The Responder

Sadly, gone are the days when youths got a good hiding, a wake-up call to many I suspect, when officers once took off their jackets to those who thought they were above the law then they got another thick ear if the parents knew they'd been in trouble with the police.

Yes there was mumbled dialogue which wasn’t helped by the Scouse accent, but the acting was brilliant. Swearing doesn’t bother me, it’s real life BUT I couldn’t understand why he was still in the job! I kept willing him to give in his notice and get a job as a security advisor.

I’m going to hunt for Tenko now! I loved it at the time. It’s just all police dramas these days, I’m bored with it. I have been enjoying This Is Us, though.

It doesn’t sound like my cup of tea. I don’t like dark and depressing, there’s enough dark depressing stuff in real life.

I thought it was excellent.
The acting, the drama, the storyline.

Although I do think there are far too many police dramas scheduled all at the same time.

If you have lived a fairly sheltered life, then you will probably be offended by the bad language.
Unfortunately, that’s mainly how it is on the streets nowadays.

Like bluebell subtitles definitely help, and the swearing doesn’t bother me at all, it seemed essential for the part he was playing, I am guessing it is exactly like that for probably far too many police people ( can’t assume gender any more) working in horrible inner city ghetto like estates.i found the humour refreshing ‘City Centre Casey’ but the constant use of “lad” was more irritating than anything, I really don’t think the scousers I know use it quite that much, but it was rather used like ‘innit’ for Essex wide boys in films and tv series.

EllanVannin

Sadly, gone are the days when youths got a good hiding, a wake-up call to many I suspect, when officers once took off their jackets to those who thought they were above the law then they got another thick ear if the parents knew they'd been in trouble with the police.

It's a good thing you didn't watch Panorama which was on just before that, EllanVannin!

Madmother21

I’m going to hunt for Tenko now! I loved it at the time. It’s just all police dramas these days, I’m bored with it. I have been enjoying This Is Us, though.

I am completely overwhelmed with Tenko. I remember it was amazing, but the realism is incredible. The sweat-stained clothes, the skin sores, the tatty shoes are all so authentic. You are there with those women as they explore their feelings and come to terms with their imprisonment. They don't make them like that any more. It's on UKTV Play.

Like quite a few of you have said it’s pretty depressing. I watched first episode and then a second. I’m not sure will watch anymore though.

Watched first episode and thought Martin Freeman was really good but the whole thing was depressing. DH wanted to continue with it so sat through a couple more and found it quite riveting. Very gritty and down to earth of course but written by an ex-policeman and I think could well be a reasonable example of what the police and other emergency services have to deal with.

The Responder is grim but it is an original drama with great acting. Sadly it reflects the state of many inner city areas where poverty, homelessness and drugs are endemic. We ask a lot of our frontline workers whether police or NHS and I like the way that this drama depicts the mental toll on workers such as the "responder".

I thought it was great, showed another side to the police. I’m not liking the main character, but as it’s unraveling is there more to him than meets the eye. Love the drug dealer, he’s so awful.

I’m a massive Line of Duty fan, so this is right up my street. ??

I thought the programme was brilliant I've watched all of the episodes very gritty but to repeat myself absolutely brilliant.

Right-o TerriBull I’m going to settle down and watch the 1st episode! Himself doesn’t fancy it. I’ll report back later.
?

Chestnut

Madmother21

I’m going to hunt for Tenko now! I loved it at the time. It’s just all police dramas these days, I’m bored with it. I have been enjoying This Is Us, though.

I am completely overwhelmed with Tenko. I remember it was amazing, but the realism is incredible. The sweat-stained clothes, the skin sores, the tatty shoes are all so authentic. You are there with those women as they explore their feelings and come to terms with their imprisonment. They don't make them like that any more. It's on UKTV Play.

Tenko was good television.
It was not something I experienced and shone a light on what was a dreadful period of history.

I think much of what is shown now is far too pertinent to anyone who may know about today's problems and is therefore not entertainment.

As I said, a documentary will inform about real life - if we did not know already.

We have watched the whole series, obviously no spoilers from me, but it's really worth sticking with

I’ve watched the first episode. Martin Freeman is excellent. The profane language doesn’t bother me. I think it keeps it real. The job of a first responder is hard enough without getting tied up with an old friend who is one of the drug dealing bad guys in the city. No wonder he had severe anxiety issues! Once he’s in hock to him and up to his neck in being where he shouldn’t be and doing favours, things can only go from bad to worse.

The pressure is on him now. It won’t let up. Even his ‘good deed’ is misplaced. He’s being played like a fiddle probably because he doesn’t do police work by the book. He will be upset and doubt himself even more when he finds out what a bad call he made on that situation. No wonder he can’t sleep, is on medication for anxiety/depression and is trying counselling.

Rita Tushingham was a bonus as his mum who refuses to acknowledge the abusive husband and father to a young lad. That’s upsetting him on another level ‘am I just bad like my dad was?’

I’m definitely sticking with this. I shall watch another episode tomorrow.

riveting, dark, tense, well acted, martin freeman is brilliant. i agree too much bad language but as other grans have commented, it's the same on any channel and not only in dramas.
nowadays, i always watch dramas etc with subtitles because like the op, i can never understand what people are saying. it's not just regional accents, everyone seems to mumble and turning up the volume makes no difference!
does anyone else always need subtitles or am i'm getting deaf ?

Watched the first episode only - too grey and gritty for me.

Utter rubbish, watched for 10mins didn't understand it.... would a 20 something get it?

Miserable throughout. Not a single likeable character.

Watched half of the first episode and found that I am not in the mood for dismal storylines however gritty. I will give it another go in due course with the sub titles on as the mumbled dialogue didn’t help. I am surprised at myself as I loved The Wire. I think I just can’t cope with any more doom and gloom at the moment.

Parsley3

Watched half of the first episode and found that I am not in the mood for dismal storylines however gritty. I will give it another go in due course with the sub titles on as the mumbled dialogue didn’t help. I am surprised at myself as I loved The Wire. I think I just can’t cope with any more doom and gloom at the moment.

I think that hits the nail on the head, Parsley3!

We've had enough doom, gloom, dark misery and don't need more in the name of entertainment.

As for not facing up to the realities of life (and death) I think many of us have been forced to face more in the past couple of years in RL.

And for those who think most is us live comfortable lives remote from those in programmes like this and need to be shown - well, they have no clue how posters live or what jobs they may have done or still do.

Urms I agree with you. Not the usual Martin Freeman role but just shows what a good actor he is.

He really is a brilliant actor isn’t he Doodle? ?