The Cuckoo

With C5 dramas you never quite know what you're going to get, they're sometimes surprising in ways you didn't hope for.

This one isn't the worst or the best, its OK-ish. Yes the script was cheesy and had many improbabilities. Like someone driving by who sees a room to let advertised, pops in and happens to have three grand cash in her purse to slap down as a deposit. I wish that was me...

But on the plus side it was reasonably well made and had a strong cast with the likes of Lee Ingleby and Jill Halfpenny.

It was well paced, (its just four episodes) and had some big twists, if you like psychological dramas it's worth checking out and a fun ride (if you can suspend your disbelief at some of the plotting).

If you're wondering where its filmed, we're in County Wicklow, Ireland, which really is as nice as it looks here.

Because it kicked-off nicely, I stuck with it - but later reflected it might have been a waste of time. The cast is good, so too is the direction and screenplay - but the storyline becomes less and less believable and even a good cast with Ingelby, Halfpenny & Goose in the leads couldn't save it, regrettably. Just too many inconsistencies and weak interconnections. To imagine any mother would go to the lengths Halfpenny's character did to try to reconnect with her daughter (who turns out not to be, probably - even that appears obscure) and eventually abduct her whilst leaving her adoptive mother locked up in a stair cupboard, stretches one's imagination too far.

Conclusion: don't bother - and hope that these actors find better scripts soon. They deserve them!

Disappointing overall, lacklustre script and some unbelievable scenario's, especially the immediate bonding relationship between Jill Halfpenny and Claire Goose! The ending is extremely predictable, and its nothing we haven't see before. Somebody also needed to give Jill Halfpennys character a serious change in dress sense, as she more resembled a character out of This is England set in the 1980's than a middle aged woman of current times! Channel 5 need to up their game big time or they will continue to lose out to the likes of BBC, ITV and Channel 4, as this follows in the same footsteps as the equally poor drama Coma!

Quite possibly the worst 'drama' I've ever seen. There are so many things going on that simply wouldn't happen in reality it makes a mockery of genuine drama. I've read that by the end we're supposed to empathise with 'Sian', (I'm writing after 3 episodes) but I can't think of any character I've ever disliked more. Whatever her backstory, there is no excuse for her actions. Whilst Lee Ingleby and Claire Goose are good actors who can usually be relied on to turn in an accomplished, believable performance, here they are hampered by a myriad plot holes and very clunky dialogue. Jill Halfpenny basically plays Jill Halfpenny, as she has done in anything I've seen her in. All told, very disappointing. (2 stars for the ___location).

As usual all the good reviews prior to release come from the marketing team and the magazines and websites persuaded, however so, to look on favourably.

Here is where you get the honest reviews. I agree with all previous comments.

A clichéd production in terms of script, direction and visuals. Unrealistic/unbelievable actions by all the principal cast and by the police! :). When you consider the number of stages a script goes through before production you wonder why nobody had the power to halt the process and send the writers back to the drawing board.

Then they leave us with the possibility of a second series! Please, no.