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The Dry is a new Britbox drama centering around Shiv Sheridan (Roisin Gallagher – The Lovers), a woman who’s sobering up for the first time in her life.
As such, when she arrivesat the airport, but finds there’s no-one to pick her up, she does strike up a conversation to help a man in the airport who she thinks is drinking too much, but gets short shrift for it, making you realise you may as well stop sticking your nose in.
Shiv has been away from the Dublin family home for a number of years, but is returning because her grandmother has died. In addition, as she reaches 35, her life hasn’t turned out the way she planned – so, like everyone, then.
I watched the first couple of episodes. Taking in a wake in the opener, and then spending the second episode paying visits to Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, The Dry is like a comedy/drama where the former is cringe comedy (including trying to change the clothes on the corpse, and exposing her bra for all to see – for example), and the drama isn’t exactly engaging.
It comes from the same production team as Normal People, which was so bigged up on the BBC, but I found the two leads interminably awful. The Dry is tolerable, but after two episodes, I don’t care for trying any more. Even Ciaran Hinds (Zack Snyder’s Justice League) can’t help make it stand out.
The Dry was first on Britbox from Thursday May 5th 2022, then shown later on ITVX in 2023, and it’s currently showing on ITV on Sundays at 10.15pm. It’s not yet available to be pre-ordered on Blu-ray or DVD.
NOTE: This review was first posted on May 3rd 2022, just before its Britbox debut.
Director: Paddy Breathnach
Writer: Nancy Harris
Music: Sarah Lynch
Cast:
Shiv Sheridan: Roisin Gallagher
Tom Sheridan: Ciarán Hinds
Bernie Sheridan: Pom Boyd
Caroline Sheridan: Siobhán Cullen
Ant Sheridan: Adam Richardson
Mikey: Dushan Lubovic
Aunt Ag: Marion O’Dwyer
Aunt Rita: Charlotte Bradley
Uncle Joe: Des Nealon
Rory: Eoin Duffy
Mrs Corcoran: Caitriona Ni Threasaigh
Jack: Moe Dunford
Mina: Helene Patarot
Carl: Aaran Donoghue
Eddie Nolan: Bryan Quinn
Max: Emmanuel Okoye
Dr Dan: Stephen Hogan
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.