The Night Caller

There are many poor reviews for this programme and everyone is entitled to their opinion. If you want action this is not for you. On the other hand if you want a believable plot full of tension about a man at the end of his tether then I recommend it. Both principal actors Sean Pertwee and especially Robert Glenister give wonderful performances in this superbly written drama about an ex teacher who is now driving a cab for a living. We don't know why he lost his job but it has deeply affected him. He finds comfort and support when he calls the Night Caller radio call-in programme. Gradually his problems are revealed but his troubles increase.

Put simply: this series is a real treat. It's well made. Brilliantly acted. Perfectly scripted. And beautifully photographed.

Both Robert Glenister & Sean Pertwee are on top form. The connection between the two actors and their characters is excellent. The dynamism is magic.

The story is a perfect length. At 4 episodes the miniseries is just long enough without being dragged on and on. And as over-lengthening - or over-shortening - is a common flaw in modern dramas, this ideal length was a sign of good editing.

The storyline is credible. As are the lead characters. The plot's development is realistic, the characters' backstories are sufficiently fleshed out, and the lead-up to the finale is well paced. We believe the two leads' pain and how they each got where they are.

Other good points: The minor characters are all scoped out well. There is no spurious box-ticking. Even the incidental music is on point. The characters are written as human - i_e_ making crass mistakes - but, as imperfect is how human beings are, this is what we need to see.

The storyline references modern issues: school teachers' stress, kids' peer pressure, social media hassle, binge-drinking, generational differences, ex-military PTSD, loneliness. I challenge any series to give a viewer more in a range of issues with which to identify.

Seeing two characters in their maturity/middle age - and actors of their performance magnitude - play off each other on screen, is a template for TV dramas. And as Channel 5 all too often rolls out dramas that verge upon dross, this series belies the pattern. The series lifts up the channel in my estimation. And to great heights. It shows us what a production unit can do when the team put their mind to it.

I see TV awards in the offing . . .

Teacher turned taxi driver Tony builds an unusual obsession with nighttime radio host Lawrence, when Tony commits a heinous crime, he turns to Lawrence for guidance and support.

There are definitely a group of reviewers that simply want to hate on Channel 5 dramas, I question why bother watching them, I've called out the bad ones, and praised thr good ones, this is definitely a good one.

I really did enjoy this one, well paced, tense and intriguing, we're given several questions, all of which are answered in the excellent final episode.

It got better after it went on, the first episode is a little slow, but it got better and better as it progressed, I loved the final episode.

The best performance I've seen from Robert Glenister for a while, he was terrific here, matched by the excellent Sean Pertwee, a voice perfect for radio, thank goodness he's such a good actor.

8/10.

I don't know why so many people on here are complaining about this being miserable and not much fun to watch.it's a dark thriller after all.if you are looking for a show filled with action sequences,this isn't for you.

The show,in my opinion benefits from the slow build up.it really gives the actors the chance to put in a gripping performance that has you hooked from the start.

Sean Pertwee is excellent as per usual and Glenister absolutely steals the show with his amazingly emotional performance.

Great acting from the whole cast and I feel sorry for the people who didn't make it to the heartbreaking end.if you can't be bothered to watch something in it's entirety because the show isn't the type of thing you expected,you shouldn't leave a negative review.

The negative reviews don't understand the fact that Tony is such an accurately drawn character of a teacher who is no longer needed. I've not watched it all yet,and if it ends with his character doing something dubious it's cheap drama that doesn't really explore the normality of life at the wrong end of the spectrum, but if it takes that slice of normality and runs with it we could be seeing something a little interesting and a lot realistic, now before I go on I've got to lay my cards on the table and say that while I have just retired, I've never felt happier and think teaching is a great profession, although people often face the large sacrifices being made.