It had not been long since the successful series Broadchurch had ended, and I assume ITV wanted to attract the same audience to this short three part series with another murder plot involving a child. Basically Callum Reid (Daniel Runacres-Grundstrom) disappeared in 2008, and five years later in present day his parents Claire (Coronation Street's Katherine Kelly) and Daniel (Darren Boyd) have tried to live as much of a normal life as possible whilst hoping for his return. The bad news comes when a body is discovered buried fitting the age of the missing child, and it is confirmed to be Callum, and DCI Maggie Brand (Tamsin Greig) is called in to lead the investigation into the child's death, with the potential explanations of abduction and murder, and Brand is having to deal with her own child being diagnosed with Autism. Through flashbacks we see how Callum disappeared on occasions from his home, the relationship before and after the incident between the parents and Callum and his brother Luke, and it sees how characters in the neighbourhood and involved in the investigation are affected by the situation. Some characters confess their involvement with Callum and what happened the night before he disappeared, one disturbed man even confesses to being the one who covered and buried his body, but ultimately the true perpetrator is someone that Daniel had been protecting. Also starring Arsher Ali as DS Vinesh Roy, EastEnders' Pooky Quesnel as Ruth Hyde, Ruta Gedmintas as Teresa Morgan, Tom Beard as DSI Alan Reece, Linda Marlowe as Lynn Brand, Tommy Potten as Sam Colman, David Pusey as DC Max Cauldwell, Nicola Sian as Miss Brenner, Jay Simpson as D.S. Ron Singer, Jamie Sives as Jeb Colman and Alan Williams as Frank Lawson. Greig is a good choice to play the detective asking all the suspects the question and empathising with certain characters, Kelly is perfect casting as the distressed mother given the bad news and coping with the following traumatic revelations, and Boyd is reasonable as the father who might know more about the death of his young son than he is saying. The performances are fine and keep you watching, the going backwards and forwards in time element is good so that you can try and piece together the puzzle and make your mind up about the death and who was involved, it is not as gripping as Broadchurch, but it is not a bad murder mystery drama. Good!
8 Reviews
A family are torn apart when the body of their missing son is discovered.
robertemerald17 January 2018
There's nothing wrong with this show. Much like the show The Missing it graphically illustrates the distress of a family desperate to know what happened to their missing little boy. It has numerous twists and turns and is, as usual, brilliantly acted. Having said that, however, I'm docking this piece a point for the aggressive use of flash-backs, which confuse rather than enlighten, and, in my opinion, were unnecessary. They could have been inserted chronologically in an initial time-line. I'm also docking a point because the passage of the show doesn't really surprise. As a consequence it works for its date of production perhaps, but hasn't any legs. If this is the type of BBC/E-One thriller/who dun it production you enjoy then you won't be disappointed, but if you are arriving at this show from a more modern perspective there is a risk you'll be bored.
I do like this type of British drama however, and had no real problem with it, and certainly wasn't bored.
I do like this type of British drama however, and had no real problem with it, and certainly wasn't bored.
same old song
SnoopyStyle19 February 2017
The body of 4 year old Callum Reid, who disappeared from a neighborhood barbecue five years earlier, is found near his home. DCI Maggie Brand (Tamsin Greig) leads the investigation after leaving his missing person search due to personal problems years earlier. The mother Claire Reid (Katherine Kelly) and her family are devastated. As the show flashes back and forth, there are secrets revealed.
This is another British dead-child show. It has yet another maternal primal scream. It's a story of small town dark secrets. I certainly like Tamsin Greig. The extended flashbacks don't always add to the tension. The most compelling and memorable scene is actually the Brands being confronted by their kid's teacher about his suspected autism. It came out around the same time as Broadchurch and is deficient by their comparison. It's fine by itself but it's the same ole song and overshadowed by its competition.
This is another British dead-child show. It has yet another maternal primal scream. It's a story of small town dark secrets. I certainly like Tamsin Greig. The extended flashbacks don't always add to the tension. The most compelling and memorable scene is actually the Brands being confronted by their kid's teacher about his suspected autism. It came out around the same time as Broadchurch and is deficient by their comparison. It's fine by itself but it's the same ole song and overshadowed by its competition.
Too obvious
gallagherkellie1 January 2023
I enjoyed this show and being only 3 episodes it was a quick easy show to watch. The acting was well done by all.
I do feel like the end result was obvious from the first half of episode one - maybe I watch too many crime shows? But I didn't find it too surprising. I did however still enjoy some of the little twists that popped up.
The main character (detective) was a bit annoying. Zero personality and in denial about her own child. The guy playing her husband was wasted in that role.
All in all I recommend if you like British crime shows, but I wouldn't put it anymore near as high up as Broadchurch for example.
I do feel like the end result was obvious from the first half of episode one - maybe I watch too many crime shows? But I didn't find it too surprising. I did however still enjoy some of the little twists that popped up.
The main character (detective) was a bit annoying. Zero personality and in denial about her own child. The guy playing her husband was wasted in that role.
All in all I recommend if you like British crime shows, but I wouldn't put it anymore near as high up as Broadchurch for example.
Un-challenging fodder for undemanding viewers.
kitellis-9812112 July 2018
This is the sort of low-level armchair mystery that, I assume, is favoured by menopausal women who enjoy books by Ruth Rendell and the like. There's nothing wrong with any of that, of course, but very early into watching this series I began to feel that my intelligence was being insulted.
Surely I cannot be the only one who "solved" the case less than a third of the way in. And I doubt that I was alone in reaching an IMMEDIATE diagnosis for Greig's character's son, despite nearly three episodes of mindless denial from her.
I continued watching the series, mainly because I was hoping to be proved wrong; that there would be some ingenious twist at the end. There wasn't.
I was introduced to a cast of obvious red-herrings, dismissed them one-by-one using minimal amounts of logic and common sense, and arrived at a reasonable and likely conclusion, which was confirmed at the end, leaving me with little more than a mild form of self-satisfaction (which is distasteful and unattractive even to myself), and the rather gloomy thought that I am now three hours closer to my death.
Ultimately I would describe this offering as moderately diverting fluff. Perhaps the most entertaining aspect of the series was racking my brains trying to remember what I recognised Darren Boyd from.
Surely I cannot be the only one who "solved" the case less than a third of the way in. And I doubt that I was alone in reaching an IMMEDIATE diagnosis for Greig's character's son, despite nearly three episodes of mindless denial from her.
I continued watching the series, mainly because I was hoping to be proved wrong; that there would be some ingenious twist at the end. There wasn't.
I was introduced to a cast of obvious red-herrings, dismissed them one-by-one using minimal amounts of logic and common sense, and arrived at a reasonable and likely conclusion, which was confirmed at the end, leaving me with little more than a mild form of self-satisfaction (which is distasteful and unattractive even to myself), and the rather gloomy thought that I am now three hours closer to my death.
Ultimately I would describe this offering as moderately diverting fluff. Perhaps the most entertaining aspect of the series was racking my brains trying to remember what I recognised Darren Boyd from.
Why are they so upset about having a "different" child! I hate this.
rhijulbec7 March 2023
The show is fine. Far from great. Predictable. BUT I do absolutely HATE the way the parents (police officer and husband) behave regarding their son being "different". It's like the absolute WORST thing that could happen! They have an autistic child. Very high functioning. And they react as if they've been told he's terribly, terribly disabled. Can't be dealt with! Her reaction was over the top. Think of parents who are questioning their child's behaviour and seeing the obvious shame and reluctance to admit even the possibility there's something wrong. Thinking her child is "gone". Aaarrggghhhhh! I hate, hate, hate it. It's ridiculous. And for some reason the mother is completely and utterly morose about everything.
Hot Garbage
jennfinn18 October 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Seriously ??
The series goes out of its way from the very first episode to make it seem as if the older brother killed Callum and that the dad was covering up for him. What 4yr old is allowed to ride his scooter alone around the neighborhood ?? The same 4yr old also asks his 6yr old brother to "drown" him in the bathtub. When the dad stops it from happening the kid is laughing and asking to be held under water again.
What kind of teenager shows a four and six year old how to choke themselves out with a belt ?? I'm supposed to believe a 4yr old choked himself to death with a karate belt?? That has got to be the most ridiculous ending I've seen in a long time.
Also the female detective finds out her son has autism and acts like it's the worst diagnosis possible.
The series goes out of its way from the very first episode to make it seem as if the older brother killed Callum and that the dad was covering up for him. What 4yr old is allowed to ride his scooter alone around the neighborhood ?? The same 4yr old also asks his 6yr old brother to "drown" him in the bathtub. When the dad stops it from happening the kid is laughing and asking to be held under water again.
What kind of teenager shows a four and six year old how to choke themselves out with a belt ?? I'm supposed to believe a 4yr old choked himself to death with a karate belt?? That has got to be the most ridiculous ending I've seen in a long time.
Also the female detective finds out her son has autism and acts like it's the worst diagnosis possible.
Terrible Ending
drmarvh-6447918 March 2024
Warning: Spoilers
Despite all the engaging zigzag in time frames and plot suspects, I found the ending to be absolutely unsatisfying and understated. The case is closed and in the last 3 minutes we are left with the "innuendo" that, without any visual evidence, this terrible tragedy was totally an accident. No scene of the actual death. Only the " explanation" that this was a tragic "game".
How/when did one "prime suspect" dispose of the body? Why did the previous "prime suspect" even "confess"?
The acting is superb, and the photography is stunning, as is the editing of the time jumps: always orange in flashbacks.
But the ending in the final minutes is vacuous and totally incomplete.
How/when did one "prime suspect" dispose of the body? Why did the previous "prime suspect" even "confess"?
The acting is superb, and the photography is stunning, as is the editing of the time jumps: always orange in flashbacks.
But the ending in the final minutes is vacuous and totally incomplete.
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