The Catch

You know that thing where you can't concentrate on what someone is saying because you're struggling to place their accent? This whole thing is like that. I don't just mean the actor's accents (real or imagined). The whole thing lacks a clear sense of place which I suspect will drive a lot of British viewers round the bend, while viewers from other countries might not notice anything strange. It starts off feeling like Cornwall - then you realise that's just your own assumption because it's a popular setting for films, and some of the accents certainly could be Cornish ... or maybe we're in Devon ... or is it Dorset? Ultimately, this made it difficult for me to suspend my disbelief and enjoy the ride.

Moving on - the main character Ed and his wife, daughter and mother in law were all well acted and believable. The boyfriend actor, with his confusingly Welsh accent (wait! Where are we?) not so much. He was seriously wooden and, I felt, poorly directed.

I personally liked the way the film looked and was constructed, with longish scenes (by today's standards) with significant dialogue. That's a win, in my book. The first couple of episodes were a lot of fun, as things got weirder and weirder, but the massive spoiler at the end of episode 2 was disappointing. It turned the final two episodes into a standard "pretty young woman in danger/desperate man falsely accused" piece of schlock, which I've seen enough of in the past twenty years. Can we please have something else? And an ordinance survey map?

This series passes the time, but is full of predictable, and implausible things. The last half hour, in particular, is a ticklist of bad film/TV cliches. It is set in Cornwall but filmed in Ireland, and the makers are careless with background detail and accents that betray that fact. Characterisation is mostly two dimensional, and acting mediocre. Actions taken by several characters are often some combination of stupid, implausible or self-contradictory as to their motives. Channel 5 have commissioned several series like this, and they all suffer from the same faults. For all this, it's watchable if your expectations are not high.

I'm a big fan of Jason Watkins, he's a very watchable actor in my opinion. He's very safe and dependable with what I would describe as a raw vulnerability. He really carries the weight of this show although the other actors are decent too. Okay it's not the most surprising murder mystery drama I've ever seen but I found myself happy to coast along and watch to the end. A few more twists would have been good and the final episode is perhaps the weakest which is a shame but it's a solid seven out of ten. If you want to pick holes this is going to provide a few but otherwise just go for the ride.

That is not a headline I ever expected to write. Channel 5 Have had a few attempts at making crime dramas in the past, but it's fair to say most haven't worked. In their defence they don't have the high financial backing of channels like Netflix or ITV but in the case of the catch, They have managed to pull off A really enjoyable four part drama based on the bestselling book by T. M. Lawrence.

It helps when you can get one of the countries current leading actors in Jason Watkins on board to play the lead role about a fisherman Who seemingly has a sinister past which he has kept hidden from his family for many years. This finally comes back to haunt him and this is the premise of the show.

The performances for all the cast are solid but it's a stunning glorious Cornwall coastline which is the real star of the show.

8/10.

The catch is a 2023 family, thriller drama series which consists of 4 episodes. It was my mum who told me how good it was so decided to watch it well I was hooked from beginning to end. You have to give a chance honestly it does get better as it goes on. The storyline is gripping and it certainly gets you questioning what is actually true or not. It is a little predictable in places but it's a very good watch. Acting is superb Jason Watkins is great actor as always. In fact all the cast are good. Very well produced and directed. It's certainly is a thriller and surprisingly a good drama. I really enjoyed it didn't want it to end. If you like mini dramas like the teacher with Sheridan smith or even the Bay then you will like this. Don't go by the low rating or bad reviews it's very good give it a chance. With some twists and turns on the way you will not want to stop watching it. Very good. Get watching now . Streaming on My 5 now.