22nd June 2012
When I saw that True Love, the much hyped five part semi-improvised
drama, had been scheduled so late at night, it seemed like a bizarre move – with
such big names involved, it seemed like primetime viewing. Unfortunately after
seeing the series in its entirety, I can understand why it was shunted so late
in the schedules.
For a show that promised so much, most of True Love was
decidedly underwhelming. I was propelled past a disappointing opening episode
by my admiration for David Tennant, but things didn’t improve. Despite a strong
performance by Lacey Turner as a shattered mother, the second episode ‘Paul’
felt too similar to the opener, with a husband being tempted away from his
boring home life – for Tennant it was by an old love, for Ashley Walters it
was, bizarrely, a random woman at a bus stop (it didn’t end well, don’t try
this on the number 4).
Billie Piper’s episode, ‘Holly’, was possibly the weakest of
the lot; in trying to explore a controversial storyline that was sure to grab
headlines – a teacher embarking on a relationship with a female student – the
episode took on a plot with implications it didn’t have time to explore,
resulting in something feeling flat and implausible. Even the director seemed
to be losing interest in the series, with the episodes comprised mainly of
characters brooding dramatically on the Margate seafront, with a blaring
soundtrack that sounded like someone in the editing suite had pressed play on
their Cheesiest Love Songs compilation album. In such short episodes, this
frustratingly overshadowed the actual drama.
By the mid-point of the series I was beginning to despair;
for a Doctor Who fan, it feels morally wrong to criticise something David
Tennant and Billie Piper are in, but True Love was feeling like a let-down.
Thank goodness for Jane Horrocks’s episode, ‘Sandra’, which encapsulated
everything the series could and should have been all along. Horrocks was
outstanding as a woman awakening to her weak marriage and distant husband. Finally
the overlapping nature of the series came into fruition, with the knowledge
that her husband had an affair in the previous episode changing the dynamic of
this one. Believable and perfectly paced, it was a great piece of drama
regardless of the improvisation aspect. It was so good I could almost ignore
the deafening soundtrack.
Sadly the final episode ‘Adrian’ suffered from its short run
time, and despite a convincing David Morrissey as a man internet dating and a
stand-out performance from young actress Jo Woodcock, the engrossing drama
ended prematurely.
Ultimately True Love didn’t achieve the dizzying heights it
should have done with the talent involved. The improvisation itself wasn’t to
blame, as the actors mostly excelled with the challenge; rather it was the
focus on this, instead of on decent drama, that let the series down. Too often
the episodes felt disjointed and rushed, which was a real shame, as Jane
Horrocks’s episode showed what the series was capable of. It’s certainly worth
catching a couple of the episodes whilst they’re still on iPlayer, if only for
the fact that by this showing, it doesn’t look like the BBC will be quick to
venture into improvised drama again.
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