BBC Drama, What Remains In RetrospectAs BBC’s acclaimed crime drama What Remains draws to a close, we look back on the latest addition to 2013’s unbelievable programming schedule
By: Acorn Media Complex murder investigations, esteemed British actors and acute social commentary, there are many similarities between the two ensemble crime dramas, but a number of important differences too. Neither is short of cop drama clichés. In What Remains, David Threlfall’s Detective Len Harper opens the narrative on the verge of retirement, while Broadchurch follows a mismatched pair of investigators, Olivia Colman’s local plod Ellie Miller and David Tennant’s gruff outsider, DI Alec Hardy. But in these great shows, clichés aren’t just derivative quick fixes designed to suture the plot points together, they’re devices used to explore bigger ideas than the average whodunit. Therein lies the major difference between: the ideas, or the themes at work beneath the investigation mechanism. In the vein of the Scandinavian crime serials that inspired them both, What Remains and Broadchurch feature ensemble casts; and devote plenty of time to the suspects involved in the case. But while Broadchurch used this device to talk about community, the ways in which people are connected to one another, and the effect that a horrifying incident can have on the collective, What Remains is quite the opposite; it is a study of loneliness, analysing the ways in which it is possible to live amongst millions of other people, in one of the largest cities in the world and still feel truly alone. If Broadchurch is about the connect, What Remains is the disconnect. It’s a brave choice from writer and creator Tony Basgallop; to introduce such challenging subject matter into a crime investigation vehicle. But through his refusal to treat his audience with kid gloves, he has struck a real chord with viewers. Another brave choice was having so much of the narrative unfold within the confines of a single home; a smaller canvas than the town of Broadchurch, but one that the cast and crew draw just as much drama and intrigue from. This is only possible thanks to tight plotting and perfect casting. The cast of What Remains features a number of familiar faces, but more importantly all of the performers are more than capable and precisely cast. This allows the audience to truly invest in them all, and keeps them guessing until the gripping conclusion. There’s Russell Tovey and Amber Rose Revah who set the narrative in motion when they discover the body of Melissa Young whilst investigating a leak. Melissa, played by Jessica Gunning, hadn’t been seen for two years but hadn’t even been reported missing. Other residents/suspects include Indira Varma and Victoria Hamilton as Elaine and Peggy, partner whose successful business and relationship fall apart in the wake of the discovery, as secrets about Elaine begin to surface. There’s the excellent Steven Mackintosh as divorced newspaper editor Kieron and Alexander Arnold as his troubled son Adam. They’re not short of secrets either, nor is maths teacher Joe, played by David Bamber. He’s lived in the basement flat for 15 years and as far as everybody knows, he’s done so alone, but all is not what it seems. Without such an excellent cast, each playing out their own compelling narrative, it would be difficult for 8 Coulthard Street to hold the public’s attention over four gripping weeks, but it succeeds largely because of them; not least David Threlfall’s persuasive and determined DI. Like Olivia Colman and David Tennant in Broadchurch, Threlfall might be most recognisable to some for his lighter, more comedic work; he was of course the life and soul of Channel 4’s Shameless in the role of the delightfully disgusting Frank Gallagher. Here he reminds us that before taking over a riotously funny Manchester Council Estate, he was a formidable dramatic actor. His Len Harper is a character that television audiences will be sorry to say goodbye to; albeit one that needs to sack his barber. To purchase What Remains on DVD before anywhere else visit our website http://www.acornmediauk.com/ Photos: https://www.prlog.org/ https://www.prlog.org/ https://www.prlog.org/ End
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