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The Au Pair opens with a scene where the titular character is given a file about something, but we’re given no info, so it feels like one of those scenes in a drama where we’ll go back in time to see how it all happened…
Then again, following the above being in Provence, we’re next in The Cotswolds, and it’s 2 months later, where stressed mother Zoe (Sally Bretton – Not Going Out) has a tough job adjusting wedding dresses.
Given how Dad George (David Suchet – American Assassin) is ill, the family are looking for… an au pair! Well, gosh darn it if it wasn’t Sandrine (Ludmilla Makowski) who just walked in!
Events follow the usual path of the leads having suffered a tragedy (a pregnancy, mid-term, in this case), with the protagonist walking into their lives and seemingly being the answer to everything. Yet, we can see from the off that they’re absolutely mental, mental, chicken oriental!
The protagonist also has to ingratiate themselves into the lives of everyone in the family, including probably trying to sleep with the husband (I’m guessing. As I post this, although all four episodes were available for preview, I’ve only seen the first one, but I’ve seen enough TV dramas before now)
However, in this case, it’s engineered such that certain tertiary characters are figuring out she’s a wrong-un quite early on, except Poirot, obviously.
After watching the first episode, I can’t say I have the greatest of hopes for this, but I will stick with it and see how it goes.
Thanks to our friends at Channel 5 for the screener. The full series is online now, but all subsequent episode discussion will take place after each one has aired live, as I like to see how – post-opener – the reaction is faring online.
UPDATE Episode 2:
UPDATE Episode 3:
UPDATE Episode 4:
The Au Pair continues tomorrow on Channel 5 at 9pm, and runs for four episodes, up until Thursday this week.
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, as the entire series is online now… although as of Wednesday March 12th, Channel 5 and My5 are now known as “5”, giving the same name to TV & streaming. Same as when All4 was renamed “Channel 4”. So, you can now watch The Au Pair on 5, even though you can’t when I wake up, because Jeremy Vine is on…
Director: Oonagh Kearney
Writers: Andrew Bayliss, Michael Foott
Music: Kieran Kiely
Cast:
Zoe: Sally Bretton
Sandrine: Ludmilla Makowski
Chris: Kenny Doughty
Amber: Margot Pue
George: David Suchet
Noah: Ripley Barden
Raye Aboh: Ebimie Anthony
Marie: Virginie Ledoyen
Dr Vaughan: Vanessa Ifediora
Tyler: George Ray Pang
Susannah: Natalie Britton
Sylvia: Jean Van Sinderen Law
Posh Mum: Demi Bhamber
Lydia: Lesley Molony
Mother: Clodagh Moriarty
DCI Holt: Barry John Kinsella
Fred: Louis Bernard
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.