A Town Called Malice

A really good violent crime family story with the best of 80's nostalgia smacking you in the face. It's a camped up London Gangland, Costa del Sol and retro, yellow Rolls Royce ride. It's not particularly realistic or completely believable and it's not supposed to be. That doesn't mean it isn't gritty or a high quality production.

The acting is top drawer - Jason Flemyng particularly puts in an exceptional performance.

The show is full of twists and turns and I found it thoroughly entertaining and managed to binge watch it in a weekend.

The sound track is phenomenal so get that sound bar plugged in.

Hoped for this to be good more than I did Santa being real as a kid.

Soundtrack is amazing although it's clear it's what carries every episode with so many songs crammed in, as with the attire.

Acting is just above GCSE drama level at best although the storyline does have substance even though it's nothing that hasn't been done before.

How much is packed in to the first and last episodes could've given an extra episode rather than cramming it all in.

Hoping for more for season two given that budget obviously isn't a problem.

Last episode bought it up to a 6 from a 4 for me.

Extra star given for Paul Weller cameo....mush.

I don't understand some of the bad reviews here. This series was great fun. It's supposed to be a caricature of criminal life in East London transplanted to the Costa. It's not aiming to be an accurate depiction. It takes inspiration from some real-life characters from the underworld, in 1980s London, and then makes them OTT to great effect.

The main characters are well-acted, particularly Ma and Cindy, and Jason Flemyng does his great scene-chewing piece. It's beautifully shot, with some great camera angles and use of natural light and colour. The recreation of the 80s, in the clothes, cars and gadgets is top notch.

And to opt it all off, the soundtrack is a fantastic tour through the great music of the 80s, with songs well-chosen for the scenes in which they're used. Having characters sing along with the lyrics is very funny too!

Well worth a watch. Accept it for what it is meant to be!

A watchable, quirky 80s crime show .. the plot has more holes than a slice of Swiss cheese but the soundtrack makes up for it. Solid performances from Jason Flemyng and Martha Plimpton, (a very good actress) especially the former with his portrayal of Albert Lord - his dance moves are none too shabby either. This show is not looking to be the next Line of Duty but is instead a slightly left field take on the well churned out gangster show mixed with some dark comedy. If you like 80s music and dont take it too seriously you will find yourself watching all 8 episodes and smiling despite yourself.

There are so many clues that A Town Called Malice is a deliberate farce, the prime clues being the frequent scenes where the cast start singing to the backing music - true pastiche.

So the first thing we should be cognisant of is that this is a show that doesn't take itself too seriously. It's designed to take the mickey out of the times and the situations, and it does so with some gusto.

Amongst all this is a one family crime wave arriving on the Costa del Sol chasing riches with little care for the imprudence of their actions. They leave a trail of destruction in their wake, and come up against some stiff opposition, but they also give way to the comedic imperatives of the show - so the bumbling clowns get off the hook when in reality they would more than likely have parted ways with their heads.

The music is terrific, the show is outrageous - good times.