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The Hunt for Raoul Moat begins one year on from the events with people paying tribute… not for his victims, but because they simped for Moat, himself. They’re clearly, quite mad.
Then it goes back a year to June 2010, in Birtley, Gateshead, at which point the events began. Moat’s (Matt Stokoe – Bodyguard) in jail for not only beating up his ex, Samantha Stobbart (Sally Messham – The Miniaturist), but also his 9-year-old daughter.
Meanwhile, Samantha meets prospective new beau, Chris Brown (Josef Davies – The Walk-In), while he’s flyering about his self-defence classes, but just two weeks later, Moat is due for release from HMP Durham, and he won’t like Sam seeing another bloke. Given his actions before and after the events depicted, he really was one of the nastiest bastards on this planet, and it does seem odd to have made a drama out of this, but then the same was the case with Channel 5’s Maxine.
After he gets out, he certainly gets his fuckheaded point across, but I remember this happening at the time, as the manhunt led to a stand-off, the cops in this drama depicted by Lee Ingleby (Crossfire), as Neil Adamson, and Vineeta Rishi (Collateral, and as Jas in BBC’s Doctors) as Nisha Roberts.
I don’t want to say too much about the content of this opening episode, but it’s safe to say he clearly has a vendetta against the police, for putting him away in the first place, and this shows the missed chances to catch him.
The Hunt For Raoul Moat has courted controversy because relatives of the victims didn’t want to be made, and I can understand that, but it does certainly builds up the tension, accordingly. I will watch the remaining two episodes, however.
As an aside, in reality, England footballer Gazza turned up during the stand-off, claiming to know Raoul Moat, and carrying a fishing rod, chicken and lager. I understand he’s been cut out of this. Perhaps that’s a good idea, since when ITV are selling it abroad, I think viewers would think they’ve made it up and are being disrespectful to the victims.
UPDATE on the whole series:
The Hunt For Raoul Moat broadcasts Sunday, Monday and Tuesday this week on ITV at 9pm, but is available to stream in full on ITVX now. It’s not yet available to pre-order on Blu-ray or DVD.
Director: Gareth Bryn
Producer: Kim Crowther
Writer: Kevin Sampson
Cast:
Neil Adamson: Lee Ingleby
Samantha Stobbart: Sally Messham
Raoul Moat: Matt Stokoe
Chris Brown: Josef Davies
Nisha Roberts: Vineeta Rishi
Lesley Stobbart: Gina Murray
Sgt Malcolm Wright: Nicholas A Newman
PC David Rathband: Dan Skinner
Neil “Robbo” Robson: Mark Stobbart
Steve Neil: Gavin O’Connor
Sue Sim: Gemma Page
Nicholas Spencer: Stevie Raine
Tracy: Fiona Skinner
Sally Brown: Angela Bain
Hannah: Leah Baskaran
Surgeon: Matthew Bates
Suzie Clarke: Jessica Johnson
Jody Willis: Marianne McIvor
Rory Sutcliffe: Dale Meeks
Becky Brown: Sophie Wise
Karl Ness: Joe Blakemore
Ricky: Dylan Blore
Diane Barnwell: Sonya Cassidy
Justin Endsley: Paul Charlton
Matt the Editor: Neil Grainger
PC Debbie: Elena Gyasi
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.