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Compulsion is a new four-part drama for Channel 5. Yes, the second in two weeks – they don’t normally come this thick and fast! Unless they want to rid our minds of that ridiculous finale for Deadline, which I still didn’t understand, even after having watched it.
We first see PTSD sufferer Jenny (Leanne Best) having a panic attack on a train before she’s helped by fellow passenger Sasha (Anna Chancellor). In the kerfuffle, Jenny left her phone behind, but Sasha was on hand to pick it up.
Her husband, Chris (Danny Ashok), and their nanny, Ali (Krissi Bohn), are concerned for her well-being, but Jenny makes out that she’s fine. However, her condition has led to her developing a gambling addiction along the way, and is keeping it hidden from her family, racking up debt as she goes.
Jenny works as an ambulance paramedic, a situation from which led to her PTSD, so I’ll leave that to you to discover, but it’s safe to say (since the trailer refers to this) that Anna makes her an offer that Jenny may, or may not, be able to refuse.
Compulsion does a decent job of ramping up the tension when it comes to the gambling and what it can do to people, and those around them, and I’ll keep an eye on it to see how things go.
Since I’ll only add any additional per-episode comments after each one is broadcast, I’ll watch those live on the night.
UPDATE Episode 2:
UPDATE Episode 3:
UPDATE Episode 4:
Compulsion begins tomorrow night on Channel 5 at 9pm, and is on nightly until Friday. It’s not yet available to pre-order on Blu-ray or DVD.
If you miss it, you can watch the each episode on My5 after transmission.
Check out the trailer below:
https://twitter.com/channel5_tv/status/1488983312127250433
Director: Noreen Kershaw
Producer: Donna Molloy
Writer: Sarah Deane
Music: Matthew Hall, Stephen Vedmore
Cast:
Jenny Challoner: Leanne Best
Chris Challoner: Danny Ashok
Sasha Santoro: Anna Chancellor
Jackie Cheung: Yennis Cheung
Raj Khush: Ben Tavassoli
Connie: Hayley Mills
Ellie Gartree: Bronwyn James
Ali Halston: Krissi Bohn
David Bhalla: Amerjit Deu
Lesley Cole: Trudie Goodwin
Dr. Wilhemina Medlock: Isobel Middleton
Man on train: Chris Darwin
Maisie Gray: Enid Dunn
Kylie: Olivia Fenton
Decorator: David McClelland
Desiree: Zeriozha Annika
Rena Morris: Florence Dobson
Tara: Eleanor Appleton
Rosie: Amaya Faizy
Gerry Dyson: Joe Simpson
Train Guard: Martin Walsh
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.