Roadkill: What the Must Watch reviewers think

Thursday 22 October 2020, 16:55

Every week, the Must Watch podcasters review the biggest TV and streaming shows.

This week, Hayley Campbell and Scott Bryan share their thoughts on BBC One's Roadkill.

Hugh Laurie stars as charismatic government minister Peter Laurence who has just won a libel case. The Prime Minister (played by Helen McRory) offers him a promotion to high office just as an inmate at a women’s prison claims to have a secret about Peter’s past.

Roadkill is available now on BBC iPlayer.

Have you been watching this show? What did you think? Leave your comments below...

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(CREDIT: BBC/The Forge/Robert Viglasky/Matt Burlem)

Hayley says: "It’s very clunky and ridiculous"

“I kind of like this one, this is a 'maybe watch', but you have to come at it a certain way. It feels like proper Sunday night drama even if it’s a bit cliché in parts, and the female characters in particular are robots.

“Everyone has ulterior motives and nobody says what they actually mean. You spend the whole time going, ‘what’s this guy’s deal? I thought he was friends with that guy? Is he not with that guy anymore?’ In that way it’s like a spy drama except it's politicians being sly and manipulative. It’s very clunky and ridiculous, and everyone seems to be having sex with everyone else immediately when they walk in the door with very little plot to get them there. It doesn’t really serve any point other than to suggest that everyone is entangled with everyone else. I’ve seen pornography that has more believable preamble.

“But, if you watch it as a show where Hugh Laurie is finally being English again, and incredibly hammy and very probably evil, it’s interesting enough to keep you watching.”

(CREDIT: BBC/The Forge/Robert Viglasky)

Scott says: "It is riddled with clichés"

“It is kind of a 'must watch'. It manages to be good and bad at the same time.

“David Hare who made this, also made a show called Collateral for BBC Two in 2018. Both shows have a very similar setup, where you constantly flick between different characters who have nothing to do with each other, giving it a sort of unpredictable feel.

“The problem is it is riddled with clichés. Rachel Burden who does 5 Live Breakfast made a good point on Twitter, that when a journalist is fired in one of the scenes, you literally see her then leaving the office holding a box with a pot plant in, something you've only seen in TV dramas. I've also seen some politicians ask questions about whether you would really leave your office holding very secure papers. Normally these things aren't problems, but this drama is stylised in a way that it feels very realistic. It's odd that it has this realism, whilst making generalisations at the same time.

“David Hare’s work can work really well, Hugh Laurie and Helen McRory are brilliant, but I just hope that it sticks the landing.”