True Story Justice, More School Stories & Family Affairs!

Hello world! Welcome back to another blog. It's that time again where I talk about the shows I've been watching. These include a true story to get justice on a personal level, the 16th series of a school drama, and a new Netflix drama inspired by true stories of the family who made a well known alcoholic beverage. So without further ado, here is what I thought of these three shows below.

I Fought The Law

The first show I will talk about is I Fought The Law, based on a true crime and starring Sheridan Smith as Ann Ming.

Based on the book For The Love of Julie by the lady herself, this tells the story of Ann Ming and her mission to change the double jeopardy law after her daughters murder on 16th November 1989. As mentioned before, with shows based off of a true story, I will talk about these real life people based on the show and what I thought they were like in real life.

Sheridan was a powerhouse in taking on the role of Ann. From what I’ve seen, she’s sassy, determined, and is one of those people where she won’t stop until she gets what she wants. And Ann having a cameo appearance in the last episode during the transcript was a brilliant way to show how it was based off a true story, therefore had a more meaningful ending. I’m sure Ann herself is proud of Sheridan and the rest of the cast and crew telling her story. Daniel York Loh took on the role of Ann’s husband Charlie. Based on watching the show, I could tell that he was more of a realist, therefore coped with Julie’s death in his own way, which did cause some tension in their marriage. But like the true supportive husband he is, he was with her side from the start, knowing that Ann wouldn’t find peace when she gets justice. He may not be with us now, but he’d be looking down at the team proud of telling Ann's brave story.

There were also many characters who impacted their journey, some made up and some based on real life people. Anna children Angela and Gary (Olivia Ng and Marlowe Chan-Reeves), were equally as devastated about Julie, but whilst they weren’t as determined as Ann, knowing they have their own lives, they supported her every step of the way. Julie’s son Kevin (Buddy Wignall-Ho) also had suspicions of his mum as he got older, but I think he understood why Ann kept the full truth from him when he was little, and still showed his support going forward. Billy Dunlop (Jack James Ryan who was inspired by William Dunlop, the real life person who killed Julie and the actor who played him was also Jacob in Coronation Street), is a classic example of what a good liar he was, and in episode 3 when Gary mentioned about how he bragged about being a murderer, he deserved to be locked up for life. Another person who made an impact on Ann’s campaign was Mark Braithwaite (Enzo Cilenti) the Ming's family liaison offer in real life, who at the time was working as a detective sergeant for Cleveland police. He's a fine example of how slowly but surely you can trust someone into helping you, and he did just that, with Ann not getting the justice Julie deserved if it wasn’t for his involvement. The final two characters who helped Ann in her journey was local MP Frank Cook played by Ron Cook, and Alan Wilkie, who was one member of the Law Commission, played by Steve Furst. These were two people who knew that Ann's voice needed to be heard, and you know when you are on someone's side, when you see Alan being surprisied about Ann's first victim impact statement not being looked at. This how you know that not all people of a higher status are not at all arrogant, and will help people make sure that they are heard.

Like with most true life dramas, some scenes were based off of true stories and some were fictionalised. I couldn’t tell which ones were which, but based off of watching the show, I felt that the initial tv appeal, the tv interview with Imran Khan, and her speech to the House of Lords were all true given the severity of her case. I’m not sure if her impact statement is true as I’m not sure what the court can and can’t share in public, but it was believable for me enough to know that it was enough to send Lee Watson down for life. 

I don’t think I have any downsides to the show, but more about how it was a hard watch in some places for many reasons. It was hard in the sense that Ann wasn’t listened to initially, and how her impact statement during lees retrial for purgery wasn’t seen to. And whilst I haven’t been in Ann’s shoes about losing a loved one to murder, I know what it’s like to loose someone and you can’t get them back.

Overall I would give the show a full house. It was tense, suspenseful, and let’s just say I wouldn’t want to get on Ann’s bad side! And she was the perfect of example how work patience, hard work and determination, you can achieve what you want, which I will apply into my acting career. And I also hope that either her or her classmates from the line dancing group will teach me a thing or two!

Waterloo Road:

The next show I’m going to talk about is Waterloo Road, starring Lindsey Coulson, Adam Thomas and a star studded cast.

This school drama continues to show the trails, tribulations and nail biting moments of the staff and students just simply trying to get through one day where anything can happen at any time. For this review, I’ll separate the staff from the students in each paragraph.

Stella Drake (Lindsey Coulson) once again had dramas she faced with her deputy as head teacher, both personal and professional. One of which were her grandchildren settling in (and I’ll mention both of them in the student section) and their mum and her daughter Samantha (Christine Bottomley), who was having treatment for a mental illness hence why the grandkids came to life with Stella. We saw that Stella and Samantha didn’t always get on, and Stella admitted in episode 7 that she focused more on work than her, wanting to learn from her mistakes and realising how important family is after Samantha does something which places Ben in danger. We also saw Jack Rimmer (Jason Merrells) settle into his new role as school counsellor. It’s a shame he didn’t stay as he seemed to make progress with students like Agnes in episode 1 and Libby in episode 2. But a flashback on him addicted to alcohol (which was why he originally left Waterloo road) saw him relapsing, attending a support group in episode 7, and being caught by Donte in the last episode, and stating why he turned to the drink again after becoming new deputy head. And after making a discovery from new teacher Darius (who I’ll mention at the end of this segment) the alcohol didn’t help him when he got into a physical fight with him. We also saw Joe and mikes (James Baxter and Ryan Clayton) relationship straining, mainly due to their opinions on taking care of schuey in episode 4 (which I’ll get onto in the student section). That along with the arrival of new SENCO teacher Mitch Swift (Christopher Jeffers) who has his own unique way of seeing things whilst striking up a connection with Joe. We also saw Coral (Rachel Leskovac) going back to work as a new mum. I could feel her strain when she has so many responsibilities whilst thinking about her son George, and good on her for deciding to take a step back on certain jobs to help balance being a mum and earning an income, and Neil (Neil Fitzmaurice), supported her as always. Donte (Adam Thomas) had his struggles with money as seen in episode 2, with Ashton sorting it in his own way after being initially accused when it turned out to be someone you’d least expect. We also saw Nicky (Kym Marsh) leave Waterloo Road to take on board a management course after Stella sees potential in her. Nisha (Saira Jackson) also had challenges when her daughter Jas (Lauren Patel) got involved on a secret side hustle to make money, and new head of media Darius Donovan (Jon Richardson) was definitely the sort of teacher to get what he wants but in a sneaky way. First framing maths teacher Marc Todd (Tom Wells), who sadly came at a time when he was nominated teacher of the year, and twisting the truth about an accusation linking to Hope, which resulted in Jack Rimmer getting the sack and him taking over as new deputy head. And with him and Nisha having a romantic affair, it’ll only just add to next years series. 

The students equally had their fair share of trials and tribulations. These included Dwayne’s (Thapelo Ray) mental health, with signing up the dating app Jas was on being the start, and episode 5 saw him reach breaking point. But with the right support and his honesty to his mum (Sia Kiwa) he was on the right track, and was also looking at a fresh start. Izzy also had two feuds in the school. First with Ashton (Cory McClane) after he was accused of taking Dontes money when in fact it was her (resorting to extreme measures to get insurance) then with Cat (Lucy Chambers), which towards the end of the series, may have been feelings of jealousy. So it’ll would be interesting to see where it would lead to going into series 17. We also got to see Noel McMagnus (Liam Shcoles), exploring into the world of catering, knowing that theory in music wasn’t his strongest point, and needed a backup incase he didn’t get into a-levels. At first it wasn’t what he was expecting, but once he found his feet, he knew that along with music, he was content with his knife. We also saw his relationship with Stace (Tillie Amartey), progress, to the point where they got engaged. But after talking about their future and kids, it definitely tested them. Her reveal that she had a kid already was something I wasn’t expecting, but being the supportive boyfriend he was, encouraged her to reconnect with her, and I hope we see some progression of it in series 17. We also saw Libby (Hattie Dynevor) return to school following the aftermath of her abuse with Jared last series. But some wise words from jack and some encouragement from Amy Spratt (Katherine Pearce) made her realise that she needs to take care of herself was the start to her fully healing from what happened, resulting in wanting to go back into acting. We also saw Schuey (Zak Sutcliffe) go back to the dark side after his dad Pete (William Fox) makes an appearance in episode 4. It caused a strain on his relationship with Agnes (Niamh Blackshaw) but episode 6 gave him the wake up call on the monster Pete really was, and how family is not always about blood, but about love. That and also seeing that the beliefs Tyler (Bill Bekele) has about gay people was wrong, with Schuey stating that whilst religion has helped him, he doesn’t want to be the person who thinks that god doesn’t allow homosexuality. And good on him for finally turning his hate into something positive. We got to see youngster Declan (Teddy Wallwork) struggle with financial situations, with his brother being abit of a bad influence and Mitch handling it in the wrong way, but it got resolved in the end along with Schuey's advice. And finally new students Ben and Hope aka Stella’s grandchildren, made their mark to the school in different ways. Ben (Fintan Buckard), was abit of a troublemaker, and gets involved a relationship with Izzy, and Hope (Savannah Kunyo) had dreams to be a singer. But an incident caused by Darius led to an topic raising awareness that yes was a hard watch due to having severe consequences for Hope, but it was one where for people like my dad who works in an educational environment, it’s key so that with the right tools in place, the risk of it happening will go down.

I think my only downside was about Darius not getting found out for what happened to Hope and also Marc Todd. I thought it would be like Jason Manford's character where he would meet his comeuppance at the end, but it wasn’t the case at all. With the trailer for next series, stella is more harsh with him, so I hope this will be a sign that his downfall will start to commence.  I also thought that even though Hopes storyline is important, it was also quite hard to watch. But I hope this shared a light with multiple people, particularly those like my dad who work in the educational sector about being more alert on who students and stuff can and can’t eat.

Overall I would give this series a 4.95. Once again it showed that no day is the same, and it also showed the progression and growth of well known students and the downfall of others. And with Denise Welch’s return to come, they’ll definitely be a spanner in the works. 

House of Guinness:

The final show I’m going to talk about is House of Guinness, starring Anthony Boyle, Louis Partridge, Emily Fairn, Fionn O'Shea and James Norton.

This tells the story of the children of Sir Benjamin Lee Guinness, and after his death, they siblings go on a journey to keep his memory alive along with keeping their secrets. Like I Fought The Law, this was also based on true stories, so when I review these characters, it’ll be how I see think they behaved in real life.

Anthony Boyle took on the role of Arthur Guinness, the eldest brother. Based on watching the show and doing some research, he definitely felt the pressure to make his father proud whilst exploring his own sexuality. And let’s just say you don’t want to get on his bad side, particularly when he made it clear to his wife Olivia about the terms of their contract in the marriage. Louis partridge took on the role of Edward Guinness. I could tell that he was a grafter, and without his hard work, the brewery which is now well known in the UK and Ireland wouldn’t be around of it wasn’t for his bright ideas. But I did wonder if the real life Edward had an affair with a Fenian like Ellen, as I read that they were a a private family. Emily Fairn took on the role of Anne Guinness. Based on what I’ve seen, she wanted to prove her late father wrong after getting nothing in the Will due to being a married woman already. And despite some health issues, along with the help of the Guinness’ 3rd cousin Adelaide and their aunt Agnes, she made something of her life that’ll make a difference. Fionn O’Shea took on the role of Benjamin Lee Guinness II or “Ben” for short. I couldn’t find much research on him, but based on the show, my guess is that because of the same first name as I his late father, people would have some high expectations on him. Maybe that’s why in the show he turned to alcohol, to help him escape the pressure he will have to endure from the public. And maybe that’s why he joins the army, to prove his father that he is something. Along with the siblings, James Norton took on the role of foreman and security of the brewery Sean Rafferty. From what I’ve researched, he wasn’t a real life figure in British history, but he represented someone who not only followed orders from Arthur and Edward, but also caused tensions within their private life. And let’s just say that I don’t want to get on his bad side, as seen in episode 7 when he confronted uncle Henry on what he called Arthur. 

There were also many other characters, some based on real life people and some created for this drama, who had an impact on the siblings journey. Two of them were Arthur and Edwards wives Adelaide and lady Olivia Hedges White, portrayed by Ann Skelly and Danielle Galligan. Adelaide in British history was the 3rd cousin of the Guinness’s, where she initially declined Edward as a wife after attempting to win him over. But a trip to ascot castle, and their journey to help the poor made her see him in a new light, but I’m glad they were on good terms when they decided that neither of them admitted to liking each other in that way. I don’t think lady Olivia knew of Arthur’s sexuality, but her falling in love with Rafferty was claimed not to be part of their contract. And throughout the series, we got to see that she is someone who is looking for true love, and her plan to run away with Rafferty seemed like her only way out. Whilst it never stated clearly about it Rafferty is the person Olivia definitely had an affair with, there was obviously tension between her and Arthur with regards to the rules of their marriage contract. Niamh McCormack took on the role of Ellen Cochrane, a Fenian who has opposing views on making a greater Ireland. Whilst it never stated in British history that Ellen was a real life person, seeing hers and Edwards affair does make you question on if in real life, something similar happened to help Guinness get to where it was today. Whilst you don’t want to get on her bad side (as seen when Edward makes a passing comment about their affair which understandably annoys her), she also wanted to get her point across in a less violent way, unlike her brother Patrick, played by Svamus O'Hara. He struggled to believe that Edwards plans to help the Fenians following his affair with Ellen didn’t sit with him well, resorting to drastic measures which ended on a cliffhanger at the end of the series. Michael McElhatton took on the role of the Guinness’ servant John Potter. What I love about him is just his neutral expression even on the most cringy situations, like in episode 7 when Ben and Christine got intimate, acting like nothing has ever happened. David Wilmot took on the role as Bonnie Champion. I struggled to know his full story and the business he does, but what I’ve gathered from the show is that his business involves paying money for people to do a certain intimate activity, and let’s just say that when you get on his bad side, I think it’ll be game over for you. Jack took on the role of Byron Hedges, a distant cousin of the Guinness’s. Despite being half Fenian as well, and with Edward initially hesitant about him, his help to expand the brewery to New York did make a difference, and without him, it could be a whole different story. Dervla Kirwan and Michael Colgan took on the roles of aunt Agnes and uncle Henry, with aunt Agnes being march maker within the Guinness household, and uncle Henry having a slightly dark streak. This was shown when he instructed warehouse worker Patrick, played by Cuan Hosty-Blaney, who had a rendezvous with Arthur, which I believe Henry knew about. And that was revealed at the end of episode 6 and the start of episode 7, with Arthur making it clear that his betrayal was unforgivable. Jessica Reynolds took on the role of Christine, Ben's childhood sweetheart who initially got declined due to Aunt Agnes’ meddling in finding him a wife, which led to her attempting suicide. But after working for the company Anne set up, and after Ben admitted his marriage did not pan out, it’s moments like this where Christine accepts Ben for who he is, and is willing to help him after mentioning in episode 2 that her father is willing to give him a chance. Finally, Hilda Fray took on the role of Sultan, the leader of Cloonboon. Her emotion as to what happened during the famine hit her hard, and without Anne, Adelaide and Edward seeing how bad things were, a organisation to help those who need it the most wouldn’t have happened. 

I think one of my downsides were that it did take me abit of time to adjust to as it was a new show. So I had to follow up each episode through the synopsis online to help me get through the story, but towards the end of the series I was getting the jist of it. The other downside was more of a request (as I’m sure many viewers want the same thing) was that it ended in a cliffhanger, leaving me abit disappointed. It never said anything about a transcript following on from the series, so I’m hoping it’s a sign to say that it’ll go ahead for a second series. Fingers crossed. 

Overall I would give the show a 4.80. Despite needing some time to get into it, it was tense, thrilling with lots of high stakes. And I can also see why this show is popular along with my dad stating why the ending will make you question “that was it?”

And that is it for my latest reviews on some of the best tv shows I saw. Let me know what you think of them if you’ve seen them. And if you haven’t, I hope this is gives you an insight on my thoughts before watching them.

See you soon for another blog. Until next time…

This is The Autistic Actress signing off :)