Cold Call

As another writer has said, you really have to suspend your disbelief because it is all so implausible. Some viewers will be happy to do that - it's just not my cup of tea as I prefer the cases to be more realistic and less dramatic; maybe I should be watching documentaries.

Although it was made some 5 years ago this four part ITV series is if anything even more relevant today as the money lost by innocent individuals from scam calls continues to increase, so much so that the BBC actually has a morning TV programme called "Scam Busters", where they film an undercover team set up specifically to try to identify and intercept such calls sometimes when they're actually in progress.

It's just a pity then that they weren't able to shut down the calls made to Sally Lindsay's mother which eventually leads to her losing the £83,000 she'd raised from the sale of the family home in order to set up her soon-to-be single parent daughter with a home of her own. Distraught but seething at how easily she was duped, she makes contact with a local group of previous victims of similar scams where she hooks up with an old ex-schoolmate Daie Ryan who takes a special interest in her case to the extent that he devises a plan to identify and take down the perpetrator, getting her money back to her in the process.

This he duly does, as he tracks down Paul Higgins' seemingly respectable insurance broker who lives in the lap of luxury with his wife soon-to-be-married daughter and elderly mother who is suffering from dementia. By coincidence we've already seen Lindsay recently lose her job as a professional carer so it's not long before Ryan puts her on the inside into Higgins home as the new private carer for his mum.

From here things get darker and deeper with many a subsequent cliff-hanging moment as she and Ryan put themselves in harm's way with Lindsay in particular proving herself adept and indeed ruthless at coping with every nail-biting situation she encounters, before the big denouement at Higgins' daughter's wedding held in the grounds of his own house.

This drama started very well in its depiction of the cruel way that Jackson is conned out of her money, but in all honesty it rather loses its way with a series of remarkable coincidences and unlikely occurrences which strained credibility way beyond breaking point.

Nevertheless it was undeniably easy-to-wach, fast moving entertainment well acted by Lindsay and Higgins but would, I think, have worked better if it had resisted its tendency to fly off into a rather sensationalist thriller and stayed true to the original premise of exposing the heartless people out to rob usually vulnerable members of the public out of their life savings.

As someone who has had numerous phishing scams (disappointed when the Nigerians don't send one at least every few months), and one attempted computer hack, & suspicious phone calls I can testify as to how well this movie conveyed those experiences. Well researched. Good acting. Twisty ending that not all may like, but I thought it was creatively different.

The ending was just a shambles and the acting very mediocre throughout. It could have been so much better with a bit more thought and better choice of cast.

I wouldn't recommend it I'm afraid.

It's nice to see some original drama on Channel five, a pretty good job was done with this. In terms of subject matter it was relevant, I've heard a few cases in the news, people caught by online and telephone requesters. Part one had my blood boiling, it was definitely the best episode of the series, after that it loses a bit of reality, but remains a good watch. The finale is out and out bonkers, take it for what it is, a piece of tv drama, and you'll enjoy it.

Sally Lindsay is excellent as the lead, I'd love to see her in more drama leads, she did a great job.

Paul Higgins is excellent as the bad guy, he plays a man on the edge very well.

Crackers, but fun. 7/10