Run

The quality of the first three stories was about as good as I have seen for a miniseries.

I found them realistic and dark but in those three stories there was always the unifying theme that some sliver of human decency was struggling to prevail, even in the most inhospitable of environments. It didn't always win, but that struggle was what made the first three stories relatable and linked them together.

The fourth story is completely different. There is no moral struggle. The protagonist acts completely entitled and is even more unlikable than the two yobs at the beginning of the story. Worse, she is just reading the script - there is nothing real for us to see and no soul for us to care about.

Too bad - the first three story lines were very compelling but the ending was so weak and jolting that it ruins the entire effect.

I see reviews that aren't complimentary about this series and I get why, to appreciate the level of acting in this, from people such as Olivia Colman and Lenny James, you have to take it to the stripped back level of society, amongst criminal activity, survival and the depths where only the super talented can go. This makes the grit real, it creates empathy on a level that would usually be registered and the sliding door effect, creates the ripple. Great series for those who like actors at their best!

STAR RATING: ***** Saturday Night **** Friday Night *** Friday Morning ** Sunday Night * Monday Morning

Just what I need...another grim, depressing British drama, spread over four parts just to pile it on that little bit more each night. Set in the sprawling, wanton metropolis of East London, this four part TV drama takes an unflinching, uncompromising nosedive in to the world of those it portrays, taking in a council estate mum (Olivia Colman) and her trouble with her murderous, thuggish sons, a recovering drug addict (Lennie James) trying to reconnect with his estranged daughter, and an illegal immigrant Chinese girl (Katie Leung) who gets by trying to flog dodgy DVDs, only to find her family has missed payments to the crime gang that smuggled her in back home, as well as a lap dancer (Jaime Winstone) who comes to know a polish woman who has something of a connection with the man murdered on the estate.

With next to nothing in the way of humour and light, it's the more fundamental stuff that's going to life this above the periphery, in terms of the writing, dialogue and performances, and once again we have another spell binding performance from Olivia Colman, who manages an East London accent very well over her more pronounced real life vocabulary. As probably the most recognizable other stars, James and Winstone also handle the material well, familiar faces in this type of production. Trying to inter connect all these seemingly unrelated stories together, the writers seem to be aiming for a Pulp Fiction style approach. It works nowhere near as well, but all the same, for what it is, Run will impress it's target audience. You just pray they have a sense of humour. ***

This one will surprise you. It is gritty and actually sad assuming that it is a reflection of the dark side of the UK. Well acted. There is no happy ending just deep reflection on how some people just have bad luck. You are left with hoping for the best. Should have had a sequel.

A new four-part drama aired on TV over 4 consecutive nights. From the adverts it looked brilliant, I was intrigued as to how all the stories would 'link' together and I liked how they was all shown quickly.

To be fair it did start off very well, the 1st episode was great. The storyline was gripping and it had all the makings of a proper British drama.....then it all went down hill for me. The next 3 episodes just seemed completely irrelevant, the way they linked was mainly through something minimal.

I expected this to be something where you see the same story from 4 different people's perspectives but it was just a mess to me and incredibly dull. The best thing about the series was Olivia Colman's performance.

Overall a very disappointing series. 4/10.