The Runaway

A must for fans of the work of author Martina Cole, and with plenty in the tank to entertain those who simply enjoy gritty crime drama, The Runaway is a story that pulls very few punches. Spread across six episodes, it's set in the late 1960s, and follows two youngsters, Cathy and Eamonn, as they're brought up in the East End of London.

As you might expect, things aren't easy for the characters in The Runaway. Cathy is the daughter of a prostitute, while Eamonn is lured into a life of crime. Yet what bonds them together is what they both have to do when the chips are down. And one event, as is often the way, has ramifications.

The Runaway is about as far away from a glossy television thriller as it's really possible to get. And there's little doubt that the programme earns that 18 certificate that adorns the box. Yet there's a strong, grown-up drama here, and it's livened by some terrific performances.

The two leads, for instance, are excellent. Jack O'Connell, best known from Skins, and Joanna Vanderham, who has a bright future ahead of her, take the main roles, and handle them well. Meanwhile, there's compelling work too from Keith Allen and Alan Cumming. Between them all, there's a constant compulsion to see what happens next.

The Runaway punches above what you might expect of television values,the downbeat world of the drama comes across strongly .

A gritty period drama, well made, and if you can stomach it, it's well worth your time.

But it quickly went downhill from there. I made it through all episodes, but the story failed to engage me. The main leads act well, but they just don't have a decent plot to work with, and some of the scenes are really poor. Apart from the young girl who plays Cathy's daughter, the other characters are unpleasant in varying degrees, and the violence is extreme. Filling up the time with repeated flashbacks looked really amateurish.

Sky TV isn't exactly the first name that springs to mind when you think of quality British period dramas. In fact, if you answered anything other than "The BBC" then you'd be considered mad. And yet, even as Aunty's star seems to be waning, so Sky is stepping up its game - and productions like this can only do it the power of good.

As I write this, the third episode of this 5-parter has just aired, and it just keeps on getting better. Despite the emphasis on the gangs/underworld in the plot synopsis, so far we've primarily followed Cathy's life (she, after all, being the title part). And, what a roller-coaster her life is... Sadly, the abuse she is subject to is entirely believable for that era - it probably still goes on to this day - goodness knows how many Cathys there are out there who never had the chance to run away.

If I were to level any criticisms at the programme, they would be these:

• Keith Allen is not 100% convincing as a ruthless underworld gangster. He looked daft with the syrup (wig), and after loosing that he looks more like a kindly uncle than a ruthless villain. - Joanna Vanderham - who looks absolutely stunning throughout, and what a find! She's got a long and brilliant career ahead of her - looks significantly older than the 14 she's supposed to be at the start of the series. In fact, none of the characters appear to have appreciably aged, despite the apparent passage of time.

And, that's about it really, for the complaints. There is some violence, but only enough to tell the story; and it's cracking along at a fair old pace.

If you enjoy good drama, in the style that the BBC used to do so well, then The Runaway will appeal to you. I think it's an excellent miniseries, and I hope it can find a larger audience than just Sky 1 viewers.

What a great series. I wish we had this kind of great work on this side of the pond. I became a fan of Max Irons recently so I started watching his films. Being a young up and coming actor (son of Jeremy Irons and Sinead Cusack-double powerhouse genes there), I gave the series a go. From the first episode I was hooked. It has opened me up to another fast rising mega star in the making, Jack O'Connell. Runaway is a bit of everything, edgy writing, intrigue, romance, crime, drama, murder, gangsters, bombs and drag queens. Who can go wrong with that lineup. Leading the charge is the ever awesome, Mardi Gras and New Years wrapped into one actor Alan Cummings. LOVE HIM. This role was written just for him because no one could have done it justice. For only 6 episodes it keeps you hanging on to every luscious minute. It is well worth a weekend Binge watch.

It's definitely got a bit of a psychodrama feel to it; with relationships revisited and mistakes repeated in a depressingly believable way. The two leads are extremely watchable although neither are native Londoners which is slightly apparent in their not always convincing accents (I speak as the daughter and granddaughter of actual cockneys - one of whom had had received pronunciation beaten into her and one of whom actually sounded like a cockney and neither accent is quite right.) I was totally fooled by Soho (where I spent a lot of my childhood and adolescence although in the 80s and 90s not 60s) - they totally got the feel right.

The supporting cast were fab as was the use of music All in all it was worth a brief trip to Britbox to watch - it was no GBH or Slow Horses but I found it very entertaining so would recommend you give it a look!