North Shore - Tod in Sydney

The Australian actors make the actors on Home & Away and Neighbours seem like the best actors on the planet - that's how bad it is. The British actors are good, but you can feel the cringe they are going through by working with these E grade actors. The script writing is terrible - soap level at best. I felt terrible for John Bradley and Joanne Froggatt having to try and make the best of the awful script and the cheesy acting by the Australians. Could have been great and ended up being mediocre at best. Loads of cliches. I think British actors need to seriously consider whether it's worth tarnishing their careers by acting in Australian dramas unless it's Underbelly or Wentworth quality writing and acting. I've given it 5 starts out of respect for the British actors who are undoubtedly embarrassed.

Ok so this isn't Line of Duty or the Wire but it it was much better than I was expecting due mainly to the two leads who carry it.

John Bradley seems to have mastered the smart cookie hidden behind the soft English 'buffoon' character.

Joanne Froggatt continues to show has the ability to lead. However, if I were being critical it does feel like she's being held back and not allowed to show her full range.

The one irritating aspect was her inability to maintain her 'posh' English accent. It slips every now and then revealing her northern roots.

Don't go into this expecting a breathtaking drama. Take it for what it is. A simple who done it with a great twist at the end!

Do people write bad reviews just to be pretentious or do they just have really peculiar, particular taste? The ratings on this site have become almost useless. Shows and movies are always either 10s or 2s. So many times i will read terrible reviews, watch it and like it. And the films critics love, I despise. I know I don't have totally horrible taste or don't have any standards.... I thought this was a completely enjoyable mini series and I hope for a second season. And I loved the cast. It had a satisfying ending, and a good twist. The series kept me engaged and I would recommend people give it a watch.

The star of the show could have been the harbour / ocean location, but it was relegated to a side show. Joanne Froggatt is always a solid watch, but I wonder if her shot at the big time has come and gone. With the exception of the cops, the characters are largely detestable, and if I had a plot control button I would probably design their ends in a ball of flames or bottom of the shark infested harbour, even the victim (again). Anyway, the plot is easy to follow, the outcome reasonably satisfactory. It's instantly forgettable, but in the gap between Christmas and new year, it did a job - sort of.

As long as you don't expect something amazing then you have a good shot at enjoying this show. There are enough characters to keep it from getting dull. The episodes don't feel too padded with filler. The subplots are fairly interesting, and the overarching main plot is pretty good.

The best aspect of the show, though, is the cast. While they weren't always given great dialogue to work with, I did like the range of characters they displayed. They somehow made most of the plot feel realistic. I didn't fully buy into the ending reveal, but it was good enough to avoid letting down the rest of the show.

All in all, I would rank this show ahead of most new miniseries I've seen lately. This isn't Mad Men, The Wire, or Breaking Bad, but it's worth a view.