The House Across the Street

Who doesn't like a nosy neighbour tale, they've been a mainstay of film and TV for a century. This new one from C5 won't disappoint fans of the genre who don't mind a bit of Harlan Coben on a winter's evening - its got more twists and turns than an alpine walking trail.

I liked it, it was well made and constructed, atmospheric, sometimes creepy and kept me guessing all the way. Shirley Henderson as protagonist Claudia has made a career playing fragile and ambiguous characters and was perfectly cast here.

Better than most C5 dramas. Minor quibbles, the score was a bit paint by numbers and some of the dialogue a bit expositional. But overall it's a sliced white loaf of melodrama with no pretensions of being an artisan rye, it does what it says on the tin. If that's what you're after sit back and enjoy the ride.

I agree as others here regarding the main actress Shirley Henderson's whispering low pitch voice. It's too much to endure for an entire episode and spoilt the series for me. She's OK in small doses, for instance she was good in Happy Valley series 2 as a supporting actor, but I don't think she's strong enough as an actress (as well as that annoying whispering voice) to carry a series as the main character. I didn't understand her motives in this and in particular the scene at the travel agency when she said something so intensely cruel to the grieving mother...why??....was she being deliberately malicious or just incredibly stupid? Her character was unlikeable, creepy, weird and bordered on psychotic - she would have made a good villain. As for her obsession with the the dad - rescuing him from ditch and then slugging a drink from his bottle - did she have a crush on him or what? She had issues with personal space, shoving her face in others and pawing over them, I cheered when her son remarked on her bad breath. I think this could have been a good series with a different, stronger and less annoying lead...such a waste, I love British series. I quite liked the music but all in all wasted on a limp lead. Bad casting.

Claudia (played by Shirley Henderson) is a very strange fish. Why does she behave the way she does? Is it that breast cancer -- from which she appears to have recovered -- robbed her of control and so she feels a need to take control when a small child goes missing? And what is it with her apparently heightened sexual frustration? Where does that come from?

Being unable to take Claudia seriously, it's very hard to take this mini series seriously.

Is it entertaining? Well, I watched all four episodes, so it clearly managed to hook me. But the conclusion is rather underwhelming, so I really wouldn't recommend watching this.

I watched this series hoping it would be great and was very disappointed as I felt really uncomfortable watching the lead actor in her role. Most of the time Shirley Henderson was in my view, just a weird and really creepy unbelievable character with her bizarre mannerisms and behaviour. The series was all too much for me and deeply disturbing. It also pained me to listen to her child like voice and watch her do random things like stroke a piece of victims hair over her face and smell her own clothes because of someone she sat next to...huh? Why? Nothing was explained as to why she did this? Really odd.... She was a school nurse and even that didn't make sense as she just seemed disoriented all the time.

The actor portrays a fragile, meek person who sets out to solve a child murder. Fundamentally there was an error in this as she asks questions you wouldn't in normal life get answers to unless you were an official like the Police e.g. Going to a school and asking sensitive and personal questions about a former teacher, when anyone knows data protection would restrict this.... Doh!

This series could have been so much better - it was just uneasy and unenjoyable watching for me....4 hours of my life I won't get back.... I would not recommend this series to anyone.

Why hasn't anyone mentioned the underpants!? Omg this was weird, but not a bad fit lol. . What was off whack though was when the dead child's mother goes back to work! I'd be flat on my back or in foetal position for a year.

Moaning myrtle was just the wrong character for this role. Not a bit intriguing just irritating with that awful voice. She's a reasonable actor but should stick to voiceovers. Enough of the weird loud music as well. Just quite pathetic all round. And another thing: why is every blooming drama lately "up north". We do have a lot of other counties you know. I wish producers would get back to making nice enjoyable wholesome food feel stuff. Why does everything have to be off whack and violent?