The Girl Before

A quirky and different drama, and I'm pleased I persisted beyond the rather slow and tricky first episode.

A story of pure fantasy, but if you accept that, the other problems are just about tolerable. What I found hardest to accept was the character of Jane, who lurches from being quite smart to extremely naive. This gets worse as the drama unfolds.

But I liked the idea of how the house and the architect's personality are enmeshed. Makes it very different from a standard thriller.

Caught on BBC iplayer over Christmas.

Everything after entering the house was (mostly) plausible, but it was based on the condition that those agreeing to the tenancy had to completely give up any privacy they once had. For me, this would have been a deal killer after reading the first of the 200 conditions. Otherwise, this was a well scripted, shot and acted drama.

And really only did because 8 couldn't find anything I really wanted to watch. So glad I did, dark and very clever, it had me on the edge of my seat. Great acting and an interesting plot, a little away fro the norm with its complexity, it needed concentrating on, rather than half watching. Definitely worth a watch.

Adapted by JP Delaney from his novel this is a stylish production, well directed with lovely photography and an intelligent score. Cast were OK with no standouts apart from a couple of really lame cops.

The tone of the whole show was cold and detached and will have put many viewers off. It's written as a slow burner in which the relationship between the characters slowly becomes clear, but it needed more zip.

It's not awful or brilliant and I saw it through to the end - but for me ultimately it was just too s-l-o-w moving and I spotted the twist ending some way off. Would have been better adapted as a film over a couple of hours. An average drama at best.

I enjoyed this whodunnit even allowing for the police overlooking what would appear to be obvious evidence in Emma's case but i suppose it could happen.

The rest was pacy and well acted.

Just one thing. If i owned a smart house I'd like it to be a bit smarter than this model. A good security review wouldn't go astray.