Without Sin

This was an excellent Twixtmas binge-watch. ITV seems to have created a distinct genre of regionally filmed and located drama, and this one does not disappoint. The action slowly reveals the circumstances that led to a girl's death and then equally carefully strips away piece by piece all the certainties surrounding it. Cleverly, none of the characters from the grieving parents, to an exploited teenager appear particularly likeable, nor are they written to elicit the audience's sympathy. The drama also explores the grim reality of life in areas that are run by drug gangs and the pervasive grip of fear that such gangs can exert.

A grieving Mother (Vicky McClure) searches for the truth about her daughter's murder years ago. Its an excellent premise and Without Sin, filmed in and around Nottingham feels authentic and delivers on its promises.

Local writer/director Frances Poletti has created a dark and intriguing world and story in this taut four-parter. It teases the viewer throughout with some excellent twists that keep you hooked. I really enjoyed it and it reminded me of shows like 'Save Me', 'The Responder' , 'Happy Valley' and Jimmy McGovern's writing. Its not afraid to be grim.

Good production values, well written and directed with a subtle score and for me two stand out performances from Vicky McClure and Johnny Harris.

First episode took a while to get going with the first big twist, but do stick with it if you enjoy a gritty thriller, its rather good and definitely a cut above regular ITV dramas. Recommended.

This four-part gritty prison / whodunit reunited "This Is England" stars Vicky McClure and Johnny Harris. Set in the actress's native Nottingham, she plays the taxi-driver mother of her teenage daughter who, three years before, she found murdered in her own home, with Harris seemingly caught in the act as the apparent killer. Now, under a Home Office initiative bringing together the family of victims with the convicted felon, she eventually gives in to her curiosity and meets with him, although her now ex-husband, their relationship having since foundered, is completely against the idea.

Following their meeting, alternative versions of what happened on the fatal night come into play with the viewer left to wonder if Harris is genuine in protesting his innocence or whether he's manipulating her for his own ends. McClure's daughter's girl friend, who was with her the night she died, has gone missing with suspicion falling on the local gang-lord and his son but in the end it takes initiative and courage on McClure's part to finally uncover the truth.

Told darkly over four cogent, strongly acted, especially by the leads, cleverly put-together episodes this was a convincing drama with a surprise reveal at the end I hadn't anticipated.

A very much dressed-down McClure, nominated for a BAFTA for her performance, excels as the crusading mother while Harris matches her for conviction and skill

A really good fictional drama from ITV, a welcome change from the slew of real-life major-crime reconstructions dramas aired of late.

STAR RATING: ***** Brilliant **** Very Good *** Okay ** Poor * Awful

Stella (Vicky McClure) gets by driving a night cab, but carries a dark burden. A few years ago, her daughter was found dead by her at home, with the suspect, Charles (Johnny Harris) fleeing. Now in jail for her daughter's murder, Charles has reached out to Stella, asking to speak with her via a Restorative Justice meeting. Persuaded to go along by an intermediary, Stella is shocked when Charles begs his innocence, shouting out a name that he says will prove this. It all leads to a devastating showdown with a local crime family, but the truth may be more disturbing than either of them could have imagined.

In a time where terrestrial TV struggles to compete with the vast array of streaming services dominating the market, it's good to know there's still plenty of homegrown dramas put out by the mainstream channels, capable of competing with the endless stream of content offered by those. Without Sin, from writer Frances Poletti and director AI Mackay, proves to be one such example, an assured, capable four part production that has a rewarding pay off.

The dark subject matter is given a suitably bleak presentation, with Mackay shooting his project in a fittingly saturated, blurry style throughout. This is matched by the lead performances, with McClure leading the show, shining brightly as a woman who's had the life and soul beaten out of her, exploding in certain scenes, most notably in a scene over a motorway bridge. Harris is always perfect in these dark, sinister roles, and here he carries it away as a seeming monster, who may not be all he seems. It all pays off with a genuinely unexpected, shock twist that you're diverted from guessing.

There's little in the way of laughs, so anyone wanting humour and light may look elsewhere, but as a firm, solid thriller, it does all the right things and pays off quite fine. ****

The earthy allure of Vicky McClure is always a welcome attraction to any show and kept me watching through what felt like a run-of-the-mill ITV drama viewers have come accustomed to in the past decade or so but, fear not, there is a lot more to this story with a great twist in the tail to the whodunit in thd final episode.

There is thd obligatory policeman but being a police an isn't key to the character role and also thd smattering of ethnic minorities that the woke brigade insists upon these days but this us set in a provincial UK city so sort of depicts the population you would see.

There are a few dodgy Nottingham accents "me duck" but doesn't put you off the story too much if you only know London, Manchester, Liverpool and Newcastle accents.

Well worth watching but there is some filler there too.