The trailer for this series on BBC1 made it look like a cross between a comedy and a drama, and it had a fantastic cast of comedy and soap stars that made it look even more appealing, the title made it obvious what it was about, and I'm happy to say I watched it all. Basically the series revolves around the lives of the "ordinary" people working at JS car dealership, all of whom have dark secrets, each episode sees an individual character's story escalate as their lies grow and shocking consequences occur, one character is usually focused more than others, but the other stories play out in each episode as well. Marty McLean (Jason Manford) is a down on his luck salesman who lies that his wife has died to keep his job, and in the process also gains the affections of lonely accountant Grace (Rebecca Callard, daughter of Coronation Street's Beverly, aka Liz McDonald). Tracy (Coronation Street's Michelle Keegan) is a receptionist at JS who becomes involved with drug trafficking, which causes her friend Viv (Cherelle Skeete) to get arrested abroad for possession. Kathy Kavanagh (Coronation Street's Sally Lindsay) is the personal secretary for showroom owner and boss Mike Hill (Hotel Babylon's Max Beesley) whose husband Ralf (Tony Maudsley) cannot give her sex and being celibate for years finds Niall (Holby City's Edward MacLiam), but they are forced to keep secret an attack they witness. Rick (Shazad Latif) is a mechanic having marriage troubles and staying as a guest at Mike's house, he becomes involved with Mike's fifteen year old daughter Ruby (Holly Earl), but he struggles with his feelings for her, knowing she is legally still a child, and it gets worse when, with her consent, he takes her virginity. Pete Blythman (Mackenzie Crook) is a car salesman who used to have a gambling addiction, he had an affair which resulted in a child, the woman he had an affair with and her new partner demand money and threaten he will no longer see his son, and he is also struggling to pay back money to loan companies. Beth Corbin (EastEnders' Jo Joyner) is the deputy manager, her husband Dave (EastEnders' Shaun Dooley) has been missing for sixteen months, in the meantime he has been having an affair with Mike, the police have found Dave just at the point when she was planning to settle with Mike, she struggles to allow Dave back into her life, and what to do about Mike. Also starring Ellie Haddington as Gina Corbin, George Bukhari as car salesman Fat Jason, The Inbetweeners' Belinda Stewart-Wilson as Alison Hill, Mike's estranged wife, Cucumber & Banana's Fisayo Akinade as mechanic Ziggy, The Bill's Cat Simmons as bride-to-be and JS worker Emma, Kris Mochrie as Jez, Emma's fiancé and Erin Shanagher as Katriana Mclean, Marty's wife. The cast all play their parts very well, and the characters they play are all interesting and easy to like, and the situations they get themselves into are actually really gripping, it is a realistic programme with stories you can relate to or just find yourself entranced with, a fantastic British television drama. Very good!
Review of Ordinary Lies
