A Comedy I Didn't Regret, Shocking True Life & Lockdown Memories!

Hello world! Welcome back to another blog. This is another TV Reviews, and the three shows that will be featured, includes a comedy I didn't regret watching, a show based on a shocking true life story, and a comedy where it brought back some positive memories during lockdown. So without further ado, here is my review of these three latest shows I've been watching!

We Might Regret This:

The first show I’m going to talk about is We Might Regret This, starring Kyla Harris and Elena Saurel, and casted by Amy Jackson.

This tells the story of Freya taking on her friend Jo as her carer, leading to all kinds of crazy adventures.

Kyla did a brilliant portrayal of artist Freya. What I liked about her is her quirkiness, her passion for wanting to help others and also finding the humour in what some people would see as a bad situation. But I also liked how open and honest she was about the realities of being trepaligic. These included why she didn’t want to go into an electric wheelchair originally and also in the last episode where she emotionally mentioned that throughout the bad times you do get through it. Her friend Jo (Elena Saurel), was a bold personality who was abit of a rebel. But you know what? I quite liked it! And it was moments like this where it definitely helped Freya in awkward situations as seen in episode 2, but I felt like she had so much more to learn about being a carer. I also liked how she was open about her past, but I wish she couldn’t been honest with Freya about it too. 

There are many other characters who made a big impact on Freya journey. These include Freya’s parter Abe (Darren Boyd), who I know means well, but at times I feel like he can be controlling. But at the same time, I don’t think even he fully in stood the reality of dating a disabled person, which for me as an autistic person, is crucial for a partner to understand. There was also his son Levi (Edward Bluemel), who found the humour in his mental breakdown before the series began, but I loved his openness about feeling overprotected following the death of his brother Sam. I also loved the connection between him and Jo, with Elena and Edward definitely having some brilliant onscreen chemistry. Other characters included Abes estranged wife Jane (sally Phillips) who I guess if you really think about it, handled her grief for Sam in a different way and just didn’t want to cause any drama. And I also loved how chill she was on certain things, particularly when it came to the reveal about Levi and Jo. But I guess it’s moments like this where a mother always knows. And it’s also nice that she’s civil with Freya, knowing that she’s not a nice person. There was also Freya’s former PA Ty (Aasiya Shah) who is a little bit ditzy at times, and like me, a little bit quirky as well. She may have only appeared for a small amount of time in the series, but like King Herod from JCS and the pharaoh in Joseph and the amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, it’s moments like this where the characters that make the one or two appearances are the most memorable. There were also some brilliant day player roles as well. These included a builder called Baker (Youssef Kerkour), as seen in episode three, where he proved to be a source of comfort for Freya when she least expected it, and also PA teacher Susan (Lolly Adefope who was also known for playing NAME in Ghosts). And a shoutout to Rana Badar who I know from the national youth theatre, for being the brilliant Poppy in episode 2, teaching Jo how to look after someone. And also shoutout to the actors Helen Schlesinger and Jessica Mei Li, who played the therapist Dr Roscia and model director Haruka. It’s actors like these two where they help bring the story along, and without them, there would be no show. 

I think my only downside was the ending, as I especially was gutted that I didn’t want the outcome for Jo and Levi. However, after Amy on an Act On This podcast mentioned about a series 2 being filmed, hopefully this’ll give me answers as to what Jo does next or if she even makes and appearance, and what that means for her and Levi.

Overall I would give the show a 4.90. It was funny, chaotic and also raised awareness. Particularly for those who work in the creative industry.

The Hack:

The next show I’m going to review is The Hack, starring David Tennant and Robert Carlyle, and casted by Victor Jenkins and directed by Lewis Arnold.

A stated on an Act On The podcast, the plot of the show goes as follows:

"Journalist Nick Davies (David Tennant), at the Guardian uncovers the phone-hacking scandal - tabloids illegally listening to voicemails, destroying lives, and corrupting politics.

Detective Inspector Dave Cook (Robert Carlyle) reopens the Daniel Morgan murder, exposing deep police and media collusion.

As both men chase the truth, the uncover how Britain's press, police, and politicians dangerously intertwined-and how fighting power can come at a personal cost."

Because this was based on a true life story, I’ll go through the two main people in more detail, and then snippets of some of the other characters in the next paragraphs. I’ll also review them based on what I think about them during the events the show.

David Tennant took on the role of Nick Davies, the journalist at the guardian who was the main one in the case. What I got from Nick was that because of his past and how his parents treated him, he maybe pushes himself too hard to get to where he wants to be. But he’s also a realist, and has moments where he becomes a realist, and looks at cases like the phone hacking scandal and wonders when enough is enough. But along the way to help him was his boss and long life friend Alan, played by Toby Jones. What I got from Alan was that he was very tongue in cheek at times, but also took his job as editor seriously, and I’m glad that to this day he and Nick are still friends. There was also support from his wife Sheridan, played by Katherine Kelly, who kept an eye on his wellbeing whilst also balancing family life. On the other end, you have Robert Carlyle who took on the role of DI Dave Cook. What I got from him was that along with colleagues like DI Graham Twyler (Richard Pepple), he was determined to solve the case of the murder of Daniel Morgan (which still to this day is still unsolved). I quite liked how it split into chapters for the case, but also how it had a personal affect on him. Not only on his health (as I can imagine the stress of trying to solve a long term case) but also for his wife Jacqui Hames(eve Myles), who had her own personal demons to fight bless her. But good on her for playing her part as seen in episode 7. Andrew Whipp, Jay Simpson, Ricci Harnett and Ian Burnfield took on the roles of Jonathan Rees, Glenn Vian, Gary Vian and Sid Fillery, all the suspects in the Daniel Morgan case. I don’t even know how you prepare to take on a role where you have to claim your innocence in a murder case, but boy all those 5 actor’s definitely did a good job of giving all that emotion into claiming your innocence. 

There were other historical figures that made their mark on the show. What I got from Rebekah Brooks, played by Rosalie Craig, was that she was quite a rebel, and I won’t reveal much, but for those who have heard of the phone hacking scandal, you will know the extent she did on her part. There was also Rupert Murdoch, played by Steve Pemberton. And wow along with makeup, he does look like the spitting image of the politician, and during episode 7, I wasn’t sure if his confusion was part of the act or if it was genuine. But let’s just say that I guess people in power will use different tactics to get what they want. Charlotte Harris, played by Rose Leslie, was also a key figure into the scandal. As much as she wanted to help Nick and everyone at the guardian with the phone hacking scandal, she was also a realist. These included certain people not coming forward out of fear, and also reminding Nick that it won’t happen overnight. What this tells me about her is that her being a realist was key into making sure they had every single bit of evidence for this horrific event. Neil Meskall took on the role of Glen Campbell, a journalist as Panorama. Despite being on a different news company, he was able to help fight to expose the phone hacking scandal, and was also there for Dave during his dark times. This told me that in real life, Glen is someone who takes his job seriously, but also takes into account people’s wellbeing. George Russo took on the role of Glenn Mulcaire, one of the main people accused of hacking phones. Now like with the suspects of the Daniel Morgan case, I don’t know how to prep for playing a suspect. But whatever he did, he did a grand job of it, and what this told me about Glenn was that he doesn’t admit or deny getting involved, so I can see why he would be pulled in for questioning constantly. Finally there was Assistant Commissioner John Yates played by Kevin Doyle. What I got from him was that he knew how to twist the knife, not only for the phone hacking scandal, but also for the Daniel Morgan case, particularly when it came to Dave’s arrest. 

I think my only thing about the show was that because I didn’t know about the original scandal at first, it took me abit to follow it. However, with David’s character Nick going into the 4th wall to explain different moments was definitely helpful. Some people liked it but for me it was a unique way of not only being entertained but also being educated.

Overall I would give the show a 4.8. It was educating, hard to watch at times, and it told an important story in Bristol history. And the 4th wall technique was something that I think should be included more in true life drama.

Film Club:

The final show I’m going to talk about is Film Club, starring Aimee Lou Wood, Nabhaan Rizwan and casted by Kelly Valentine Hendry and Jessica Mescall.

This tells the story of Evie and Noa, who watch films together every week. But all of that changes when Noa has to give news to Evie which was set to change everything! 

I loved Aimee’s character of Evie. Given that she was part of the creative team (where she created and part written it) on this project, I definitely saw elements of Aimee in Evie as well. Even though it’s not mentioned that Evie is neurodivergent, after Aimee mentioned in an interview about her journey, she implemented the common scenarios neurodivergent people face, like sensory overload. You could also say that film club was part of her routine as well, and knowing it was the one thing that made her feel regulated was beautiful to see. And it definitely reminded me of when I had my own movie night on Fridays during lockdown, so it definitely brought back memories. I also loved her on screen connection with Nabhaan Rizwan, who played Noa. He’s the sort of person who accepts Evie for who she is, not what she thinks she should be. And he was also there to help her with her acrophobia. Despite a tiff in episode 4, him getting defensive may be his way of protecting his feelings, fearing it might not work out after his life changing news. 

There were also other characters that definitely impacted Evie’s journey. This included her mum Suz, played by Surrane jones, who can be a little bit overprotective at times, but I’m glad they did it in a funny way given that it was a comedy. But I’m glad that she was able to help Evie and see why film club is helping her in episode 5. There was also evies sister Izzie (Liv Hill), who being the typical sibling, was wondering why Evie hadn’t got out of the house since her breakdown. I also loved her determination to set up her own business, and despite a typo making it sound inappropriate, and being mad at Evie for moving her parcel, she soon realised that Evie helping her only excelled her dreams. Adam Long took on the role of Josh, evies boyfriend. I didn’t quite like him, as by episode 4 we could see that he’s actually quite controlling. But like with Suz’s overprotectiveness, I’m glad they showed it in a way that’s not too disturbing, but when Suz revealed the truth, it gave Evie a wake up call for her to realise that he’s not the one for her. But at least he had the decency to help her find Noa's gift. There was also neighbour Steph, played by Lisa McGrills, who inspired Izzie to set up her dog walking business whilst confiding in her about family. And after befriending her, she soon became close with Suz, and their karaoke duet in episode 5 was top class. And there was also former film club members Kam, played by Arian Nik, who was also a new parent, Sammy, played by Fola Evans-Akingbola, and Dom, played by Ralph Davies. Despite having different things happening in their lives, they still managed to be there for Evie during film club, and also gave Noa strong advice for when it came to the day of his announcement. Finally, Owen Cooper took on the role of cheeky teenager Callum. What I liked about him was how at first he’s your typical teenager mocking Evie, but by the end of episode 6, we can see that he and Evie are more similar than they thought. And a gesture he did for her in episode 6 after giving him some advice solidified it.

I think my only downside was that it didn’t make me laugh out loud as much as I thought it did. But whatever lacked in laughter, made it up in heartfelt moments. Like in episode 3 and why Evie’s safe space is the garage, and how in episode 6 as mentioned where Callum’s gesture to Evie touched my heart.

Overall I would give the show a 4.8. It was heartfelt, full of nostalgia and as an autistic woman, there we’re definitely some relatable moments linking to myself and Evie. I do hope there is a series 2 as well, as not only will we find out what Stephs job is, but it would be interesting to see how Evie and Noa would continue film club after his life changing news. 

And that is it for my latest review of shows I’ve seen. Let me know what you think of these shows and if you haven’t seen them, I hope it’s given you an insight and eventually come to watch it.

See you soon for another blog. Until next time…

This is the Autistic Actress signing off :)