The Hunt for Raoul Moat

It featured the continuous abuse of a young woman and the ignorance of police in paying scant attention to so-called "domestic situations" a demeanng term if ever there was one.

So very many women. All the time, every day ,are the victims of what I could call "domestic terrorism" by a toxic violent male.

Sam was only 16 years old when she met this monster who was 20 years older than her. A red flag of course. He behaved as if he owned her and their child and bullied her incessantly and went to prison for abusing their child. Even when he was in prison and a guard overheard him and reported it to the police the only response was *crickets*.

The manhunt itself was really well done, full marks for the tension and the pacing as it all unravels into the inevitable ending.

No holds barred on the police behaviour which was very good.

8 out of 10. Excellent for its calibre and only the British have the skill for this type of series.

For those of us outside the UK who've never heard of this story, I appreciate that the British seem to be able to convey the essence of this kind of crime without sensationalizing it. The acting was pretty solid and the pace was just right, apart from a few frantic camera shots that didn't add to anything except dizziness. What is clear here is that apart from the many victims (the ones shot and their families and friends), the other 'victim' is the empathy that all these social media/Facebook followers were lacking. However you feel about the police, the fact that psychopath (and he was a very damaged individual who made these choices) killed and maimed people and yet still was viewed by himself and his deluded 'fans' as a victim, is beyond comprehension. But sadly, this is far too commonplace these days and everyone wants to be a 'star' and be recognized, regardless of how or why. One has to despair of humanity that we have 'evolved' to this kind of mindless narcissism. This series at least tries to put some of that humanity back for the victims and show them the respect they deserved. Kudos to the whole production and shame on those who glorify killers of innocent people.

As a working class Geordie myself this dramatisation felt authentic and realistic with a largely local cast. I'm happy to report that it didn't give a voice to Moat himself. Instead it focused on his toxic masculinity, his violent crimes, their impact and legacy and the race to capture him. Nor did it gloss over the errors made by the police.

I thought it was well written (by Kevin Sampson who also wrote the excellent 'Anne' last year) and produced and the cast was very good led by the always reliable Lee Ingleby.

Overall a strong and successful drama that is sadly timely with so many stories of domestic violence still featuring in our news every day.

Why is it that true life crime is far more absorbing and watcheable than the contrived drama being turned out these days.

We have given up on three contemporary cop dramas in recent weeks, but this was far more interesting.

Watching the companion documentary that followed the conclusion of the three episodes, it is clear that the drama was very accurate. No creation of additional scenes or stories like The Gold a few weeks ago.

All those involved in the hunt never got the opportunity to find out what was really behind Moat's paranoia. It was probably embedded in his youth, but this never came out.

It was mentioned at the end that the true victims of this crime have been largely forgotten, and this is true. It should never be forgotten that this was an extremely dangerous man who felt he had nothing to lose. He was a cold blooded killer, you can't get away from that.

This could have been sensationalised to the max, but to the programme makers credit, it wasn't. I found it a well told, factually based drama, which whilst horrifying, was completely absorbing.

It shocked from the start by showing people at the place of Moats death a year on, idolising him, I found that one of the most shocking scenes of the entire mini series. What on earth made these people think he was a hero after what he'd done?

I've seen a few people complain about the accents, but as I'm not from the area, I can't say it bothered me in the slightest, and I found the acting throughout to be of a high standard.

Recently I've seen quite a few dramas that were too long, and that's my only slight criticism of this,but in the opposite direction, could have been longer, it felt a little rushed, I think another episode or two could have seen a bit more character development but overall, a job well done.

If the subject matter put you off watching it, I'd still suggest giving it a go. Recommended.