If the BBC want to do drama properly they need to make at least 10-15 episodes per series. It's the only way you can do proper character and plot development. The Driver has exactly the same problem as Morrisey's last BBC production (7.39) in that you're dropped into this character who seemingly hates every aspect of his life yet has waited until that exact moment to do anything about it. A few scenes of annoying taxi passengers, distant wife and condescending kid don't explain why a person suddenly decides to risk everything he has.
I love Colm Meaney from Star Trek but his acting has always been - how do I put this politely - limited and he's hamming he way through his character. The lead's friend is a 2 dimensional idiot ("explain to me why I shouldn't kill by brother") and his wife seems to swing from love to indifference from scene to scene.
There are good aspects and i'll watch the last episode but it's just another example that the BBC have yet to learn the lessons of quality drama from the US and Scandinavia.
This could never sustain a full length series, you'd be looking at a much broader canvas for that. Its about one bloke making a bad decision and that's it. It not perfect your observations about character and tone are right. Speaking of Col - I'm always struck by how loquacious and erudite underclass oiks are in TV drama, in real life most can hardly string a functional sentence together.
It was alright. Nothing that special but watchable. anyway. Found some of the dialogue very difficult to follow as it was muffled or mumbled by the actors, an increasing problem with actors these days.
Really enjoying this, felt the second episode really cranked up the tension and I'm looking forward to seeing how it turns out. I'm puzzled as to how the son ties into things. The stuff with the cult (if that's what it is) seems a tad too detailed for it to just be a side story to add a bit of depth to the family narrative. I'm guessing/hoping it will tie in with the central storyline in the final episode, no idea how though.
David Morrissey and Claudie Blakley are very watchable actors for me. Looking forward to the next episode.
This could be written by Jimmy McGovern imo.
McGovern is an overrated hack, his work of late tends to be the same old tired tosh recycled, McGovern is likely sitting at home wishing he could write stuff as good as The Driver.
If the BBC want to do drama properly they need to make at least 10-15 episodes per series. It's the only way you can do proper character and plot development. The Driver has exactly the same problem as Morrisey's last BBC production (7.39) in that you're dropped into this character who seemingly hates every aspect of his life yet has waited until that exact moment to do anything about it. A few scenes of annoying taxi passengers, distant wife and condescending kid don't explain why a person suddenly decides to risk everything he has.
I love Colm Meaney from Star Trek but his acting has always been - how do I put this politely - limited and he's hamming he way through his character. The lead's friend is a 2 dimensional idiot ("explain to me why I shouldn't kill by brother") and his wife seems to swing from love to indifference from scene to scene.
There are good aspects and i'll watch the last episode but it's just another example that the BBC have yet to learn the lessons of quality drama from the US and Scandinavia.
I just do not get the love in for scandanavian drama, what eventually filters over here is usually a jewel in an ocean of turds, saw plenty scandy, American,Aussie drama and it's fair to say most of it is dire.
Craig and Sarah's baby being named Fernando made me think of Alan Partridge, not very good for suspension of disbelief since Colm Meaney was in the Alan Partridge movie. Of course the script would have been written before they cast him.
In episode 1, Vince was stopped by the police when he was on a job for The Horse, and he drove away and managed to lose them, but surely they would have noted down the car registration number? And he told the Horse that everything went o.k., so there would be no reason for him to have changed the number plate, so won't the police still be on the lookout for that car? How come he hasn't been stopped when driving it since then? Even if they didn't manage to note down the registration number, they would know the make, model, and colour and there aren't that many of them around, are there?
I completely agree and thought it would have been a priority to mention it at the first opportunity, considering there is ANPR everywhere
This could never sustain a full length series, you'd be looking at a much broader canvas for that. Its about one bloke making a bad decision and that's it. It not perfect your observations about character and tone are right. Speaking of Col - I'm always struck by how loquacious and erudite underclass oiks are in TV drama, in real life most can hardly string a functional sentence together.
Eastenders can get downright existential at times..drives me Barmy !!
They did make a point of saying that but i have just watched episode 2 and recapped episode 1 and the registrations are definitely the same - mw59 jzx in both episodes airport runs. May have some relevance in the final episode though?
I think that The Horse said that they changed the number plates 'often', which is why I was also one of those wondering why the hell Vince didn't tell them they needed to do a number plate change after his police chase.
Plus there's the fact that he parks the car up in an obscure car park, rather than at The Horse's property. So maybe showing the number plate changes was thought unnecessary by the producers. But obviously it wasn't!
Is it just me or when Horse's girlfriend was stood in the three sofa lounge with the driver, she was moving like an exact replica for any of the female charactersin GTA5.
It was alright. Nothing that special but watchable. anyway. Found some of the dialogue very difficult to follow as it was muffled or mumbled by the actors, an increasing problem with actors these days.
I watch every single thing with the subtiltles on now as I'm pretty anal and don't like to miss a single word. It's hard work though...
Comments
This could never sustain a full length series, you'd be looking at a much broader canvas for that. Its about one bloke making a bad decision and that's it. It not perfect your observations about character and tone are right. Speaking of Col - I'm always struck by how loquacious and erudite underclass oiks are in TV drama, in real life most can hardly string a functional sentence together.
Subtitles on permanently in my house !
I understood every word.. The actors were perfectly fine
Yeah, the speech is perfectly clear.
McGovern is an overrated hack, his work of late tends to be the same old tired tosh recycled, McGovern is likely sitting at home wishing he could write stuff as good as The Driver.
I just do not get the love in for scandanavian drama, what eventually filters over here is usually a jewel in an ocean of turds, saw plenty scandy, American,Aussie drama and it's fair to say most of it is dire.
I completely agree and thought it would have been a priority to mention it at the first opportunity, considering there is ANPR everywhere
The number plates were changed after every job.
Eastenders can get downright existential at times..drives me Barmy !!
They did make a point of saying that but i have just watched episode 2 and recapped episode 1 and the registrations are definitely the same - mw59 jzx in both episodes airport runs. May have some relevance in the final episode though?
Plus there's the fact that he parks the car up in an obscure car park, rather than at The Horse's property. So maybe showing the number plate changes was thought unnecessary by the producers. But obviously it wasn't!
I need to get out more.😬
its been a long time since such a good series was on bbc, hustle was another one which im gutted has finished.
Or, more likely, finds himself getting in deeper and deeper. Morriseys an excellent actor, takes you on the tense journey with him.
Lol had it on live pause
David Morrissey should get awards for his acting and producing.:)