Girl Taken opens with the titular female, Lily Riser (Tallulah Evans – The Forsytes), starting to eat a strawberry… only for her captor, Rick Hansen (Alfie Allen – Atomic), to tut, causing her to put it back and bring all of them to him, given the hold he has on her.
Hence, as join the two leads, she’s already been kidnapped and is under his thumb.
But there’s still time for a flashback to happier times, as the school year comes to an end, and he’s her English teacher. However, we know that he’s going to turn, and take her, and there’s not a damn thing that Liam Neeson can do about it.
Still, when it started, I thought that if this goes the way of the average Channel 5 drama – as will eventually follow on from the Paramount+ exclusivity window, which is usually around a year or so, they’ll probably end up having a fight on Mars 😉
That said, what I did notice from the back of his car, is that the number plate doesn’t adhere to the standard font. Perhaps the cops will get him for that? You never know, since Al Capone was eventually arrested for 22 counts of tax avoision.
Given that he comes across as a normal guy, is married and keeps the girl in the basement, this feels rather like the TV series version of… Girl In The Basement, which itself was based upon the Josef Fritzl case. Hence, I’m not really sure we need this extended version.
Plus, Alfie Allen doesn’t have the gravitas to put off this sort of character. He’s just unshaven plus glasses, yet somehow the girls at his school think he’s rather a catch.
It follows the usual playbook for this sort of drama, such as showing the obvious scenes of Lily trying to find a way out, and a time when Rick brings her a present – of sorts… a rather ghastly dress.
He also plays a song in her basement on 7″ vinyl called Dear Heart, by Parry Music, which does quickly irritate, if only because it sounds like it’s bursting to break into Moonlight And The Stars And You, by Ray Noble’s Mayfair Dance Orchestra, which features at the end of The Shining, hence to give off a chilling atmosphere, since the only chills I’m getting are from the weather outside. And those chills are multiplying.
Still, I’m sure the single must have a B-side. Can they play that instead?
Additionally, he calls her “Baby Doll“, which is the title of the novel. It’s possible they could’ve used that for this series, but then viewers might mistake it for being a bit “Oh, la la!”
Naturally, no spoilers, but it’s safe to say that in episode 2, Abby is wearing some fantastic Chelsea boots!
Girl Taken also contains six episodes, all of which are available from day one.
Thanks to our friends at Paramount+ for the screener prior to release.
Girl Taken is on Paramount+ from today, but is 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.
However, you can buy the novel by Hollie Overton, Baby Doll, on which this series is based.
Detailed specs:
Cert: 
Running time: 45-55 minutes per episode (6 episodes)
Release date: January 8th 2026
Studio: Paramount+
Format: 2.00:1
Series Directors: Laura Way, Bindu De Stoppani
Producers: Mick Pantaleo
Novel: Hollie Overton
Screenplay: Mark Sanderson
Music: Andrew Simon McAllister
Cast:
Lily Riser: Tallulah Evans
Rick Hansen: Alfie Allen
Eve Riser: Jill Halfpenny
Abby Riser: Delphi Evans
Tommy: Rikash Bhai
Wes: Levi Brown
Rachel: Victoria Ekanoye
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.