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Angela Black is the title lead portrayed by Joanne Frogatt, someone for whom I could watch read the telephone directory, and that would make a great hour of television.
However, she’s unlikely to ever take the easy option, and that’s certainly the case with this new 6-part drama from the creators of Liar, which also starred Ms Frogatt, and had a great first series, but a lacklustre second one.
Here, Angela has an abusive husband, Olivier (Michiel Huisman), who belittles her after everyone’s gone home from their dinner party, before proving that he’s the nastiest piece of crap around, and just needs dragging down to the M62 alongside Insulate Britain, and throwing in front of a speeding van.
Plus, given that Angela works at a dog rescue centre, I was hoping she’d take the meanest canine home, and allow it to chew off her hubby’s ballsack.
Along the way, she finds the abuse difficult to explain to anyone she meets, letting her kids take the blame for ‘slamming a door into her face’. Plus, she feels like wherever she goes, she’s being watched. She could be right when a man called Ed (Samuel Adewunmi) comes into her life with things to say about her husband.
There’s secrets all around, the opener leaving us with more questions than answers, but while I wouldn’t spoil things anyway prior to broadcast, I can’t anyway because the drama isn’t telling us any more than just a small amount to get going.
So far, Angela Black is a slow burner, and decent stuff. At the time of posting this, I don’t know whether this weekly drama will be all on the ITV Hub from week 1, but it’s the kind of series that should be, as it looks like one which would work very well as a binge-watch.
UPDATE Episode 2:
UPDATE Episode 3:
UPDATE Episodes 4 and 5:
UPDATE Episode 6:
As an important note to end on, if you’re in the position where you need to phone the police in cases where you can’t speak, the Police Conduct site has a lot of good information, including pressing ’55’ on the phone after you’ve called 999 and been connected to the police, but follow the advice on there.
Angela Black begins on ITV on Sunday October 10th at 9pm, and after broadcast, each episode will be on the ITV Hub. It can be pre-ordered on DVD, ahead of its release on November 15th.
Episode 1 Score: 7.5/10
Episode 2 Score: 9/10
Episode 3 Score: 6/10
Episode 4 Score: 4/10
Episode 5 Score: 4/10
Episode 6 Score: Nonsensical/10
Director: Craig Viveiros
Producer: Natasha Romaniuk
Writers: Harry Williams, Jack Williams
Music: Stuart Earl
Cast:
Angela: Joanne Froggatt
Olivier: Michiel Huisman
Ed: Samuel Adewunmi
Sam Mayer: Clement Stokes
Max Mayer: Seth Stokes
Gwen: Lara Rossi
Dr Cath Bradford: Jade Anouka
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.