Little Boy Blue

An utterly captivating drama, perfectly executed over four episodes with not a single flaw to be found.

Top-notch writing, precision directing, exemplary performances from the entire cast, seamless editing, with music and cinematography that intelligently don't make themselves noticed (so nothing showy or artsy, just excellent scene-setting) perfectly paced with an overall sense of all-round good storytelling.

Every moment of this true-life drama was suffused with authenticity, integrity, and verisimilitude, with no audience manipulation to be detected (which doesn't mean it wasn't there; just that it was artfully and subtly done). This is a rare gem that is worth watching more than once, although the subject matter is grim. Top marks.

This mini-series is an emotional rollercoaster. The actors in the British crime dramas are from top to bottom, off the charts good, and this one is just is no different. And this is based on a true story.

The kind of senseless murder happening all-too-often in communities these days. Sensitive, emotional, top-notch production, writing, directing and acting pulled me into the community and story. Four 45-minute parts totalling three hours, it moves along very quickly and was compelling to watch and get so drawn into this tragedy and investigation.

Pretty much every British person watching this already knows what's going to happen... but you'll still be hootin' and a hollerin' as events unfold and the journey to justice is completed. The writing, acting and everything else about this 4-part TV docu-drama is spot on. If you're not familiar with the story you're going to enjoy this even more.

In 2007 an 11-year-old Rhys Jones was walking home from footy practice. As he cut through a pub car-park to get home the boy was fatally shot by a teenage gang member. About eight months later the police finally get their man and this is the story of how it happened.

The writer (Oscar nominee Jeff Pope) has chosen to follow the facts of the case and not allow the emotions of the story to get the better of him. If you're binge- watching this it's three hours long and not a minute is wasted.

As we're watching the story unfold through all the characters on both sides of the law, it's easy to forget that we're looking at something that is very close to what actually happened.

These kinds of 'stories' are the staple of 'conveyer-belt' fictional police procedurals, almost all of which fall well short of this mesmerizing drama. It's as good as 2016's "In Plain Sight" which was another, similar TV 'docu-drama' about the detection and pursuit of a killer.

This is top notch television and I hope the victim's family approves of the way their story has been handled. They had a hand in helping to re-tell their side of this horrible and senseless tragedy so I strongly suspect that they do.

Here's some trivia... Apart from the actual shooting, the drama was filmed in and around Liverpool. The funeral was filmed in the Anglican Cathedral and the minute's applause was filmed during half-time of a match played at Goodison Park. The case itself was filmed at Liverpool Crown Court inside the courtroom where the original trial took place. Pretty spooky, eh?

Excellent and captivating television - proving that British TV CAN do it when they want to!

We rarely give 10's, but we were so blown away by this series that we truly feel that it is merited in this instance.

What really sets Little Boy Blue apart is it's refusal to follow the formulaic over dramatised tear jerker style which is prevalent in this type of 'true story' telling.

And this is where it really grabs you and punches you in the gut. The emotion is so genuine that even hardened old cynics such as me and the wife had tears in our eyes at several points.

Having lived and worked the Midlands in inner city environment, the characters and settings were all too familiar, and totally convincing.

Great acting all round, with a special mention to the superb Steven Graham, who led us to this series after an outstanding performance in Save Me (check it out).