What Remains

Classic who done it, but done with a modern take. Great character development, some real nasty neighbours living here. The best British show I've seen in a long time, even if it is five years old. If you like Broadchurch and similar crime shows, you won't be disappointed. AAA+++

When the decomposed body of Melissa Young is found by a couple in their new flat, Detective Len Harper who is approaching retirement is determined to discover what happened to her and why nobody noticed she was missing for so long.

This is really an old fashioned 'whodunnit.' The building is a house converted into 5 flats and nearly all the residents are not very nice people at all, some with some serious issues.

It is rather slow going, there is a lot of psychological games and this shows via flashbacks to their behaviour towards the victim who was an obese female.

The detective on his one last case before retirement is doggedly persistent and there is an air of a Gothic melodrama which the finale very much confirms as there are twists after twists as to who the culprit might be.

I've watched the first 3 episodes (out of 4 I think) and am really enjoying this, as is my husband.

It is an intriguing mystery about a young woman found dead in an attic many months after her death, and a cop's attempts to find out who did it and why nobody noticed she was missing for so long.

For a TV drama, I'm finding this particularly gripping. It is very well directed and acted, particularly from the victim and the 17 year old son of the journalist. And its nice to see Russell Tovey's and Stephen Mackintosh's darker side - they are both very good too.

I can't think what else to write in this tenth line other that to recommend that you give it a go on catch up or catch it next time.

'What Remains' takes the classic Agatha Christie formula and updates it to the modern age: take a dead body, a house full of individuals all on the nasty end of normal, and a determined, dogged retired detective, and save the unveiling of the criminal to the final moments. In fact, whereas Christie's characters were generally thin, the characterisation is more convincing in this, although never truly surprising. The direction and acting are also highly competent, although the conclusion descends into (almost inevitable) silliness. Until that point, it's quite gripping, but also quite shallow: whatever remains, not that much lies beneath the surface.

DCI Len Harper, is due to retire, his last case, the death of Melissa Young, who has laid dead for two years in the too flat in a curious house.

I would suggest it feels very Ruth Rendell, this could easily have been one of her books. It's quite a bleak story, with an incredibly dark conclusion.

Not a House in would want to live in, all the residents are liars and monsters. Literally each room contains a cheat, liar or bully.

David Threlfall is terrific throughout, very strong performances from Russell Tovey, Indira Varma and David Bamber.

It deals with love, loathing, domestic abuse, and many other human ills.

A true house of horrors, it's very, very good, 9/10.