The Feud

I started watching this to take my mind off toothache. It was the usual 'first world problems' plot - John and Emma decide to embark on a kitchen extension to give them something to look forward to (I think). Emma has the cushiest legal job ever, which entails rolling up to court at the weekend and challenging what appears to be police racism. I'm only on episode 4, so I'm not sure. It's certainly making me think twice about having an extension when we retire! Apparently, it causes your neighbours to go psycho! And what is the secret of Barbara's tree, which she weeps over when she's watering it?

Rupert Penry-Jones is as handsome as ever, and Jill Halfpenny is as explosively bad-tempered as you'd expect in a Channel five drama. But sheesh, am I getting fed up of people greeting magpies!

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 enjoyed most of the series except the final episode got a bit convoluted. Emma, the lead character, really brought on the whole sequence of events. She was devoid of any emotional attachment to her family. I would call the way things turned out " Poetic Justice." Emma just steam rolled through everyone and her husband just let her do it, he needed to stand up to her. He didn't and things spiralled out of control. I know most people have security cameras now however I would hate to live on this street with all the voyeurism and scrutiny. Makes for reasonably compelling viewing.

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,

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.....