Compulsion

After surviving a tragedy, paramedic Jenny Challoner struggles with PTSD and turns to gambling.

C5 Drama have had more than their fair share of flops lately but this one takes the biscuit. Poor production values all round, heavy-handed direction and an OTT score. A poor cast, Anna Chancellor aside, that didn't gel together. Script wasn't good with lots of clunky dialogue and heavy exposition and an obvious storyline, you can guess the ending already.

Protagonist Jenny seemed to be the only one with a Scouse accent in Liverpool? Failed in all respects, one to skip.

I watched this for Anna Chancellor and Haley Mills. Both actors get to really chew the scenery. You can tell they're having a fabulous time. Intentional or not, their scenes play as high camp and I enjoyed their collective screentime. I could watch Anna Chancellor read the phone book. And who wouldn't want to see Haley Mills playing the thug heavy? Fabulous casting against type. Other than that, this four-part series, which could have been two, maybe three episodes (they pad for time with flashbacks throughout of things that happened three to four minutes earlier within the same episode), was a waste of time. The tone was all over the place, even in a single scene. The ever present musical score was absolutely histrionic. Plotholes abound. There is seriously poor writing and exposition all over the place in this one. If the screenwriter wants us to sympathize with a main character going through PTSD and suffering from gambling addiction, you have to give them some redeeming value. You have to show us who they were before they went down this path. There was none of this and I found myself rooting against the protagonist, Jenny (Leanne Best). She is written as a pretty irredeemable human being throughout, even in the ludicrous ending. Anyway, if you are able to watch it where you can fast forward 5 to 10 seconds at a time, it's really the only way to watch episodes 3 and 4. Or you can just skip it all together.

Initially a nice lady helps you on a train when you are having a panic attack, then quickly becomes your bestie, nothing suspicious about that right?

Better than I expected given the reviews I had read.

As the title says, it actually wasn't too bad. I'd never seen any advertising or mention of this show until I randomly stumbled across it. The best way to describe it is "okay". I'll admit: there's plot holes and some weirdly unusual scenes where I wonder what a particular character is doing. But, it takes on a unique issue - gambling. Considering that topic isn't widely represented in TV I thought the writers took it on quite well. And, the ending was not the best: it was drawn out and didn't really flow or make sense. Bit of a shame as I thought the ending might redeem the previous episodes. I don't know whether its worth watching - give the first episode a go to see if you like it and go from there.

Its pure escapism and we all need a bit of that sometimes. I don't get why everyone wants tv dramas to be so realistic all the time. A bit of far fetched does you good. There are some brilliant actors in this, Best, Challenor and Mills are great to watch in anything anyway but the storyline is interesting and takes a few twists and turns. The sideline characters had to want becomes a very complex plot and it keeps you guessing who is telling the truth. In parts it could very well happen in real life but yes there are minor inaccuracies and loopholes because it's fiction. Watch it for entertainment value and it will deliver. If you want reality watch a documentary.