The Feud

Formulaic Channel 5 dramas seem to call upon a regular roster of fading actors to deliver scripts written by students on creative writing correspondence courses.

The plot of this particular pantomime is so predictable and so cliched that one almost overlooks the amateur dramatics of the performers.

It's rather sad to see actors of such established pedigree reduced to delivering the dross presented to them.

The premise that a professional barrister would overlook the basic requirements of a planning application to create a tiny kitchen extension is simply ludicrous.

I hop the cast are rewarded handsomely to risk their careers in this rubbish.

I read a few scathing reviews before I watched this. I'm glad I didn't go by other people's opinions. I enjoyed watching this mini series. There were lots of surprises during the six episodes. Lots of familiar faces from other shows too. I have certainly sat through far worse shows and stopped watching them, but I had no inclination to turn this off until it had finished. I guess we all like different things, and that's fine. There were a couple of characters that I found a little annoying at times, but that happens in lots of programs. Doesn't mean it isn't good. I thought the acting was good too. Give it a go and make up your own mind is my advice.

It could only go downhill from the first few seconds of the first episode before the story unfolds when the new prospective buyer questions the estate agent about rumours there had been a murder and tge estate agent dodges the question.

As if blood on the walls wasn't evidence enough ! And who puts a house on the market that's still effectively a crime scene even though there's no evidence throughout the series of police activity until the very end despite all manner of sinister activity.

Absolute hokum throughout but strangely compelling to see how it's all going to play out with numerous unbelievable plot holes right to the bitter end.

And, oh, the incessant plinky plink music throughout...AGGGHHH !! Having said that the quirky nature of it would suggest a tongue in cheek outlook should be adopted towards the whole series. I hope that was the plan because despite some of the gruesome scenes there was no tension offered up requiring the appropriate music.... Plinkety, plink.....

What a complete waste of six hours of my time. A whole bunch of unlikable characters living in three houses in a supposedly quiet street and all it took was a proposed extension to a kitchen to set off a series of ludicrous events. Throw in a suspended police officer and things get worse.

The only likeable character was the daughter of the couple deciding to build the extension, Beth who was totally innocent of everything going on around her until the suspended police officer took it upon herself to use her to get revenge for the suspension. Though I was half expecting whomever the writer was to have her guilty of something.

Then there was the music. A bit too cheery dir a supposedly suspenseful thriller,

Emma and John are about to up sticks and leave their neighbourhood, but she gets cold feet and wants to stay, and subsequently have a kitchen extension. The proposed building work upsets the neighbours and a feud begins.

It's like watching a farce on stage, the storyline is bonkers, but it's definitely a watchable series. At six episodes long it's too much, it would have been so much better if it had been done over four, pacing was an issue.

It was definitely all over the place at times, the story was so hard to believe and every single one of the neighbours seemed to have a suspicious look on their face and a dark secret.

The acting was rather good, Jill Halfpenny in particular was excellent, even if Emma was absolutely loathsome, spoilt and obnoxious, that's part of the problem, it was hard to have any sympathy for her. Larry Lamb and Rupert Penry Jones were rather good.

If only she'd just settled for new worktops instead, think of the fuss it would have saved.

It's bonkers, but worth seeing.

6/10.