Screw

Having spent 27 years in the prison service, I can recognise people on both sides and the problems both sides have to put up with. Anyone who has spent time inside would easily recognise the characters shown in this series, the humour and the routines and the normal setbacks of everyday prison life. The truth is prison is a dumping ground, there are many inside who cannot cope mentally and should be helped but instead are placed in an environment that they cannot deal with and are exploited by career criminals. We are a forgotten service and unless there is a riot or escape no one thinks about prisons and those involved. Governors are trying to run their prisons with too few staff and too many prisoners and financial restrictions placed on them.

I spent 25 years as a correctional Officer in the US so I figured to check out a show about prison in England to see how they would portray the environment. I am amazed that half way across the world and a different culture would portray the same environment and problems facing correctional staff as in the US. I guess we are not as different as we would like to think. The show might not be for everyone, but those of us that work in this environment will find a kinship and familiarity with the officers in this show no matter what part of the world you find yourself.

It's got its moments. The cast are great. But the script teeters between out and out comedy and dark prison crime drama. It doesn't all hold together and the dramatic twists can be seen a mile off. Would've been better if it had stuck to being a comedy. The central idea and characters could have been the basis for a brilliant cult comedy. As it stands it's all so predictably done, it becomes hard to recommend. A bit forgettable and derivative. A missed opportunity.

I quite enjoyed this TV series as the central premise is a novel one, prison dramas from the perspective of prisoners have been done before but not really from the perspective of prison guards. This progression in ideas is similar to how programmes like 'Grange Hill' and 'Byker Grove' led to 'Teachers' and 'Waterloo Road' and I expect several similar dramas about prison guards will now follow. Another plus is that it stars Nina Sosanya and the upcoming starlet that is Derry Girl's Jamie-Lee O'Connell who are both great actresses, in fact all the cast acts well. The problem is this show doesn't know whether it's meant to be a comedy or a drama and it relies on implausible behaviour by its often unlikeable and unremarkable characters to move the story forward, not only that but the viewer is often expected to find these things plausible and the characters likeable and relatable. I'd say it could be a 10 but the writing brings the score down a couple of points to a still respectable 8.

Cong. To Jamie-Lee O'Donnell for good start as leading actor :) along with Nina Sosanya who got her own series, finaly!

Writers should do more plot in first episode so people would understand that is show about day by day life of C block and not Orange New Black sitcom.