simonsapon-09211

Lacklustre acting and a ludicrous story line. I think the actors are probably proficient (although John Simm is a bit hit and miss) so I'm going to blame the writing, direction and general production. There's lots of action driven by a completely laughable plot, but, at the same time, it's still incredibly dull. It has a ridiculous music soundtrack too. This is not Silence of the Lambs. How does this programme keep getting commissioned?

Quite frankly, this programme is awful, but strangely watchable, in a drifty sort of way. It's always great to see Brighton at least. Put it on for wallpaper when you've got something else to do.

Hmm. I started watching this thinking... Why am I subjecting myself to six long episodes of a program about really old people? That's what we all do. We immediately dismiss old people. How refreshing and positive it was to enter into the lives of this fictional group, with all the uncertainties and passion of someone starting out in the adult world.

Age gives us time to get really good at what we love to do. This is a quality production with classy performances from very experienced actors. For example, I love the way emotions explode out of Phil's face, with just the slightest change of expression. The topic is bleak and challenging, moments in this drama are moving, but I came away from it feeling strangely positive. Criminal activities aside, I hope my golden years are exciting as this!

It's Sunday night and I flicked through BBC iPlayer and found Showtrial.

I've just finished watching series one. It was incredibly dull and every scene and every character was one hackneyed cliché after another. There is nothing new or interesting about this series. The actors are probably very competent in their own right, but the storyline, script, direction and editing were all tired and actually incredibly bland and boring. I didn't care about any of the characters or what happened to them and I found myself drifting off and doing other things throughout the episodes. I'll give it a 4/10, because I made it to the end, although a lot of that could be down to the fact I couldn't find the remote. I must stop using the TV as wallpaper.

The BBC needs to stop resting on its laurels, employ younger and/or more interesting people, find a bit of edge and start creating innovative, thought-provoking content, or it will surely die.