verdict both legally and morally? What would we do in their shoes? (Or in Sean Bean's case, would we wear those stilletos?!)

Sean Bean is exceptional both as the 'boring' English literature teacher Simon, and his transvestite alter-ego Tracie, in whose glittering frocks he/she comes alive. He is deliciously camp, smart and tough as Tracie, yet also so vulnerable, sensitive, understanding - counselling his bedfellows, emotionally intelligent and demands our empathy. This is the best I have ever seen Sean Bean. His Simon is nice and normal - un-colourful, and yet for me highly noticeable and compassion-inducing. The quotes he teaches from the classics fit so well with the story and drama!

Stephen Graham, as his lover, does an excellent job too.

The piece deals with homophobia and bigotry against transvestites, self-identity, sexual-identity, love of self and others, trying to be 'normal' when you are 'out of the ordinary', and really challenges us to think about all these issues in our own lives and perhaps contemplate our own sexualities.

Dealing with all that would be enough, but a murder occurs as a consequence of Sean's and Stephen's characters liason and it is that for which Simon finds himself in the dock.

As usual Jimmy's writing really delivers. The piece is crisp, sharp (no pun intended), real, natural and unafraid to take risks or shock. In a strange way, though, I think in the way Jimmy brings things out, even shocking things do not shock us. He helps us accept what is and challenge what is wrong in society and our lives.

Accused: Tracie's Story – Review by TheRestrictedReviewer © 2012

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