Ordinary Lies ends on a high

I've enjoyed BBC1's six-part series, Ordinary Lies, so much so that I felt genuine sadness whilst watching the last episode last night. 

Danny Brocklehurst has created a great, gritty drama here and along with Kay Mellor, it was beautifully written.

The final installment saw Beth and Mike finally confess they were in love, after starting an affair. I clapped inside as the two decided that they would make a go of their relationship, even if Mike had to leave his wife, and possibly lose his job as manager of JS Motors. 

But - fate had other ideas, and Beth's missing husband returned, 19 months after going missing. Spanner in works? Indeed... 

There were some nice twists through Beth and Mike's story, and even now, we don't know what decisions were made. 

Did Beth give her hubby, Dave, another chance despite not feeling the same about him? Or did Mike decide to stay loyal to his wife, after his father-in-law's threat?

I'm glad there are unanswered questions - it means that there's a possibility for a second series, which Jason Manford hinted to this morning on his Facebook account. Yay! 

Jo Joyner gave a stunning performance, as always. She's so good at the emotive, gritty scenes but also oozes comedic values too. As one of my favourite actresses (have I mentioned that before?!) I always really enjoy watching Jo, whether it's as Tanya Branning, Beth Corben, or any other role she may play.

The episode also took a look back to previous storylines. Michelle Keegan's character, Tracey, revealed that Viv was getting a transfer to a UK prison, after their drug smuggling mission went very wrong, in her friends favour. Will Tracey get Viv's friendship back, and who will be found guilty of what?

We also saw Grace, who fell into bed with Jason Manford's character, Marty, decide to find a man of her own, online dating. Grace had a crush on Marty, which grew when he told the whopper of a lie that his wife had died, way back in episode one. But when the truth came out - Marty and his wife patched their marriage up, leaving Grace feeling cold... But has she really got over him?

Kathy, played by Sally Lindsey, also cheated on her husband, Ralf, as he was unable to satisfy her needs in the bedroom. But will her marriage really fully recover, due to Ralf's inability to have sex? Then there's also Rick, who had an affair with Mike's fifteen-year-old daughter, and did a runner when he was found out. Rick and Ruby seemingly had feelings for each other, but he soon left the teen heartbroken. Will Rick be found and arrested? And how did Ruby, however mature she might have seemed, get over their relationship, even though she's still only a child?

I can see so many more stories to come out of this series...

Viv being unable to forgive Tracey, who could also find herself behind bars. Mike's daughter, Ruby, discovering she's expecting Rick's child at just fifteen, Marty and Grace beginning a full-time affair, even after all the lies he's told and Beth and Mike's forbidden romance continuing in non-other than dramatic fashion, are just a few. 

So many questions, so many fantastic actors all under one Car Sales roof! 

Hurry up and return, Ordinary Lies! 

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Ordinary Lies, not so Ordinary Lives

Tonight sees Ordinary Lies air its third episode of the series, and over the weekend, I caught up with the first two episodes.

With series' like this, I sometimes like to keep them all saved up and watch them in one go, but I was so desperate to tune in to Ordinary Lies, I could only get up to episode two before having to get my beady eyes on it - and I'm glad I did!

The first episode, which saw Jason Manford's character, Marty, a salesman at JS Motors, unravel in a world of desperate lies, I found amusing as well as rather sad,
He seemed like he had no get up and go, didn't really care about work, or much else for that matter, until he was given notice that if he were late for his job just once more - he'd be out. Of course, he was, and then told the terrible lie that his wife had died! Why? I don't know, he didn't know. But it opened a can of worms bigger than the 4x4 on the forecourt!
In Marty's 'grief' he sleeps with colleague, Grace, who didn't seem shy in coming on to the husband who had just lost his wife.
One of my favourite scenes was when PA Kathy, played by Sally Lindsey, became suspicious of Marty and went to his house. Of course, she met Marty's dead wife, and the episode culminated in Marty and his missus, who seemed to forgive him, going to his workplace, admitting what he'd done. After his lie, Marty looked more in contri=ol of his life, he was happier both at work and home.
But, surely, Grace's mini-obsession with Marty won't just disappear? Will it be revealed that they had a one-night stand?

We also saw glimpses of Mike, the boss, and his chemistry with Beth, head of HR, played by Max Beesley and Jo Joyner. Beth's husband disappeared a year ago - is he dead or alive? Mike's in a unhappy marriage - the pair have begun an affair. The on-screen chemistry between the two is great, but Jo is one of my favourite actresses, so I think I'm biased, anyway.
Over ep's one and two, we see that there's more than meets the eye with Beth's hubby going awol. She's found phone records, and hands them to the investigating officer, which he traces - to another employee at JS Motors. What's this person hiding?

Episode two was my favourite, so far. It was highly anticipated, anyway, because of it starring Michelle Keegan, in her first role since Corrie.
Michelle plays Tracy, a receptionist, who goes on holiday with her pal, and fellow receptionist, Viv. Telling their colleague's and families that they're flying out to Ibiza, the two girls instead head to the Dominican Republic. But the dream holiday has been paid for by Tracy's boyfriend, who has convinced the girls to smuggle drugs back to the UK. Wanting to live the high life, and knowing they will get a good pay out at the end, the girls agree.
But Viv gets caught, and Tracy can't live with the guilt.
After being dumped by her man after doing his dirty deeds, and Viv's parents showing up at JS Motors to confront her, Tracy's world spirals.
She eventually comes clean, and confesses the whole truth to police. With there not being enough evidence to charge her, Tracy is free to go, but must prosecute against her ex, when police catch up with him. The truth is also not enough to help Viv, who is still in prison over in the Dominican...
I loved the drama in this episode, and Michelle was great in the role. I was on the edge of my seat, as Viv was caught and interrogated. It showed the seriousness of a situation, which some people think would be such an easy way to make money. I hope that it hit home. The domino effect that it had on Viv's family, Tracy's family and also her colleagues was also very emotive.

Episode three tonight promises more drama, as it focuses on Kathy, who meets a dodgy online date, after being in a loveless marriage of her own.
Her tryst has life-shattering consequences when she finds herself witness to a brutal and violent crime.

Kathy’s own morals are put to the test and she has to decide whether to step forward with crucial evidence or keep quiet and protect her secret life...

What will happen to these not-so-ordinary lives, in tonight's Ordinary Lies?

Have you been enjoying the series so far?

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Ordinary Lies

BBC1's new drama series Ordinary Lies begins this evening, and I'm looking forward to tuning in.
No only because the concept of the show intrigues me, but the cast line-up looks ab-fab!

We've got Michelle Keegan (Coronation Street), Jason Manford (Little Crackers), Jo Joyner (EastEnders), Max Beesley (Mad Dogs), Mackenzie Crook (Pirates of the Caribbean), Rebecca Callard (Glue), Sally Lindsay (Mount Pleasant) and Belinda Stewart-Wright (The Inbetweeners) to name a few.
It is Michelle Keegan's first TV role since leaving Corrie, so all eyes will be on her, as well as Jason Manford, who's another favourite.
But my absolute tellybox fave is Jo Joyner, so I'm looking forward to her performances most.

The show is based in a car showroom and focuses on a different character each week, proving that the most ordinary and simple lives can spiral out of control.

Tonight's first show of the six-part series concentrates on Jason Manford's character, Marty McLean. Marty is a family man, who's struggling at both work and at home. On his final warning, and exhausted, Marty sleeps through his alarm and is late for work. Knowing he could be fired, Marty lies that his wife has died! He doesn't know why he said it, but his untrue words soon begin to unravel a host of even more drama, especially as he gets close to colleague, Grace, played by Rebecca Callard.

Marty's lies also open up a can of worms and hurt for Head of Sales, Beth Corben, played by Jo Joyner, whose husband Dave went missing the year before. After receiving mysterious phone calls, she confides in Mike, played by Max Beesley, but with Mike’s marriage hanging in the balance, the chemistry between him and Beth is difficult for the pair to ignore.

There haven't been any more spoilers for the rest of the show's series just yet, but I think it's well worth a watch.

I can see myself being hooked already...

Ordinary Lies is on at 9pm tonight on BBC1.

Let me know what you think!

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CUCUMBER, BANANA and TOFU: Dramatic, Edgy and Real at C4's best?

You may or may not have heard about Channel 4's new  three-fold drama series, Cucumber, Banana, Tofu, which begins next week. 

The trio of programmes, written by Russel T Davies, will focus on life in the gay community and has been billed as 'controversial but exciting' by Cucumber actress Julie Hesmondhalgh, who played Hayley Cropper in Coronation Street. 

Cucumber will air on Channel 4 and follows the story of 46-year-old Henry and his boyfriend, Lance, who seem to be in an awkward relationship. Lance, who's upset by the lack of sex between the pair welcomes newcomer, Daniel, into his life - while Henry is drawn to his enigmatic work colleague, Freddie Baxter. But Henry will soon step into a dangerous trap and after cutting ties with Henry, Lance finds out that Daniel may not be as straight as he seems.

Over on E4, Cucumber is followed up with Banana, which focuses in more detail on the younger characters in Cucumber.These include 19-year-old Dean, who's problems are soon to catch with him, no matter how far away he runs. Scotty who's life spirals out of control, after love turns to obsession and Sian and Violet, who discover what could happen when opposites attract. 

Then you have Tofu, which will be an online companion to Cucumber and Banana, taking a look at real-life sex stories from members of the public, exploring all facets of contemporary sex culture.
Each episode of the documentary will be 20-minutes long and look at a different topic through a dynamic combination of interviews, sketch comedy, animation and fantasy elements, along with musical set pieces.
It will be fronted by Benjamin Cook and also have a diverse range of interviewees including the stars of Cucumber and Banana, celebrities, stars of the porn world and members of the public.

Russell T Davies said: "While Cucumber and Banana are fictional, we know that often the sweetest, most heart-warming, most tragic and most heartbreaking stories are real life tales.Tofu is all about highlighting the very real issues that we reference in the fictional shows - it will be a unique mixture of content made by the very talented Benjamin Cook."
Meanwhile, Julie Hesmondhalgh, who plays Henry's sister, Cleo, in Cucumber has asked those viewers who aren't comfortable with the series' scenes to simply turn it off, instead of complaining. 
She said:"It's about sex and love and relationships and mid-life crises... and salad vegetables!

It's full on, and [some] people won't like it… and if you don't like it, please just turn off! It won't be to everyone's taste - it's a Channel 4 series about sex. But it's exciting and wonderful and Russell is just the best writer in the world. But it is an amazing programme and I think it'll cause a lot of controversy!"

Having taken a look at the first couple of episodes, Cucumber and Banana seem to both be gripping dramas, with Cucumber just inching as my favorite of the two - so far. 

Click here, to watch the trailer for Cucumber, Banana, Tofu - which will be an eight-part series. 

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The Missing - Was he found?

Me, along with the majority of people I know, have been hooked to The Missing for the last eight weeks. And last night we got our conclusion... 

The fate of little Oliver was revealed. So don't read on, if you haven't yet watched the final episode of this series.

It turns out that the young boy was accidentally run over by drunk Hotel owner Alain, who believed he had killed Ollie. However, when he called on his brother Georges, who then called in a favour from a Russian criminal to take care of disposing of Oliver's body, it was revealed that Ollie was not dead. 

Georges was further horrified to discover that the Russian had killed Oliver. But had he really?

At the beginning of last night's ep, we saw the famous drawing that Oliver had done of his dad, on a shed made of snow. Young teen boys all did a runner, as a big, strange stumbling man - faceless at this point - came toward them. This made us think 'actually, Oliver could still - must still - be alive...' 

Oliver's parents, Tony and Emily, seemingly accepted the fate of their boy. He was dead. But Tony, towards the end of the episode clearly hadn't moved on. Talking to Julien, he decided that Ollie could be alive and in Russia. Julien told Tony to accept and move on with his life. But Tony had drawn the same stick-man drawing as Ollie's on a notepad whilst on the phone... 

Back in Russia, in the final scenes, was where the chilling end to the series took place. The big, stumbling man now had a bearded face. It was Tony. He had travelled to Russia, believing his boy was there. 

When Tony knocked on the front door of a flat in an apartment block, a teen boy answered... 

Tony handed the frightened looking lad the picture he had, which Ollie had drawn of him. The boy, in my opinion seemed to recognise the picture. But Tony was soon dragged away by the police for harassment. The last shot was of a scared looking Tony, confused maybe. A broken man. 

And that was the end. 

It's left fans wondering whether the boy was really Oliver - or if Tony had made the drawing in the snow, and wrongly thought this boy was his son. 

An eagle-eyed fan on Twitter, posted this photo:

The 'e-fit' from a newspaper, was the same actor as the boy who Tony believed to be Ollie...

If you read the Daily Mail, they think that Oliver was killed and all of this was a figment of a broken Tony's imagination. Others believe that Ollie was alive, and was the 'Russian' boy. 

There was good news at the end of the credits last night, too, as it was confirmed that The Missing would be back for a second series, but revealed that it would focus on a 'new case'. 

The trailer voiceover, provided by Baptiste, explained: "To lose somebody can destroy a person. But to find them again, when so much has passed, that can be worse."

Brothers Harry and Jack Williams will return to write the series, and said:

"We always knew the story of Oliver Hughes would have an ending. But in writing the first series we found there were many themes and issues we didn't have the chance to explore,"

So - what did I think of The Missing's conclusion?

It confused, and annoyed me, at first to an extent that we didn't get a full conclusion. But thinking about it now, it was very clever of the writers to leave the ending 'open', as such, so that each fan can believe what they made of it. 

Sadly, in life, some poor families are living with this conclusion each day... So really, The Missing's ending was as near to reality as could be. 

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THE MISSING is missing nothing

Give me a drama featuring James Nesbitt and I'm there.

Which is why I initially watched The Missing, when it started a couple of weeks ago. Now, it's a staple in my Tuesday evenings and it has all of the components that a gritty, thrilling drama needs.

The story, in case you haven't watched yet, is all about the Hughes family - Tony, Emily and their young son, Olly.
Olly goes missing after an evening swim with his dad. France have just won the World Cup and among the excitement, no one saw who took Olly (if anyone did) or where the little boy ran off to (if he did).

I think it's safe to say, though, that Olly was taken.

Going back and forth from the present day, to when Olly disappeared, we soon learn that the Hughes marriage did not survive the trauma of their son's missing status. Emily is now married to Mark - a British police officer, who somehow managed to worm his way on to the case.

It's this man I do not yet trust...

Tony can't forget what happened to Olly, and returns to France in a bid to get the case re-opened. with the help of Julien, a now-retired detective who worked on Olly's disappearance when it happened. The two men succeed after Tony sees a photo of a boy wearing the scarf Olly had when he went missing. Tracing that scarf to a house - Tony soon notices a picture drawn on the wall in the basement. The same picture Olly drew of his dad, time and time again. Olly was kept in this house.

This is just a bite-sized piece of the story so far, so if you haven't seen any of The Missing yet, hop over to BBC iPlayer to catch up...because the story is only just beginning.

Who did take Olly?

With journalist Malik knowing 'what Tony and Emily did,' and police officer Khalid feeding information to Malik... what are their stories? And surely whatever Malik knows about Olly's parents isn't directly linked to his disappearance?

Olly's grandfather - in the present day, has passed away - but he and Tony had a secret, which could have put Olly in danger.

Then there's known sex-offender, Vincent, who was a suspect - but his cast iron alibi was actually bought by wealthy property developer, Ian Garret. Vincent is currently seeking chemical castration to "cure" him of his urges. He claims innocence, but his story surely has some relevance to Olly's case... And why was Ian Garrett so interested in the disappearance when he saw the press coverage on TV. He even offered a €100,000 reward for whoever finds Olly.

My number one suspect so far, is Emily's new husband, Mark. The officer who wormed his way in and on to the case... He grabs Emily's phone to stop her hearing it ring, and when she does, he never tells her it's Tony calling. Is he just protective, or does he have something more to hide?

We'll find out more during tonight's episode three, on BBC1 at 9pm.

Tune in - because The Missing cannot be missed!

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Brad Pitt to play Nigel Farage?

Brad Pitt - Hollywood legend, husband of Angelina Jolie and ex of Jennifer Aniston... Know him?

Well, he's been tipped by Ladbrokes to play Nigel Farage in a new Channel 4 drama, based on a UKIP government.

In all fairness, Brad himself is right down the line (at 500/1) in those famous faces but topping the list is Michael Sheen (3/1) and John Hanna (5/1), with Martin Clunes not so far behind, with odds of 10/1.

Michael Sheen has already had great feedback from his previous interpretation on Tony Blair, so I guess it's only right that he's firm favorite for the Farage role.

Matthew Shiddick, from Ladbrokes, said:

"Sheen fits the bill perfectly, but if they want a hapless Prime Ministerial performance, Hugh Grant has some form at 33/1. We suspect Brad Pitt might have more suitable projects lined up, so needless to say he's the rank outsider."

With UKIP being a major debate talking point for many, this drama may well be a hit - if only for the discussions it could cause! I can almost hear the Gogglebox gang, now!

Would this be something you could see yourself tuning in to, even if Brad isn't the starring role?

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OUR GIRL - Perfect end for a perfect comeback

Our Girl, the BBC drama, revolving around life in the armed forces and starring EastEnders' Lacey Turner had me gripped from episode one of the series.

I'm gutted that it only lasted for five episodes, but that was only because I loved it so much.

In fact, I'd say that it was the best drama I've seen on my telly box for some time.

I hope you've all seen the last ep by now, as some of the below might spoil it if you haven't done!

At the beginning of the series, Lacey revealed in an interview that she wasn't sure if Our Girl would return at the end of this run, as she wasn't too sure if it could...

I understand her meaning.

Molly, besotted with Captain James (or Charles, as Molly hilariously found out was his name!) who ended up injured and needing rehabilitation on his leg after being shot in battle on their final mission, decided to heed his advice and go back to the Army.

However, this wasn't before poor Smurf, who was also shot during the same battle, collapsed on the pitch at West Ham football club, after a day out with Molly. He died, due to an unnoticed bleed on his brain...

As much as you could see a tragedy happening during the final episode, it was still heartbreaking viewing.

The final ep ended with Molly back out in Afghan, and having been secretly reunited with her little friend, Bashira, who was taken to a safe house to live without fear.

So, as I mentioned, I can see why Lacey doesn't know where the series could go from here, and why she may think that things could be best left as they are - with Smurf no longer there, and Molly and Captain James' uniting ending openly - but for me, it totally can.

I'd love to see how Molly is doing, with her continuing Army life... Did she and Charles make a go of things and live happily ever after? Maybe she's met someone new, has gone up higher in the ranks? There are so many more avenues this drama could go down.

I definitely think that this was the perfect end to the perfect comeback.

DALLAS - Why you should be a fan!

When Dallas was announced to be making a comeback in 2012 I was interested to see what the fuss was all about.

My mum had spoken of it, and she and my aunt were keen to have a look at the comeback, to see what had changed, what was new, whether Sue-Ellen was still nursing her drink habit and, of course, whether JR was still the JR they remembered well from back in the day... 

So, I tuned in too... A tad unsure whether I'd get it - or even like it - as American series' had never been my cuppa. Friends was about as American I got! 

The result - I liked it. So much in fact that I went on to buy the full box-set of the one set back in the 70's, which mum and me are working our way through - slowly!

Anyhow, three series later and I love the show. 

The continuity of a show, making a comeback 20 years after its original airing was a brave decision. But the flow has been effortless. From watching the very first few series on box set, the characters are still as scheming, funny and loveable. 

Of course, JR lassoed a place in my heart the first time he was re-introduced in 2012 - 'what a sweet old character' - I thought. Until the true JR shone and shone but even with his trickery and selfishness, the JR charm won me over and I was so sad when Larry Hagman passed away during the filming of the second season. Who shot JR - again! - was a fab storyline, quickly re-written due to the unforeseen circumstances and a touching way to say goodbye to a legend. 

Whispers have it, though, that my beloved JR may be making an appearance during this third season in unseen footage filmed before Larry died. How? Why? I can't wait to see...

My new favourite character since the death of JR, has to be Sue-Ellen. Closely followed by John-Ross, or as his uncle Bobby calls him - JR Junior! 

Sue-Ellen must be a joy for a writer to write for. She's witty, classy and funny, yet also fragile, with a heart of gold. 

She sees JR in her son and wants to make sure that he doesn't make his farher's mistakes. Will John-Ross take heed or is he more like his daddy than he realises?

Bobby is another stand-out, of course. He's a subtle character, I feel. Always in JR's shadow, but happy to be so, I think. 

Bobby was the calm, honest one. Part of me wants to say the smartest of the two brothers... But JR never lost a battle. Apart from his death, so the smart accolade should go to him! Christopher is definitely his fathers son, just as John-Ross is JR's. 

I could write all day long and give intros to all the great Dallas characters - Christopher, Pamela, Elena, Ann. 

But those of you who watch the show know about these already. 

Those of you who don't watch Dallas really should join in and head on over to Southfork!

There's something for everyone. And I'm surprised that I love the show as much as I do. It's addictive viewing! 

There are heart-stopping dramas, action packed fight scenes, risqué affairs, love stories and, of course, lots of arguing over oil! 

The dodging and diving that JR did during his early years, and even through his older ones, had Bobby pulling his hair out at times... The brothers went to war more times than one. Just like their sons are doing now. Sue-Ellen was cheated and lied to by JR, all through their marriage, but she's returned with an unsaid loyalty to, not only JR and John-Ross, but the rest of the Ewing's, too.

As I've said there's something for everyone in Dallas...

Especially as at the heart of the show, is just a loyal family. 

So, go on... Catch episode three of the new series of Dallas on Channel 5 this Wednesday. 

It's on at midnight, mind. So do what I do - Sky+ and watch it over the weekend! 

You'll be glad you did!

OUR GIRL

I've really got into the BBC series, Our Girl, starring Lacey Turner. 

I didn't manage to catch the pilot episode last year, unfortunately, but after hearing so many good things about it, I just had to give the new five-part series a try. 

Molly Dawes, Lacey's character, worried me at first. I didn't think there was a chance she'd survive out on a mission. The Army medic is feisty, down-to-earth and, at times, scared of what is out there in Afghanistan. 

But during the first episode she soon got used to life in Afghan and saved the life of her 'love-to-hate' mate, Smurf. Smurf's brother was killed in action and Molly thinks he isn't in the right state of mind to be working at the moment. After being hit by a bullet, Molly risks her life, crawling through a mine field to treat Smurf, and getting him to safety. 

This is much to the annoyance - and respect - of the team leader, Captain James, who clearly has a soft spot for Molly. 

Lacey has promised a love triangle for Molly, Smurf and James during the series, which already looks set to heat up, and we're only on episode two!

Molly also immediately strikes up a friendship with a local young girl, Bashira, who warns Molly of an impending attack. Captain James is concerned over Molly's attachment to the girl... Whose father, Molly believes is a member of the Taliban. 

I won't spoil the end of the second ep - as you can still catch it on BBC iPlayer. 

Our Girl is a heart-warming, exciting, dramatic and true-telling story of life in the British Armed forces. 

It's definitely worth a watch. 

Catch it on Sunday's at 9pm on BBC One. 

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