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Hollington Drive centres around a very well-to-do family – the parents being Theresa (Anna Maxwell Martin) and Fraser (Rhashan Stone) – in a big, posh house, although if I had a ‘back door’ with massive bi-fold doors like they have, I’d be too in awe so argue about anything!
With Theresa’s sister, Helen (Rachael Stirling), amongst other relatives, they eat BBQ in large, outdoor spaces because it solves any issues with filming during a pandemic.
However, early on in the proceedings, a young lad – Alex Boyd – has gone missing. Who’s the prime suspect in the case? Can Helen Mirren go in and crack the case? And why is Anna’s kitchen the only one without any cupboards? They just have B&Q shelves on which to put glasses. Why not cupboard like normal people? Odd set design, I guess.
In watching the Hollington Drive opener, this does feel like Rich People’s Problems. I would’ve said it feels like White People’s Problems, but writer Sophie Petzal has made sure to include at least one interracial couple into the cast, given that it’s 2021.
But seriously, as for the characters, everyone just behaves as if they’re preoccupied with thmeselves and their own insular lives, rather than the fact a young boy has gone AWOL.
Since I’m posting this review prior to broadcast, there’s a couple of points I can’t add to this until after it’s aired, but I can say that there was a heartfelt moment for one character late on, but one sliver of plot isn’t enough to keep me in for the remaining three episodes.
In fact, Hollington Drive just seems to be all slo-mo shots and fancy camera angles rather than plot.
And a couple of things I’ll mention now it’s been broadcast, which I’ll add behind a spoiler-header, even though they’re not really spoilers…
Hollington Drive begins on ITV on Wednesday September 29th at 9pm, and after broadcast, each episode will be on the ITV Hub, and it can be pre-ordered on DVD, ahead of its release on November 15th.
Episode 1: 3/10
Director: Carolina Giammetta
Producer: Catrin Lewis Defis
Writer: Sophie Petzal
Music: Sarah Warne
Cast:
Theresa: Anna Maxwell Martin
Helen: Rachael Stirling
Fraser: Rhashan Stone
Gareth: Jonas Armstrong
Ben: Fraser Holmes
David: Peter McDonald
Jean: Jodie McNee
Eddie: Ken Nwosu
Eva: Amelie Bea Smith
Georgina: Tia May Watts
Stephanie Greenford: Elèna Gyasi
DS Parks: Jim Howick
Ana: Julie Barclay
Jeremy: Dan Burgess
Alex: Hughie Hamer
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.