Compulsion

Having survived a train accident, paramedic Jenny suffers a panic attack on a train, fellow passenger Sasha comes to her aid, the pair strike up a friendship.

Ok, so I'd be lying if I said it didn't have its issues, there are faults, plot holes and some absurd moments, but it is TV, and it deals with an incredibly serious issue, and features some terrific acting.

Leanne Best and Anna Chancellor are both first rate from start to finish, they share some great scenes.

It's very nicely filmed, and looked well produced, unlike recent C5 dramas, it was filmed in The UK, looks like Liverpool.

Nice to see gambling addiction featured in a TV series, it's still a taboo subject, good to see it get some attention.

One of the best dramas to come from Channel 5, Streets ahead of the last few offerings, I really did enjoy it.

7/10.

After surviving a tragedy, paramedic Jenny Challoner struggles with PTSD and turns to gambling.

C5 Drama have had more than their fair share of flops lately but this one takes the biscuit. Poor production values all round, heavy-handed direction and an OTT score. A poor cast, Anna Chancellor aside, that didn't gel together. Script wasn't good with lots of clunky dialogue and heavy exposition and an obvious storyline, you can guess the ending already.

Protagonist Jenny seemed to be the only one with a Scouse accent in Liverpool? Failed in all respects, one to skip.

I watched this for Anna Chancellor and Haley Mills. Both actors get to really chew the scenery. You can tell they're having a fabulous time. Intentional or not, their scenes play as high camp and I enjoyed their collective screentime. I could watch Anna Chancellor read the phone book. And who wouldn't want to see Haley Mills playing the thug heavy? Fabulous casting against type. Other than that, this four-part series, which could have been two, maybe three episodes (they pad for time with flashbacks throughout of things that happened three to four minutes earlier within the same episode), was a waste of time. The tone was all over the place, even in a single scene. The ever present musical score was absolutely histrionic. Plotholes abound. There is seriously poor writing and exposition all over the place in this one. If the screenwriter wants us to sympathize with a main character going through PTSD and suffering from gambling addiction, you have to give them some redeeming value. You have to show us who they were before they went down this path. There was none of this and I found myself rooting against the protagonist, Jenny (Leanne Best). She is written as a pretty irredeemable human being throughout, even in the ludicrous ending. Anyway, if you are able to watch it where you can fast forward 5 to 10 seconds at a time, it's really the only way to watch episodes 3 and 4. Or you can just skip it all together.

Initially a nice lady helps you on a train when you are having a panic attack, then quickly becomes your bestie, nothing suspicious about that right?

Better than I expected given the reviews I had read.

A bleak opening with Jenny (Leanne Best) contemplating suicide by train due to gambling-induced financial problems. During a panic attack onboard, recently bereaved Sasha (Anna Chancellor) helps her and they strike up a relationship. Things quickly spiral out of control for Jenny and it is unclear whether Sasha is a guardian angel or a psychotic demon.

After episode one, I am torn on this - it is either a tightly-written well-acted psychological thriller with interesting twists or it is whiny derivative drivel of the type we see frequently now. Best and Chancellor are fabulous actresses so I await episode 2 before passing final judgement.

Addendum: Skim watched to the end and it is poor with the worst ending imaginable - rescored from 6* to 4*