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Finders Keepers isn’t just a phrase, but a new Channel 5 drama, where Martin (Neil Morrissey – The Long Call) and family seem quite flush, to the point where he even sniffs his wine at home before drinking it. No-one normal does that at home!
Anyhoo, daughter Laura (Jessica Rhodes) is marrying boyfriend Ashley (James Buckley, aka Jay from The Inbetweeners)…. Laura Ashley? Hmm… still, she suggests he goes detectoring with her Dad, as a form of male bonding, and quite early on, they get the ultimate find! An old Coke can! Result!
I’m avoiding spoilers, and so I’ll say no more than is shown in the trailer, but given the titles, it’s obvious that they do find a number of bits and pieces that are worth a lot, even if it is quite preposterous that it’s right under the mere surface of the ground. Maybe if they’d dug a bit deeper, they’d have come across Dirty Den from Eastenders!
The only problem is that, apparently legally, it belongs to the Royal Family, but they’ll get some of it, and even then, half of that goes to the landowner. Of course, that’s if you do things by the book, and the title rather suggests that they won’t, since despite appearing flush, the cost of living crisis has led to a few fiduciary issues, the details of which will be featured before too long.
But in this situation, who can you trust? How will this pan out? Will Jay declare any bus wankers? How many beans make five?
Some, none or all of these questions will presumably be answered later, but the burning question is that since Martin gives historical society lecture talks in local villages, but how does he make a living out of random drop-ins donating a quid or two?
So far, I’m enjoying the gorgeous locations, but it is mad when people start having loud conversations in public places when everything’s meant to be kept on the down-low.
Also, there’s a crap police station that’s come into the storyline in the opener, where the staff seem about as inept as Greater Manchester Police. While I’ve only seen the opener, I could guess they’ll be the first to get to the bottom of it all, but then if they really are like GMP, they’ll have no chance.
Oh, and whereas the trailer is in 2.39:1, the programme is in regular 16:9, so my trailer reaction, below, made me think the entire drama would be in the cinema-style format.
UPDATE FOR EPISODES 2, 3 AND 4
Thanks to our friends at Channel 5 for the screener for episode 1 prior to broadcast.
Finders Keepers begins tomorrow on Channel 5 at 9pm, and runs for four episodes. It’s weekly, although I’d much rather it was a nightly show over four nights, so I don’t know why they’ve opted for making us wait seven days.
It’s not yet available to pre-order on Blu-ray or DVD, but when it is, it will be listed on the New DVD, Blu-ray, 3D and 4K releases UK page.
If you miss it, you can watch the each episode on My5 after transmission.
Director: Philip John
Writer/Creator: Dan Sefton
Music: Alabama 3
Cast:
Martin: Neil Morrissey
Ashley: James Buckley
Anne: Fay Ripley
Laura: Jessica Rhodes
Nick: Wayne Foskett
Adam: Arthur Campbell
Sgt Crockett: Nick Harris
Samira: Nimmi Harasgama
Phoenix: Tara Lee
Josh: Thom Jackson-Wood
Rocky: Shane Attwooll
Leechamp: Herbert Forthuber
DC Jones: Winston Ellis
DC Kidd: Jordan Long
DS Doyle: Rakhee Thakrar
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.