Roadkill

Ignore the ideological anti-BBC campaign here. This is well written and well performed political drama.

Roadkill, a British semi-Drama series with only 4 episodes! Initially, I thought that it would be a compact, well-paced Drama pursuing to a second season whatever story it had. Well, after watching it, it falls hard on the face.

• (+) Great acting by Hugh Laurie as always. The near-only very good performance here. Worth mentioning are Helen McCrory and Millie Brady too.
• (+) Some touching and funny moments relating to the main character's personal life.
• (+) Nice filming and instructive cinematography.
• (-) Slow, bland and uninteresting screenplay and developments.
• (-) Awful music and piano playing in the background. More like a score suitable for a light-hearted but depressed comedy series.
• (+-) Some interesting twists and turns, having the weight of five ping-pong balls.

A series to forget, besides the marvelous acting of Hugh Laurie.

So now I got the public service announcement out of the way, lets discuss this series so far.

Acting is solid, pacing is suitable. Dialog seems a bit unnatural at times. Its as if the cast don't really gel, but sometimes that takes time in a new series.

Subtle comedy and intrigue support what would suite those who like dry slow-roll political drama. It has enough to keep you watching, but mostly because of Laurie's character and on-screen presence.

I would not recommend for those not familiar with UK politics. Most US viewers won't understand some of the political interactions.

For this genre and target audience its a solid entry. It may end up being something special eventually, but currently its a little stunted- and that's what stops it being great.

7.5/10

It seems that some reviewers are basing their opinions on their political biases, rather than on the quality of the production, the plot or the acting. I binge-watched all 4 episodes. The performance of the main cast was convincing and the storyline wasn't too far-fetched to be believable. There were some minor weaknesses, such as the Prime Minister having no facial expressions due to a Botox overdrive (even though McCrory played the part well), but overall it's pretty good. The ending opens the possibility of a second series.

I find it humorously ironic that the consumer reviews section highlights one of the main subtexts of this well crafted show. A lot of sensationalist polarised opinions based on political allegiance rather than acknowledgement of a well written script and some standout performances. I agree that the characters are a bit 2D but the show needs to form a base from which to develop. I hope the BBC comissioners give this show the future it deserves as there's a lot of interesting and engaging stuff here.