Mum. BBC.

Mum is a British sitcom written by Stefan Golaszewski (Marriage) centred around recently widowed, suburban 59-year-old Cathy and her family, following her husband’s death. Each episode is named after a calendar month in the year, except series three which is set over just one week.

Starring Lesley Manville and Peter Mullan. I watched this on the back of Stefan Golaszewski’s Marriage (Nicola Walker). Similar format- the comedy/ drama is in the minutia of everyday life, cleverly delivered.

I will be looking for more of this writer’s work.

Crossfire. BBC.

‘A holiday turns from heaven to hell with a gunshot – and the consequences will linger long after the final bullets are fired.’

Written by Louise Doughty and starring Keeley Hawes.

What would you do if it happened to you? (Louise Doughty)

Binged the three episodes of this last night. Reading the reviews, the ending has divided its audience. Gripping and fast moving. I liked it.

Rev. BBC.

2010 ‧ Sitcom

Rev. is a British television sitcom produced by Big Talk Productions. Written by actor Tom Hollander and James Wood.

I loved Rev- poignant comedy. Took me back to my teen years (1980s)when I wanted to marry Ralph de Bricassart (The Thorn Birds).

Marriage- BBC.

‘Funny, moving, revealing – the bittersweet reality of a long-term relationship. Sean Bean and Nicola Walker star in an intimate slice of life …’

Dividing viewers- boring or brilliant? I thought it was brilliant- a portrayal of real life; as it is. Because let’s face it none of our live are as action packed as the dramas we are all watching on TV. It might not provide thrilling viewing, but it did affirm and mirror the mundanity of day to day living that I’m sure we could all identify with some aspect of.

Freddie Flintoff’s Field of Dreams. BBC.

‘Freddie returns to his home town for the sporting challenge of a lifetime. Can he inspire some unlikely teens to give cricket a chance – or has he bitten off more than he can chew?’

An interesting sporting and social experiment that has degrees of success.

The Midwich Cuckoos. Sky TV.

An exciting modern-day reimagining of John Wyndham’s science fiction classic starring Keeley Hawes and Max Beesley.

Not a science fiction fan at all, but this was good!

The Split. BBC.

A British legal drama television series, written and created by Abi Morgan, starring Nicola Walker, Stephen Mangan, Fiona Button, Annabel Scholey and Deborah Findlay. A powerful drama about power- girl power, the power struggle within families and the power, both positive and negative of family lawyers. It’s well worth binging on.

Joanna Lumley’s Great Cities of the World. ITV.

A travelogue well worth watching. Travel to Paris, Rome and Berlin with the gorgeous Joanna Lumley. For me it was all about Berlin. I’ve been to Paris many times, Rome looks amazing, amazingly I have never yet made it to Rome. But Berlin… it’s gotta be next!

Holding. ITV.

An adaptation of Graham Norton’s novel, written by Dominic Treadwell-Collins and Karen Cogan and directed by Kathy Burke. It’s Murder/ mystery set in West Cork, Ireland. A bit of a slow burner but well worth sticking with.

Our House. ITV.

Based on the best selling novel by Louise Candlish, starring Tuppence Middleton and Martin Compston, Our House tells the story of Fi Lawson, who arrives home one day to find a family of strangers moving into her house and her husband, Bram, has disappeared.

A slow starter but definitely worth seeing through to the end.

Trigger Point. ITV.

A 2022 British crime thriller series starring Vick y McClure as a police bomb disposal expert in London- created and written by Daniel Brierley.

Tense and brilliant. watch it.

This Is Going To Hurt. BBC.

Written by Adam Kaye and starring Ben Whishaw, Ambika Mod. Painfully funny, heartbreakingly honest, horrifying – welcome to the world of an NHS labour ward. Hugely addictive and brilliant.

The Bay. Series 3. ITV.

ITV murder/mystery drama written by Daragh Carrillo and starring Marsha Thomason and Daniel Ryan.

For me it lost something from the first two series, but still worth watching.

After Life. Netflix.

Written and directed by Ricky Gervais.

Life and after life affirming- invoked so many emotions. Clever, clever writing and acting.

Anne: One mother’s story.

A British four-part drama revolving around the 1989 Hillsborough football disaster of 1989, where a human crush resulted in the deaths of 97 Liverpool football club fans. It’s the story of campaigner Anne Williams’ battle for justice for her son Kevin, who died at the disaster.

To this day, almost 33 years later, no one has been held accountable for this disaster and subsequent cover-ups.