The Responder

I loved the doctor's line - is this her?

I haven't watched this but I am getting a bit tired of gritty depressing dramas.

I have just finished watching Around the World in Eighty Days. What a refreshing uplifting series full of adventure and not a swear word to be heard.

AGAA4

I haven't watched this but I am getting a bit tired of gritty depressing dramas.

I have just finished watching Around the World in Eighty Days. What a refreshing uplifting series full of adventure and not a swear word to be heard.

I can’t get on with the male characters (that’s pretty well all but one) and their air of smug superiority. I know it’s representative of the era, but still annoying.

I didn’t watch it as the trailer put me off - I listened really carefully each time it ran (which was often) and struggled to make out some of what Martin Freemen was saying, so had a feeling the programme was going to be full of poor diction, so decided not to bother. As it appears to be full of the f word according to some posters who did watch, which I hate, I don’t think I’ve made the wrong choice. Gritty surely doesn’t mean everything has to revolve around swearing?

Freeman, sorry, not Freemen.

DH has put this on just now. The swearing is putting me off. I can't hear much of what is being said. Why does everyone have to mumble in these dramas, Vera is about as bad for hearing what they are saying.
Dreary and depressing. I'm with the majority here, I won't be watching any more.

Watched this evening. Appalling!!! Why on earth screen a programme where the characters sound as though they are about to expectorate?? Stomach churning stuff.

Thank you all, I think that I don’t need to waste my time watching it.
I want to be cheered up and this doesn’t sound as if it fits the bill.

We are with the "tried it, didn't like it" team - just awful, not a single likeable character, nothing to grab at all. Definitely a No from us!

I agree with most of the comments here,I watched about 15 minutes but the swearing and the depressing
story really did put me in a depressive state of mind.
I don't like the constant use of the F word and call me prudish but I won't be watching any more ,think Foyles.War and the like is more my type of viewing mind you I have watched most of the repeats on ITV3 so often I can speak the script.
I don't know who the BBC is aiming at but it certainly isn't me.

I agree trisher I think it was always thus, but a lot of us are shielded from it ands it’s rare for a media drama to show it.

trisher

I think this is the reality of life for some people today. It isn't pretty or fashionable. I was sayng the other day that all the dramas now seemed to be set in lovely houses, or beautiful locations, and the kitchen sink drama we had in the 60s seemed to have disappeared. I think this is the equivalent. It isn't easy watching but it is life for some people. We should all watch it, if only so we are aware of how our society is failing so many people.

Probably but this is supposed to be entertainment, not a documentary.

We watched Panorama earlier in the evening - not hiding our heads in the sand at all and knew the reality of life when working too.

Absolutely dreadful !! No wonder it nearly sent Martin Freeman insane when he took the part on.

Why has society gone so wrong ? Where have all these criminals come from ?

Society has gone wrong cos of so much poverty and hopelessness, better welfare services helped a lot but under Tories thats not an option. I sort of liked it, after 30 yrs working as a social worker I recognised much of the situations and people, MF was great, but I think there were faults, there was not enough use of social services & some of those situations would have been referred & it does at times feel really overwhelming & depressing. I also didn't mind the swearing, its true to life and I like swearing in general, it really doesn't matter, but my ex never swore but he was intimidating & scary, 'you are rubbish!' he'd say jabbing his finger at me, that was offensive language in my book

I have watched it all and thought it was very well done, with excellent performances. But I was confused as to what happened at the end and how it was all resolved. It may be me - I find many dramas confusing these days. The storyline was depressing but thoughtful and nuanced in showing the pressures on the emergency services and the way in which exposure to stressful and upsetting situations can make even decent people behave badly.

Have seen 2 episodes and thought it was some of the best TV I have ever seen. He’s a former DI who has been demoted, cuts a lot of corners but underneath everything he is a good man on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Excellent performances.

Callistemon21

trisher

I think this is the reality of life for some people today. It isn't pretty or fashionable. I was sayng the other day that all the dramas now seemed to be set in lovely houses, or beautiful locations, and the kitchen sink drama we had in the 60s seemed to have disappeared. I think this is the equivalent. It isn't easy watching but it is life for some people. We should all watch it, if only so we are aware of how our society is failing so many people.

Probably but this is supposed to be entertainment, not a documentary.

We watched Panorama earlier in the evening - not hiding our heads in the sand at all and knew the reality of life when working too.

But lots of entertainment has shown the faults in society in the past. Think of "Cathy Come Home" "Kes" and "Scum". Surely we are adult enough not to expect everything we watch to be "nice". In fact I think a society whose media only shows the more affluent acceptable side has serious problems.

But everything seems to be similarly based at the moment.
Or else saccharine like CTM.

The other problem seems to be that everything is filmed in the dark and everyone (apart from a few properly trained actors) mumble and swallow their words.

Can't see what is going on and can't hear it either (no, it's not me!) and have to resort to sub-titles which cover some of the screen anyway.

CTM saccharine, Callistemon? A nurse pulled off a homeless man’s shoe last week and his gangrenous foot came off with it!

trisher I agree. I think we should watch this sort of programme to remind us how some people have to live and to make us appreciate how lucky some of us are. These characters were not presented as evil, rather as a product of their environment and this is not just in Liverpool. I think most cities are probably like this! That is not to say we can't watch the light and fluffy stuff too. We always need balance.

I thought the acting was exceptional especially Martin Freeman and strangely, though I normally need subtitles, I did not need them for this. I am not from Liverpool but maybe being Northern helps.

As for swearing, has anyone listened to young people coming out of secondary schools at the end of the day lately, or groups of youngsters in the street. I don't think it means anything any more, if it ever did. My grandchildren are included, though they would never do it at home.

I am quite enjoying this drama and have got used to the swearing every other word, MF is excellent as the troubled cop, and life for some is like this once on the downward spiral of drugs and homelessness,
It makes me very thankful for what I have and that none of my family have ever been involved in drugs,
I didn’t understand why Carl the baddie who was always threatening Chris (MF). Was calmly drinking coffee in the kitchen with Chris,s wife and she was,not frightened of him ,
Can anyone explain this ?

I though the first episode was good as it was so different. I watched the second episode, and it just keeps getting better and better.

For those offended by the language - don't watch After Life!

I really enjoyed it, Martin's acting and accent were spot on according to locals. Also it showed the pressure and stress our police force is under and not just in Liverpool. I believe it was written by Tony Schumacher who was a police officer in Liverpool for 10 years before the pressure of the job burnt him out (his own words) so he pretty much knows how to portray real life issues for the police. The language didn't bother me.

We’re going to give it another go. We’re police family so know the realities of the lives of the responders and the people they work with only too well. Which is probably why I found it too much at the time.

Going out on jobs alone is the norm these days, btw. You’ll see a lot more officers double crewed on police dramas than you will in real life.

LilacChaser

I though the first episode was good as it was so different. I watched the second episode, and it just keeps getting better and better.

For those offended by the language - don't watch After Life!

oh I loved all the 3 series of After Life..... and it went to number one on Netflix straight away.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who enjoyed The Responder.