The Catch

Still grieving for the death of his son, Ed takes an instant dislike to his naughtier Abbie's new boyfriend Ryan. Things are going wrong for Ed, but who is responsible.

I honestly have no idea what the ridiculously low ratings refer to, definitely not this four part series, without any doubt of Channel five's best offerings, and I'd argue one of the better dramas of 2023 so far.

I certainly missed Crompton's writing skills in the recent series of Silent Witness, he was missed, but his skills were out to good use, bringing this four part drama to life. Channel five dramas can be hit and miss, I'd argue this one was definitely a hit.

Four episodes worked well, it allowed it to nice up through the gears quite quickly, it never felt slow or laboured, and whilst the mystery may be a little obvious, the journey is a very good one.

It's a very well produced drama, it looks great, Dublin looking fantastic.

The acting was excellent, Jason Watkins did a great job, I thought Aneurin Barnard was fantastic, I'm so glad he's been cast in the next series of Doctor Who, what a talent.

8/10.

I had no choice but to put on the subtitles, as the music background was swamping 50% of the dialogue.

And there was no need for the foul language. Are scriptwriters so lacking in vocabulary that they need to add such contamination?

The scenery and locations added much to the plot, and the general presentation was well above standard. Brenda did well as the dementia-stricken grandmother.

I'd say that the origination of Ryan was rather too obvious, and his story, once revealed as the plot unfolded, was no surprise.

Well done to the production team in concealing the location - carefully not showing any boats' sterns, where the harbour 'home' would have been visible.

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.

Yet another long drawn out non-thriller. As 90 minute TV movie it might have worked but I was bored by the end of the first episode. The plot was predictable with no surprises along the way and the ending was nothing but a series of pure cinematic cliches. We know what is going on, the protagonist knows it as well, but we have to endure four hours of mediocre acting and dialogue drowned out by the over loud incidental music.

Jason Watkins' talent is wasted as the protagonist whom no one believes, Aneurin Barnard is too lightweight for the role and the two main female characters were little more than set dressing. And as for the granny; is dementia the new stick to beat us with as it seems to be popping up everywhere lately.

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.