As you all know, I'm a fan of all kinds of television shows. I watch reality stuff, kids' stuff, dramas... So it was with high hopes that I sat down tonight to watch the new BBC Drama "Single Father" starring Suranne Jones and David Tennant.
It was, as far as I knew, about a man dealing with the death of his wife and the children he's been left with. I had a feeling, after reading very good reviews on some of the most respectable blogs - blogs I trust, that this would be something I would enjoy. I thought it would be great to watch a pair of such familiar faces in an emotionally charged, quality drama. It seems, some ten minutes before the end of the first episode, that I will be left wanting.
Despite a promising set up (the actual crash which caused Rita's death was brilliantly sudden, yet foreseeable) there is a huge problem so far with pace. It's either top-speed rollicking drama or something-and-nothing soapy whining. I know it has a sensitive subject matter, but this drama has, so far, not even touched on anything even resembling understanding. There's also a smell of "small world coincidental mysticism" about the whole thing... Everyone is connected to everyone else in too many ways. She's not just the wife's best friend, but his ex wife and an enemy of the sister, who wants to help because the kids are all she has; kids that want everything except the half sister that has now become a seemingly lucky orphan, since David Tennant forgot to adopt her. It's just a mess. A lovely idea, no question about that! And the acting throughout has been top-notch! Tennant particularly shines as the hapless and struggling title character.
It's not at all what it could be, though. It's a bit like an ITV Drama that breaks itself up into sections with Snow Patrol music videos - over-emotive, over-complicated, over-written - and over. I've just spent the last 15 minutes of the thing I was so looking forward to writing about how bad it is. Clearly it hasn't held my attention either, then. Here are some more things I hated about it: 1. The "psychic" I Love You/I Love You Too when Rita was killed - I half thought she was going to come back as a ghost. 2. everything else, except the acting.
Bye.
