Malpractice

I enjoyed this and binged it over two evenings. Most of the cast, except Brian Bovell, are unknown to me. But all seem to me to be convincing.

Bit puzzled by the reviewer who asked ' where's the men'. Did this person watch a different programme? Let me see. The A&E consultant: a man. One out of the two investigators: male. One out of the two juniors: male (and not a nurse as erroneously mentioned. Strong hints that it's a 'women good, men bad' show. Apart form the husband who's not written as bad. The junior doctor, Oscar, not written as bad. The investigator Dr Adjei, again not written as bad. The barrister Sir Anthony Owusu, again, not an evil character at all. On the other hand, the 'strong female lead' character could be considered morally dubious at the very least. So matey your argument doesn't stand up. But I guess those who feel their tv shows should mainly feature straight white men of noble character then you might feel a bit miffed. Still I say the husband's a good'un.

One or two things I'd query. Bit surprised the police weren't involved a lot earlier on. And yes, how did the MIU people get hold of phone record?

Apart from that worth a watch if you like thrillers involving a big conspiracy going right to the top.

Excellent miniseries. Well written. Paced to perfection. Intelligently shot.

It didn't drag on too long, nor was it truncated to too few episodes. The casting was superb. And the actors performed brilliantly.

The plot also dealt with a very topical issue: the problem of addiction to prescription - rather than street - drugs. And touched upon the stress of the recent COVID pandemic as well. A strong story that had me hooked through all 5 episodes. Yes, at times a few characters were over-scripted (namely the duo on the internal investigation panel), which was grating, but this can be forgiven considering the quality of the rest of the drama.

It's great to see GOOD telly made once again, considering all the 'pap' put out by TV these days, both in too many other miniseries and in non-dramatic broadcasts.

They didn't labour the 'ah-ha' realisation moments. The viewer wasn't treated like an idiot. So there was no feel to this of a soap-y and lightweight miniseries. This one will stay with the viewer for some time. And it is a good memory.

It's a truism that it's easier to start an interesting story than it is to finish it. I found this one gripping in the first couple of episodes. By episode 3 I was looking up how many more episodes there were left to go.

The story and the predicament of the lead character got more and more fraught, but it might have been hurried along, in my opinion.

In episode 5, not surprisingly it all reaches a crescendo - but then rather lamely, too smoothly and quickly comes to the conclusion.

I think it's almost a rule now that TV drama serials have one or two episodes too many. I presume it's somehow cheaper to spin out one series out than to generate two.

There are some clichés, for example those TV drama disputes where characters have an argument lasting one minute, which ends when one of them simply leaves the room.

The level of tension was kept high from the first to the last episode of this first season. In the end, they still leave open the possibility of a second season, which I hope will cover the failures of the NHS as a whole, addressing other forms of malpractice.

I also want to highlight the outstanding performances of Niamh Algar as Dr. Lucinda, as well as the entire supporting cast. The chemistry between the characters was palpable, and their portrayal of the stresses and moral dilemmas faced by healthcare professionals was both realistic and nuanced.

However, while the show offered a gripping portrayal of the internal conflicts of healthcare professionals, I couldn't help but notice the artificiality of the investigations into medical misconduct. The speed at which they occurred, coupled with the questionable access to information, seemed overly convenient and unrealistic. As a viewer, it made me question whether such investigations can truly take place at such a rapid pace in the British healthcare system, where bureaucracy and red tape can often hinder progress. Nonetheless, I hope this is something the show will address in future seasons, as it has the potential to add another layer of authenticity to an already compelling drama.

I loved series 1 (majorly helped by the always-excellent Niamh Algar) but S2 falls into the realm of ludicrous. Tom Hughes (excellent individually) plays a doctor who has such bad luck it's a wonder that he didn't choose to take a few days off.

Affairs, bullying, drugs, mother/daughter drama and lying senior staff makes this feel a bit 'naff'. There's several solid acting performances but the material limits them.

It's actually a concern if 'real doctors' ever have this level of poor judgement...I also think s2 would put anyone off having a baby again on an NHS ward.

The whole of series 2 beckons the question 'Why didn't anyone think it was getting a bit silly?!' I don't recommend. In a world where there's lots of good T. V Dramas on various platforms, I'd avoid...in fact I'd go and watch Casualty instead.