Vigil: What the Must Watch reviewers think
Every week, the Must Watch podcasters review the biggest TV and streaming shows.
This week Scott Bryan is joined by BBC Radio One’s Katie Thistleton to share their thoughts on Vigil. The latest BBC One drama from the makers of Line of Duty stars Suranne Jones as DCI Amy Silva as she investigates a suspicious death on board submarine HMS Vigil.
BBC/World Productions
Scott says: "I felt like I was in a submarine myself"
"This will be one of those dramas that will have everybody completely obsessed with every single Sunday night. I watched the first two episodes in one go and I felt like I was desperately needing some fresh air. Watching it felt like I was in a submarine myself. The claustrophobia in this is absolutely unbelievable and the fact that there are nuclear weapons just mere metres away from these characters just gives it that perfect level of constant tension.
"The heart of this drama is the relationship between the police and the military. The police want to find the truth so that justice can be done. The military wants secrecy because of the needs of national security. It explores this topic in the same brilliant way that Line of Duty looks at corruption.
"It is also a great character study. You are trying to work out everyone's real intentions. What are they hiding? I am very worried about where this show is heading, plot wise - not in a bad way! Just tension wise!"
BBC/World Productions
Katie says: "The potential for drama here is just excellent"
"I think it’s brilliant. It’s got a very dramatic start and end to the first episode - which you’d completely expect from the same people who made 'Bodyguard' and 'Line of Duty'. I’m such a 'Line of Duty' fan so seeing Martin Compston’s face made me immediately happy. In his first scene he’s sat at a computer in a submarine tracking something and turns around with his first line of the show, 'Sir, I think I’ve got something', which I’m pretty sure he’s said 1000 times in 'Line of Duty', so that made me laugh!
In the first episode, he sort of puts his head above the parapet and gets in trouble with the powers that be because he’s trying to stand up for what’s right. So he’s basically playing the same role as he does in 'Line of Duty' but under the water this time!
"I love Suranne Jones so much too - she plays a detective who’s tasked with going onboard the nuclear submarine to investigate a mysterious death, so already the potential for drama here is just excellent. She can’t make calls and is caught in this tension between the navy and British Security Services. She is literally in too deep!"
BBC/World Productions
The first two episodes of Vigil air on subsequent nights on BBC One, starting Sunday the 29th August at 9pm and then again on the Monday 30th at 9pm too. You can also catch up on the BBC iplayer.
Must Watch is released as a podcast every Monday evening from BBC Sounds and all other good podcast providers.
This week, the team hear from one of the stars of Vigil, Sex Education’s Connor Swindells and His Dark Materials screenwriter Jack Thorne about his keynote speech at the Edinburgh TV Festival. Plus, reviews of Nine Perfect Strangers on Amazon Prime Video and The Chair on Netflix.
