The Accident

The Accident has come in for some really harsh criticism, some of those criticisms are fair, some are unjustified.

Over four parts it's quite well paced, it's certainly dramatic, with some good moments, aside from the accident itself it deals with poverty and domestic violence, relevant topics for 2019. The acting is very good, Lancashire despite her accent is very good, as is Joanna Scanlan.

One of the main irritations, the accents, I speak as a Welshman, and it's true some are terrible, and do irk somewhat, Lancashire didn't need to be made Welsh. I would agree the direction is a little clunky.

Stick with it, for the most part it's worth seeing. 6/10

Glyngolau, Wales is like any company town when the company leaves. It no longer can depend on the coal mine or the steel plant, because those jobs have moved overseas. The population is thrilled when a Japanese company begins to build a new factory that promises 1,000 new jobs. The joy turns to agony when the building collapses on a group of teenagers and the building site manager.

Sarah Lancashire anchors an ensemble cast as Polly, the woman whose daughter Leona is the sole survivor of the accident. Polly knows something isn't right about the accident but she isn't sure she wants to know what it is. Her husband Iwan is the head of the council who brought the business to Glyngolau.

So begins a story that is part mystery, part soap opera and part exposition on the way rabid greed takes advantage of financial desperation. It may be set in Wales, but it could be about Altoona or Gadsden or Cleveland,

The countryside of Wales is beautiful (and I wish we had seen more of it). The performances are sensitive and restrained, which may not please viewers who want scene chewing. The pacing may be too slow for some, but I liked the leisurely way the director "showed" rather than "told" us what was happening inside the characters.

I really thought this was good! I had a bit of trouble understanding and had to turn on the subtitles, but I watched it straight through. Sorry to see such low ratings.

I...really can't wrap my head around the bad reviews. Sure it's not anything groundbreaking, but I've seen some bad movies and shows, and this miniseries definitely comes out on the more positive side. I can't speak for the accents considering I'm from a completely different hemisphere, but I found the acting good enough. My favorite character was probably Angela. Anyway, it's 4 episodes, just see for yourself.

English drama with top actors can never fall completely flat, can it? I only found this series now (2024), and read that it was partly poorly received when it came out. Nevertheless, I can reassure you that it is not bad. Nor is it among the best, far from it. But with actors like Sarah Lancashire and Mark Lewis Jones, this series lasts through 4 episodes. Without them, and the rest of the other good actors, I think this could have gone badly.

They prove here that even with that uninteresting plot, somewhat stereotypical character, they manage to keep the series alive. Compared to a lot that is produced today, this one is certainly good enough.

The series creators should also be praised for sticking to 4 episodes, and not dragging this out unnecessarily. Give it a chance, not everything that is made for us viewers can score all possible points.