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Anthony is a Jimmy McGovern drama centred around Anthony Walker (portrayed by Toheeb Jimoh), a young man of just 18 who was murdered in an unprovoked, and racially-motivated attack on 30th July, 2005 in Huyton, Merseyside, being taken down with an ice axe.
When I first heard about this drama, I figured it would be a straight-forward drama about the man, but in a change, this is about ‘the life he could’ve lived’, and begins with Anthony at the age of 25, in a well-respected position and nominating Mark, a friend, for an award which is given by Pointless co-host Richard Osman.
Before watching this, I figured, I’ll check it out, but I’m not sold the way the premise is shaped, as if it’s some sort of fantasy drama. It sounds like something that’ll appease the family, but I had my reservations of it being a piece of coherent drama.
As time turns back to the age of 18, we see his girlfriend giving birth, the couple getting married, making an appearance on Pointless (hence how Richard Osman came to be in it – although it’s really just to shoehorn in an unconscious plug for a BBC TV show), he applies for a job, and so on.
Then, after almost an hour, we get to when he was 18, and to the night in question, in 2005. And it played out in the same way that it happened in reality, thus pointing out what happened in reality.
So, the last 30 minutes is worth watching, but I don’t see the opening hour as being any sort of tribute to him. It’s like they felt they had to fill 90 minutes, but didn’t have the material for that and as a whole, I don’t think this has worked. There may be a drama to make that’s a good tribute to his memory, but this isn’t it.
Anthony is available to pre-order on DVD, ahead of its released on August 3rd. It’s also available on the BBC iPlayer.
Overall: 3/10
Director: Terry McDonough
Producers: Colin McKeown, Donna Molloy
Writer: Jimmy McGovern
Cast:
Anthony Walker: Toheeb Jimoh
Gee Walker: Rakie Ayola
Katherine Walker: Julia Brown
Donna Walker: Robinah Kironde
Dominique Walker: Shaniqua Okwok
Steph Walker: Dominique Moore
Angela Walker: Ade Ajibade
Daniel Walker: Wesley Bozonga
Michael Barto: Josh Bolt
Paul Taylor: James Ledsham
Louise: Tilita Whittick-Knight
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.