The Game

The first episode was good but, if seemed as though all thd efforts had been put into the opener. After a poor middle couple of episodes, the series comes to a better finale but still struggles to show any originality or any real dramatic effect.

Robson Green seems to be cringing to the viewing audience but somehow seems to be the best mate to nearly all of his new neighbours.

Jason Watkins does show some great acting in parts but not enough to save the overall hum drum of the show.

Things manage to come to a satisfactory conclusion just when the truth seemed futile Another run of the mill channel 5 release.

Great 4 episode drama, I watched it in a week and I'm not normally a TV binger. 'The game' between the two main characters, a returning ' gold blend' stalker and the freshly retired cop who didn't quite manage to catch him and is now adrift and restless playing gold.

The plot was a little predictable at times but just drew me in, plenty of 'aghhh' edge of seat moments when moves are about to be uncovered and you're desperately hoping the hero can stop unraveling in his frustration before more havoc is wreaked in this quaintly friendly neighbourhood.

Great acting all round. It wouldn't surprise me if we get a season 2.

Newly retired detective Huw Miller (Jason Watkins) who failed in finding the killer stalker, before he retired at the grand old age of 55, following a nervous breakdown. Anyway, he need not worry, as the stalker Patrick Harbottle (Robson Green) has found him. In fact he's killed his neighbour, living directly opposite, purchased his house, and moved in, all in a space of a week or so. Sounds far fetched? That's probably because it is. The pace of the drama is too quick after episode two, it appears they have sacrificed character development while also compromising on a good storyline, so the whole production can be wrapped up in just four episodes, I speculate for budget reasons, which is a shame. Really strong acting as you would expect from two actors of this calibre, but on the whole an anticlimax.

Channel 5 usually have fairly interesting thriller serials but The Game is not one. Very weak storyline let's it down with plot holes you could fall into and do yourself an injury. The acting is all fine but it it requires Jason Watkins to over act because of the story weakness. I imagine he read it and realised he would have to give it some welly to try to hold the audience.

Why would he immediately suspect his new neighbour of killing the previous house owner and of being the serial killer he's been chasing for years? Jason has just retired from being a detective but has a bee in his bonnet over a cold case. He had been attacked by this suspect in the past but knocked out so he never saw his face, just thought he recognised his voice. To jump to the conclusion that the new neighbour is this killer, in such a short time, just seemed implausible to me.

Robson Green, who I'd not watched before, although I know he's a famous tv actor, does a good job as the new neighbour.

Although there are four episodes, it's written as if it's rushing far to soon to get to the conclusion. Had it unfolded in the early episodes more slowly, it may have been better than what it ended up with. Verdict: acting would have been better had the poor actors had an intelligent script.

I've watched a few of the Channel 5 four part dramas over the last few years and it's fair to say there have been more misses than hits. Most seam to have a group of the same actors that have appeared like Kara Tointon and Jill Halfpenny. In this case they the excellent Jason Watkins who l think has made two previous channel 5 dramas.

He is on top form here as a retired police detective who has a chance to finally crack the case that eluded him in his time as a police detective.

There are plenty of plot holes particularly in the last episode but if you put that aside. You have an entertaining 4 episodes of crime drama.