Malpractice

Excellent miniseries. Well written. Paced to perfection. Intelligently shot.

It didn't drag on too long, nor was it truncated to too few episodes. The casting was superb. And the actors performed brilliantly.

The plot also dealt with a very topical issue: the problem of addiction to prescription - rather than street - drugs. And touched upon the stress of the recent COVID pandemic as well. A strong story that had me hooked through all 5 episodes. Yes, at times a few characters were over-scripted (namely the duo on the internal investigation panel), which was grating, but this can be forgiven considering the quality of the rest of the drama.

It's great to see GOOD telly made once again, considering all the 'pap' put out by TV these days, both in too many other miniseries and in non-dramatic broadcasts.

They didn't labour the 'ah-ha' realisation moments. The viewer wasn't treated like an idiot. So there was no feel to this of a soap-y and lightweight miniseries. This one will stay with the viewer for some time. And it is a good memory.

Medical drama 'Malpractice' has been put together by some of the same team that wored on 'Line of Duty', and it shows: it features a tricksy plot, sustained dramatic tension, and a lot of high-pressure interviews. But it's not quite as successful. While I don't know exactly how allegations of medical malpractice are actually conducted, I found the aggressivley confrontational approach shown here, with doctors treated as if they were criminal suspects, unconvincing. Moreover, there's a reason why so many dramas feature the police: even if a normal individual is caught up in some horrible plot, they don't investigate it themselves. And there's a level of coincidence that at times strains credibility that the story relies upon to repeatedly put its protagonist into the tightest of tight spots. It still has plenty of gripping moments, but as a whole it feels contrived. I still enjoyed it, and Niamh Algar is good as the central character, even if she can't entirely escape the limitations of the script.

Doctor Lucinda Edwards faces a huge decision, whether to treat an overdose victim or a young gunshot victim, as she chooses the other is left to a Junior colleague, but dies, Lucinda is grilled.

I'll be honest, after recent medical drama Maternal, my expectation were quite low for this, but this was altogether a different kind of medical drama.

When you hear that The Line of Duty team are involved, you get an idea of what to expect, and despite essentially being a hospital set melodrama, the whole thing is full of tension, twists and turns and intrigue.

It's one of those shoes that's easy to binge watch, as there are several things going on. One thing you come to realise, is that Doctors do essentially have to make some pretty huge choices, I'm not saying it's always life or death, but their decisions do have consequences.

Each episode offers something, and leaves you with more questions, I liked that it was just five episodes long. This one is worth your time.

Very well produced, it looks great and moves by at a pace. Very well acted also, Niamh Algar is excellent as Lucinda, strong performances all round.

I thoroughly enjoyed it, 8/10.

The level of tension was kept high from the first to the last episode of this first season. In the end, they still leave open the possibility of a second season, which I hope will cover the failures of the NHS as a whole, addressing other forms of malpractice.

I also want to highlight the outstanding performances of Niamh Algar as Dr. Lucinda, as well as the entire supporting cast. The chemistry between the characters was palpable, and their portrayal of the stresses and moral dilemmas faced by healthcare professionals was both realistic and nuanced.

However, while the show offered a gripping portrayal of the internal conflicts of healthcare professionals, I couldn't help but notice the artificiality of the investigations into medical misconduct. The speed at which they occurred, coupled with the questionable access to information, seemed overly convenient and unrealistic. As a viewer, it made me question whether such investigations can truly take place at such a rapid pace in the British healthcare system, where bureaucracy and red tape can often hinder progress. Nonetheless, I hope this is something the show will address in future seasons, as it has the potential to add another layer of authenticity to an already compelling drama.

I enjoyed this and binged it over two evenings. Most of the cast, except Brian Bovell, are unknown to me. But all seem to me to be convincing.

Bit puzzled by the reviewer who asked ' where's the men'. Did this person watch a different programme? Let me see. The A&E consultant: a man. One out of the two investigators: male. One out of the two juniors: male (and not a nurse as erroneously mentioned. Strong hints that it's a 'women good, men bad' show. Apart form the husband who's not written as bad. The junior doctor, Oscar, not written as bad. The investigator Dr Adjei, again not written as bad. The barrister Sir Anthony Owusu, again, not an evil character at all. On the other hand, the 'strong female lead' character could be considered morally dubious at the very least. So matey your argument doesn't stand up. But I guess those who feel their tv shows should mainly feature straight white men of noble character then you might feel a bit miffed. Still I say the husband's a good'un.

One or two things I'd query. Bit surprised the police weren't involved a lot earlier on. And yes, how did the MIU people get hold of phone record?

Apart from that worth a watch if you like thrillers involving a big conspiracy going right to the top.