As I began watching this series I was excited, thinking this is going to be great. The plot appeared to be fairly original and definitely engaging. But then, things started to happen that, unfortunately, lacked credibility. Many of these had to do with the main character, played by Jill Halfpenny., in which she said and did things that seemed almost so unrealistic as to be absurd. With each episode this trend of incredible actions increased and by the last episode, the whole story seemed downright ridiculous. Too bad, because with its reasonably good acting and story potential, it should have been a whole lot better.
215 Reviews
Not bad at all
omendata11 March 2021
What is it with people and reviewing - they either give it a 1 or 2 or a 10 there seems to be no rational reviewing these days - a 1 or 2 means its the worst thing you have ever seen which this is not!
I dont watch things and try and find errors in the plot or uniforms that dont have the right cufflinks for the era, I just hope there will be good acting and let the fiction wash over me and if i enjoy it then it gets a good rating based on my enjoyment - people seem so obsessed with political correctness and diversity and trying to find problems!
The acting to me was pretty good and although the story is a bit far fetched, who cares - people its fiction, its a movie, its not meant to be real life, it is meant to take you out of yourself to fantasy land where you can either immerse yourself in the story or nit pic every little plot mistake.
Having said that, although i thoroughly enjoyed the first three epsidoes the last episode was a bit hard to swallow and the denoument was a bit contrived and let down what came before and perhaps this is why disappointed viewers are giving it an unfair 1 and 2 out of 10, I am basing my review on all four episodes so it gets a healthy "Good" 7/10 from me!
I dont watch things and try and find errors in the plot or uniforms that dont have the right cufflinks for the era, I just hope there will be good acting and let the fiction wash over me and if i enjoy it then it gets a good rating based on my enjoyment - people seem so obsessed with political correctness and diversity and trying to find problems!
The acting to me was pretty good and although the story is a bit far fetched, who cares - people its fiction, its a movie, its not meant to be real life, it is meant to take you out of yourself to fantasy land where you can either immerse yourself in the story or nit pic every little plot mistake.
Having said that, although i thoroughly enjoyed the first three epsidoes the last episode was a bit hard to swallow and the denoument was a bit contrived and let down what came before and perhaps this is why disappointed viewers are giving it an unfair 1 and 2 out of 10, I am basing my review on all four episodes so it gets a healthy "Good" 7/10 from me!
Weak but compelling, but a ridiculous denouement.
graham-8183026 February 2021
I think that the very low ratings of some of the reviews are a bit harsh. Although it is difficult to disagree with many of their observations.
It certainly had a number of very weak moments, some gaping holes in the premise, and sub plots that brought little to the table. But it was nevertheless quite compelling, and we did quite enjoy the ride- until the last twenty minutes or so.
How utterly ridiculous. It was as if the conception and writing of ths denouement had been handed over to a beginner. For me this totally let the whole thing down and I began to resent the 5 hours I'd invested in watching the ruddy thing.
This ending was simply shamefully lazy writing.
It certainly had a number of very weak moments, some gaping holes in the premise, and sub plots that brought little to the table. But it was nevertheless quite compelling, and we did quite enjoy the ride- until the last twenty minutes or so.
How utterly ridiculous. It was as if the conception and writing of ths denouement had been handed over to a beginner. For me this totally let the whole thing down and I began to resent the 5 hours I'd invested in watching the ruddy thing.
This ending was simply shamefully lazy writing.
Better than you're made to think.
Sleepin_Dragon7 February 2021
A woman tragically losses her young son in a drowning accident, a decade later she believes she's seen him on his way to School.
It's alright, I found most of the reviews are way too harsh, it's definitely better than the likes of the Sister and recently Finding Alice, this at least wasn't boring.
The story itself is unremarkable, it has been seen before, but there are enough twists to make it interesting enough. The third episode is the best part, the fourth perhaps is the weakest.
On the plus side, you're kept guessing, Halfpenny is pretty good, and you never know quite what's going on (same as the writer I guess.) The young man playing Daniel is terrific.
On the debit side, it's hard to believe it as a normal thriller, it's more a fantasy thriller, so many events just wouldn't have happened, the cash withdrawals, the job, the behaviour of the teachers, the chainsaw. Someone needed to go through the script and point out some of the daft moments.
I am so pleased to see channel five producing more home made dramas, and I'm really enjoying their output.
For me this was better than The Sister, better than Finding Alice. I quite liked it, 6/10.
It's alright, I found most of the reviews are way too harsh, it's definitely better than the likes of the Sister and recently Finding Alice, this at least wasn't boring.
The story itself is unremarkable, it has been seen before, but there are enough twists to make it interesting enough. The third episode is the best part, the fourth perhaps is the weakest.
On the plus side, you're kept guessing, Halfpenny is pretty good, and you never know quite what's going on (same as the writer I guess.) The young man playing Daniel is terrific.
On the debit side, it's hard to believe it as a normal thriller, it's more a fantasy thriller, so many events just wouldn't have happened, the cash withdrawals, the job, the behaviour of the teachers, the chainsaw. Someone needed to go through the script and point out some of the daft moments.
I am so pleased to see channel five producing more home made dramas, and I'm really enjoying their output.
For me this was better than The Sister, better than Finding Alice. I quite liked it, 6/10.
The Drowning
studioAT2 February 2021
What did I just watch?
mcgonigal_cfc_76 February 2021
Warning: Spoilers
The trailer makes it look like channels 5's new great drama, the show itself, however, is just utter nonsense.
It will leave you screaming at the television 'that would never happen'.
The family are all unlikeable characters, the mother is actually quite creepy as is the boys real father!
I was actually hoping the boy would be put it to care at the end for his own sanity to get away from them all!
It leaves you with so many questions like how did she manage to float around the school corridors? Was it just Daniel & a couple of others who went to this school? She took one class then participated in parents evening? And my favourite question, why was this even on television?
It will leave you screaming at the television 'that would never happen'.
The family are all unlikeable characters, the mother is actually quite creepy as is the boys real father!
I was actually hoping the boy would be put it to care at the end for his own sanity to get away from them all!
It leaves you with so many questions like how did she manage to float around the school corridors? Was it just Daniel & a couple of others who went to this school? She took one class then participated in parents evening? And my favourite question, why was this even on television?
Absolute Drivel
senorcoxy4 February 2021
Warning: Spoilers
I have never watched a channel 5 drama and I never will again. How or why Jill Halfpenny and Rupert Penny Jones agreed to this is beyond me. The simple premise of a is it or isn't it story of a drowned child is dragged out over 4 hours and could have been told simpler and more effectively in 1 and a half. The forged CRB, the side story of gangster,forger, car wash. The garden artist business , the lack of any proper police procedure. The brother barrister who can manipulate DNA tests in a phone call. The Family gatherings that include the ex and his new wife and the fact that the Dad did not visit his son for over 2 days when he reappeared after 10 years. The massive house that she lives in but can't find £500 from her bank account. It was the most ridiculous piece of drama and writing I have seen. I have seen some tripe in my time but this takes the biscuit I would say avoid at all costs but during lockdown we are really at the bottom of a very deep barrel.
So Bad.....
davidgooding-938125 February 2021
Who on earth wrote this, were they years old.
I know times are hard for actors in the current climate you would have to be extremely hard up to to be in this.
The plot, if you can call it that had more holes than a 18 hole golf course.
Think there is a freshly painted well that needs watching.
"The Drowning" or "Another show where a kid disappears and stupid people make things worse"
ToneBalone6022 February 2021
"The Drowning"
"The Disappearance"
"The kid goes missing, let's think of the most ridiculous plot"
In lockdown they've not managed to even come up with well thought out names for shows. They're not even hiding it no more. Same formulaic script, different title moronic family members.
This must be about the 5th show I've seen in 2021 where a kid disappears or drowns. Then there's a long twisted plot of the most unlikely characters doing the most ridiculous things.
And poor Jade Anouka, she's a good actress but she's always used as the friend who gets her share of the business money taken (yes remember "Cleaning up" she played an identical role as the downtrodden business partner in that show too. Surely they're not hiring her just for diversity?? It seems like it).
I knew something was a tad fishy when we're led to believe that the oik of a brother was a barrister, perhaps it said barrista or Football hooligan in the original script. As for that school which was clearly just a unit in a trading estate. LOL.
There were some nice houses, a pretty lake & some mountains. Some promising early menace from Rupert Pennry Jones which unfortunately never came to much as his purpose rapidly fizzled out. Then there's old Martin Platt's bit on the side...Our Jill six pence, who spent the entire series in the same Jeans and shoes. She didn't even change for her interview. I was hoping she'd jump in the lake for a wash.
A weird drama that sadly could have been a lot better. Perhaps it should have ended when the first DNA sample came in. The last episode was redundant.
And who didn't think that our Jill & Rupert were desperate to eat eachother's faces every time they met?? The chemistry between them was about the only convincing thread of the plot. They should have got it on in the end and then all lived happily ever after.
Maybe it would have probably worked in a foreign language with subtitles. You can get away with any old cheese these days if there's a French accent involved and a spot of "je ne sais quoi" Noir.
In lockdown they've not managed to even come up with well thought out names for shows. They're not even hiding it no more. Same formulaic script, different title moronic family members.
This must be about the 5th show I've seen in 2021 where a kid disappears or drowns. Then there's a long twisted plot of the most unlikely characters doing the most ridiculous things.
And poor Jade Anouka, she's a good actress but she's always used as the friend who gets her share of the business money taken (yes remember "Cleaning up" she played an identical role as the downtrodden business partner in that show too. Surely they're not hiring her just for diversity?? It seems like it).
I knew something was a tad fishy when we're led to believe that the oik of a brother was a barrister, perhaps it said barrista or Football hooligan in the original script. As for that school which was clearly just a unit in a trading estate. LOL.
There were some nice houses, a pretty lake & some mountains. Some promising early menace from Rupert Pennry Jones which unfortunately never came to much as his purpose rapidly fizzled out. Then there's old Martin Platt's bit on the side...Our Jill six pence, who spent the entire series in the same Jeans and shoes. She didn't even change for her interview. I was hoping she'd jump in the lake for a wash.
A weird drama that sadly could have been a lot better. Perhaps it should have ended when the first DNA sample came in. The last episode was redundant.
And who didn't think that our Jill & Rupert were desperate to eat eachother's faces every time they met?? The chemistry between them was about the only convincing thread of the plot. They should have got it on in the end and then all lived happily ever after.
Maybe it would have probably worked in a foreign language with subtitles. You can get away with any old cheese these days if there's a French accent involved and a spot of "je ne sais quoi" Noir.
Preposterous storyline and terrible acting.
suerich92444 February 2021
Three episodes in and nothing is getting any better. Having stolen a bunch of strange keys the lead actress knows exactly which key is for what. The boy has only one facial expression - pained! Rupert Penry-Jones is totally wasted on this and the other actors sleepwalk through it. Cliched criminals, senseless plot lines. Don't waste your time; it doesn't improve!
10 Stars, But Not Because It Was Good
kapompastompa5 June 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Wow. This was an experience. I don't think I've ever had the ability to say that I was blown away by how bad a show could be. Consider me Blown Away.
It was so bad, that watching it was SO MUCH FUN! The story was so outlandish that it couldn't help but induce confused fits of giggles. In fairness, I can't fully blame the actors. I'm sure they did the best they could with the script and direction they were given. I can blame them, however, for accepting to do the role in the first place. Little did they know that the title of the series might end up being a somber prediction for the rest of their careers.
My advice for anyone wanting to watch would be: Make a BINGO card before you start. Include squares like, 'Overly aggressive facial reaction', 'Whaaaaaaaaaaaat?', 'A Scene that was pointless', 'Yeah, right', 'Crazy Tacky Shirt', 'Irrational reaction to the situation' and so forth. Resist the urge to make it a drinking game, as alcohol poisoning puts a damper on a fun evening.
I've tried not to include any spoilers, but I MUST comment on the drowning scene. Never have I ever seen a drowning person actively try to dip his head under the water. Come on, man. Do better. And to go from gasping and crying for help to immediately dead and floating to quickly sinking in the span of 3 seconds may have been just a tad too quick considering the importance of the scene when it came to the whole store. If I had sneezed at the same moment, I would have missed the whole thing.
All in all, it's worth the watch. Do it with good friends and have yourself a laugh.
It was so bad, that watching it was SO MUCH FUN! The story was so outlandish that it couldn't help but induce confused fits of giggles. In fairness, I can't fully blame the actors. I'm sure they did the best they could with the script and direction they were given. I can blame them, however, for accepting to do the role in the first place. Little did they know that the title of the series might end up being a somber prediction for the rest of their careers.
My advice for anyone wanting to watch would be: Make a BINGO card before you start. Include squares like, 'Overly aggressive facial reaction', 'Whaaaaaaaaaaaat?', 'A Scene that was pointless', 'Yeah, right', 'Crazy Tacky Shirt', 'Irrational reaction to the situation' and so forth. Resist the urge to make it a drinking game, as alcohol poisoning puts a damper on a fun evening.
I've tried not to include any spoilers, but I MUST comment on the drowning scene. Never have I ever seen a drowning person actively try to dip his head under the water. Come on, man. Do better. And to go from gasping and crying for help to immediately dead and floating to quickly sinking in the span of 3 seconds may have been just a tad too quick considering the importance of the scene when it came to the whole store. If I had sneezed at the same moment, I would have missed the whole thing.
All in all, it's worth the watch. Do it with good friends and have yourself a laugh.
Daniel was so cute
Sidney1014 February 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Omg Daniel has to be the most adorable 14 year old so innocent and doey eyed. How his dad was so strict on him I have no idea. The boy played the role very well. It was silly in parts especially jodie waltzing around the school and conveniently bumping into Daniel each time, but it's not real life it's drama and needs to be entertaining, I really enjoyed it and found myself gripped wanting to know is he or isn't he the missing son.
More holes than Swiss cheese
tony-70-6679205 February 2021
Warning: Spoilers
No wonder most of the comments are negative. Perhaps because we need something to pass the time in lockdown we stuck with this, but the actors were let down by a pretty daft script. The worst flaw was the casting of Cody Molko as Daniel. He's a most likeable and sympathetic young actor, but there's more than a hint of the Orient in his looks: the photo of Mark with an Asian woman should have told Jodie that he was their son rather than hers, who we saw aged 4, looking Anglo-Saxon. This made Daniel's alacrity in believing he was Tom incredible. Other flaws? I never bought Jodie's brother as a QC: night-club bouncer maybe, but not a QC. Would a QC be so influential he could arrange for DNA results to be falsified? The idea that a bunch of lowlife thugs living in squalor were able to magic up forgeries of a DBS certificate and a passport was equally ridiculous. Would an academy be so desperate for staff that they'd employ Jodie as a music teacher when she had no teaching qualifications or experience? Why did Jodie's brother row Daniel to the middle of the lake, clearly intending to throw him overboard, then bring him back and lock him in a shed or container? Just because Jodie was a distraught mother would the police really let her get away with false pretences, kidnapping, the attack on Mark, stealing his car and then giving it to the head gangster as part payment for the forged passport? Having said all that it was quite intriguing and, perhaps foolishly, we stayed to the end.
So bad!!
avondale-8009329 March 2021
I liked it
eventlaunch14 February 2021
Absolutely ridiculous 1 star reviews
ger55champ2 July 2023
First up .Jill halfpenny is an outstanding British actress and she doesn't let you down in this .Truly fantastic acting for me .
It's meant to be a thriller and the suspense is there throughout .
The acting from all the players is totally believable .Yes there are some incredulous moments throughout .And for me it adds to the drama ..
I can't understand why anyone could give this 1 or 2 in their reviews .When you see all the Hollywood nonsense .This is very worth a watch .Unusual story but keeps you hooked from start to finish .
Give this one a watch and watch all 4 episodes .You will be glad you did.
It's meant to be a thriller and the suspense is there throughout .
The acting from all the players is totally believable .Yes there are some incredulous moments throughout .And for me it adds to the drama ..
I can't understand why anyone could give this 1 or 2 in their reviews .When you see all the Hollywood nonsense .This is very worth a watch .Unusual story but keeps you hooked from start to finish .
Give this one a watch and watch all 4 episodes .You will be glad you did.
dreadful , truly dreadful script. an insult to the viewers inteligence
jpdhadfield4 February 2021
Warning: Spoilers
SPOILER ALERT
i watched the entire series, hoping it would redeem itself, and make some sense. But no ,it just got madder, enormous chasms of plot holes, unbeleivable things happened. For example all staff in any school are checked, all qualifications, , CRB, and then it takes weeks untilthe job starts. nobody can walk into any school. Before that she parked her car outside the school. no, that never happens, for good reason. Also she was a gardner who had thousands in the company bank acount!, also what was the side story of the illegal immigrant employee and the comic book villains. And the end was the worst bit, are we supposed to beleive the boy would drown without making a splash when his uncle was just standng there,
channel five must think its viewers are brain dead.i wouldnt recommend this program to anybody, its rubbish.
i watched the entire series, hoping it would redeem itself, and make some sense. But no ,it just got madder, enormous chasms of plot holes, unbeleivable things happened. For example all staff in any school are checked, all qualifications, , CRB, and then it takes weeks untilthe job starts. nobody can walk into any school. Before that she parked her car outside the school. no, that never happens, for good reason. Also she was a gardner who had thousands in the company bank acount!, also what was the side story of the illegal immigrant employee and the comic book villains. And the end was the worst bit, are we supposed to beleive the boy would drown without making a splash when his uncle was just standng there,
channel five must think its viewers are brain dead.i wouldnt recommend this program to anybody, its rubbish.
Spoilt
andreajh0703624 February 2021
Unbelivably, mind-bogglingly bad
yukishiro15 February 2021
I cannot remember the last time I watched something that made me actually angry I had wasted my time on it, but this is it. This is spectacularly, awesomely, mind-blowingly bad stuff. The holes are so gaping, so massive, so extraordinary that you actually keep watching because you think "this can't possibly be this stupid, there must be more to it, they're going to come up with something clever." But they never do. Instead it just gets more and more stupid, and more and more inexplicable. By the end you are shaking your head in utter disgust at the sheer waste of money, time, energy, and people's braincells that went into this disaster of a production.
The only "spoiler" I will give is this: this show is every bit as stupid and utterly unrealistic as it looks within the first 15 minutes. In fact, it's twice that stupid. Don't be fooled like I was.
The only "spoiler" I will give is this: this show is every bit as stupid and utterly unrealistic as it looks within the first 15 minutes. In fact, it's twice that stupid. Don't be fooled like I was.
Not great but somewhat entertaining
russellharvy-3901713 February 2021
WORDS FAIL ME!
carolynocean10 February 2021
The whole storyline is ridiculous and unbelievable.
It is just impossible that this could happen in real life.
How on earth did this make it to our screens? and for four nights!
I am still speechless even a week on.
The biggest mystery to me was what on earth were they doing in that
garden business????? it looked like they were trimming the same hedge
for the entire series, and not very well at that!
Thats really all that I can say about this farce of a drama
Slow burn
akira-hideyo4 February 2021
Watch it as it should as entertainment, instead of low reviewers conducting an autopsy for a fact check to a PhD in rocket science; and maybe, just maybe, one would be rewarded with a good and satisfying final closure. Lockdown's bad enough eh? Chill and relax a bit love. No need to drown in too much of nothing.
Thrilling drama
sjamesy8 February 2021
Childish plot
alvinpiecrust-399093 February 2021
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