The Accident

I...really can't wrap my head around the bad reviews. Sure it's not anything groundbreaking, but I've seen some bad movies and shows, and this miniseries definitely comes out on the more positive side. I can't speak for the accents considering I'm from a completely different hemisphere, but I found the acting good enough. My favorite character was probably Angela. Anyway, it's 4 episodes, just see for yourself.

I find it strange that words like 'parody' and 'cliched' can be used to describe this human drama when endless predictable detective thrillers, girls captive in a cellar dramas etc seem to get such rave reviews here. I thought the unfolding relationships were compelling, the acting (in the main) good and the plot was making a good attempt to get under the skin of the emotional destructiveness of this kind of tragedy. Yes there were cliched moments - the confrontation between the owner of the building and Sarah Lancashire's character for example - but I certainly think it's worth watching further episodes. Nowhere near as good as the excellent 'Virtues' by the same writer - but nowhere near as bad as some reviewers are suggesting.

I watched episode 1 of 'The Accident' last night, Jack Thorne's a brilliant writer and the cast is wonderful but it was so harrowing. The story is based around a small and poor village and its residents. A new building collapses on some youngsters who have broken in to graffiti the place. It's about the fall out as some kids are dead and some have life changing injuries. It's about who is to blame and about relationships crumbling. The most shocking bit for me was the brief but incredibly powerful scene of domestic violence played out brilliantly and convincingly by Sarah Lancashire and Mark Lewis, it came out of nowhere and I found it deeply distressing to witness. Not sure yet, about the rest of it, I might choose to watch something a tad more uplifting! #theaccident

The Accident has come in for some really harsh criticism, some of those criticisms are fair, some are unjustified.

Over four parts it's quite well paced, it's certainly dramatic, with some good moments, aside from the accident itself it deals with poverty and domestic violence, relevant topics for 2019. The acting is very good, Lancashire despite her accent is very good, as is Joanna Scanlan.

One of the main irritations, the accents, I speak as a Welshman, and it's true some are terrible, and do irk somewhat, Lancashire didn't need to be made Welsh. I would agree the direction is a little clunky.

Stick with it, for the most part it's worth seeing. 6/10

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

In a small Welsh village, a group of delinquent children trespass into a construction site, only for a gas canister to explode, killing several of them, and severely injuring Leona (Jade Croot), the daughter of Polly (Sarah Lancashire.) As the town mourns the tragedy, attention shifts to who to blame, in the shape of the corporation who set up the site, represented by Harriett Paulsen (Sidse Babett Knudsen.) As Polly gets determined to fight for justice, spurred on by claims investigator Phillip (Adrian Scarborough), her world is tested to the limit, especially her marriage to husband Iwan (Mark Lewis Jones), who's involved with the company at the heart of the accident.

Writer Jack Thorne, the man behind the excellent The Virtues and National Treasure, said in a (promotional?) interview for The Accident that he was trying to shine a light on how the working class are trampled all over after a big accident, in the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower tragedy. That incident, however, is one of a number of instances (most notably, the Hillsborough tragedy) that are referenced in this four part production. However, it pales in comparison to TV and NT, examples of what the guy is capable of producing when he puts his mind to it.

The setup has potential, and it's reliably well acted by TV stalwart Lancashire, and Croot as her hormonal daughter, with strong support from Lewis as the husband/father figure. However, none of the unfortunate kids feel developed or fleshed out enough to really get under their skin, or care about them in the way that you're supposed to. There's just not enough of an emotional impact to it all, despite the heavy subject matter, and any connection to Grenfell fails to translate that much.

While Thorne hasn't made a complete hash of it (as many have said!), he has sold himself and his (evident!) talents quite short. ***