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Reviews
Weakest Link (2000)
The Very Best
This show has to be one of the greatest British quiz shows of all time. It is a shame that it is no longer repeated regularly because it is miles ahead of it's rather dowdy replacement Pointless, and despite the first episode being sixteen years old this year, the format would still work very successfully today.
Anne Robinson is a brilliant presenter, and really comes into her own with the stern and rather cold persona she adapts, making the show very different to other shows of the time. Robinson may sometimes make bitchy and cruel remarks to the contestants, though this is all part of the game, and what makes the show work so well.
Jam & Jerusalem (2006)
An Underrated Gem!
I found this comedy to be one of the most overlooked, underrated series of recent years. Jennifer Saunders has followed the Victoria Wood method of giving the other characters the best lines, and subsequently ends up in the straight-laced but still humorous role of the snobbish Caroline. All of the actors work well together to create believable relationships, particularly Sue Johnston and Sally Phillips as mother and daughter Sal and Tash.
Out of the large high-profile cast, Dawn French steals the show with a wonderful portrayal as the schizophrenic-suffering, sweet cheese factory employee Rosie Bales, while Joanna Lumley is completely unrecognisable in her role as eccentric church organist Delilah Stagg. I don't know why the BBC pulled the plug on this after just three series, it is a charming and gentle comedy that really brightens up your mood.
Marcella (2016)
Not A Patch on Happy Valley!
I found this show to be arguably one of the worst of 2016. It seemed to be relying on sensationalism; hard-hitting plot lines such as the murder of a child and gruesome attack on a family dog, just to keep viewers interested. ITV heavily pushed this series, most likely down to the fact that it comes from the writer of the highly-acclaimed The Bridge, but for me this just didn't work.
First of all, there were numerous characters introduced each episode, and subsequently an equally large amount of murders, meaning it became incredibly hard to remember who was who, with some characters serving little purpose. Then there are ridiculous occurrences; a detective who quit her job 10 years ago walks back into her office and is allowed to resume her job there and then.
But the biggest flaw for me was the casting of Anna Friel as the titular character. Other British drama's such as Happy Valley, Scott & Bailey and Broadchurch have showcased, strong female leads, and it's obvious that Marcella is trying to do this but Friel just does not succeed. Her accent varies from London to Mancunian on a regular basis, and she just comes across as awkward and struggling with lines, not the powerhouse force to be reckoned with she is supposed to be playing.