The Night Caller

Wow!

Considering this was made for Channel 5 this was brilliant.

Robert Glenister is an underrated actor. What he is doing on Channel 5 is gard to comprehend. Unlike his bother a Philip who does more joker roles as a rule, Robert tends to stick to hard res and it is obvious that he got into his teeth with this one.

Sean Pertwee does seem to just play himself in his roles and looks more and more like his dad as Jon as he ages (doctor who I am thinking of not worzel gummidge) I liked Suzanne Packer here too but she always okays the supporting role but has a larger part here than in The Bay series 5 which I have just watched.

This was called The Night Caller in New Zealand and, overall, probably makes more sense than Black Cab.

Channel 5 have upped their game with Finders Keepers and Coma this year but this tops the lot apart from All Creatures Great And Small.

There are many poor reviews for this programme and everyone is entitled to their opinion. If you want action this is not for you. On the other hand if you want a believable plot full of tension about a man at the end of his tether then I recommend it. Both principal actors Sean Pertwee and especially Robert Glenister give wonderful performances in this superbly written drama about an ex teacher who is now driving a cab for a living. We don't know why he lost his job but it has deeply affected him. He finds comfort and support when he calls the Night Caller radio call-in programme. Gradually his problems are revealed but his troubles increase.

The negative reviews don't understand the fact that Tony is such an accurately drawn character of a teacher who is no longer needed. I've not watched it all yet,and if it ends with his character doing something dubious it's cheap drama that doesn't really explore the normality of life at the wrong end of the spectrum, but if it takes that slice of normality and runs with it we could be seeing something a little interesting and a lot realistic, now before I go on I've got to lay my cards on the table and say that while I have just retired, I've never felt happier and think teaching is a great profession, although people often face the large sacrifices being made.

Glenister and Pertwee are absolutely superb in this dark drama about depression and deception. Other very good performances from some faces you'll recognise too. I don't recall seeing Pertwee before but his voice was just fantastic as the radio host.

Yes some found it slow but some of the best of the genre from the likes of Hitchcock built slowly and exploded at the end. It doesn't need to be a thrill a minute gore-fest car crash to be a great drama which this is.

The night time darkness adds to this study of haunting depression, guilt and hopelessness. The simple but basic locations were just right too.

Glenister's face and Pertwee's voice deserve special mention..

Lots of parallels drawn with Taxi Driver but Play Misty for Me was a big memory for me.

Put simply: this series is a real treat. It's well made. Brilliantly acted. Perfectly scripted. And beautifully photographed.

Both Robert Glenister & Sean Pertwee are on top form. The connection between the two actors and their characters is excellent. The dynamism is magic.

The story is a perfect length. At 4 episodes the miniseries is just long enough without being dragged on and on. And as over-lengthening - or over-shortening - is a common flaw in modern dramas, this ideal length was a sign of good editing.

The storyline is credible. As are the lead characters. The plot's development is realistic, the characters' backstories are sufficiently fleshed out, and the lead-up to the finale is well paced. We believe the two leads' pain and how they each got where they are.

Other good points: The minor characters are all scoped out well. There is no spurious box-ticking. Even the incidental music is on point. The characters are written as human - i_e_ making crass mistakes - but, as imperfect is how human beings are, this is what we need to see.

The storyline references modern issues: school teachers' stress, kids' peer pressure, social media hassle, binge-drinking, generational differences, ex-military PTSD, loneliness. I challenge any series to give a viewer more in a range of issues with which to identify.

Seeing two characters in their maturity/middle age - and actors of their performance magnitude - play off each other on screen, is a template for TV dramas. And as Channel 5 all too often rolls out dramas that verge upon dross, this series belies the pattern. The series lifts up the channel in my estimation. And to great heights. It shows us what a production unit can do when the team put their mind to it.

I see TV awards in the offing . . .