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After weeks of numbskulls eating testicles in a country not far enough away for my liking, ITV is now free to actually show something decent. And that something is Without You, a new thriller starring Anna Friel and Marc Warren.
Thursday’s opening episode of the three-part series was very much the foundations-laying episode, with central character Ellie (Friel) learning that her beloved husband Greg (Warren) has been killed in a car crash. But that’s not all! Oh no, because it turns out that there was a woman in the car with him…
It’s one of those concepts designed to make you go ‘oooooh’, but does it come across as well on screen? Well, yes it does rather. After a clunky, but necessary opening scene in which Ellie and Greg were practically staring directly at the camera and shouting about how much they love each other and that nothing out of the ordinary would ever happen to them, Without You soon settled down into a very watchable, gripping drama that’s perfect for these bitter winter nights.
The main selling point is the excellent Friel, who carries the show while the rest of the characters fade from memory before their scenes have even finished. Crucially, she succeeds in conveying the extent of Ellie’s grief by those heart-breaking eyes alone, even if there are small niggles in that she has to weep about the fact that the last thing she said to Greg was that she didn’t want him to come home (you and every other wife in an ITV thriller, love…), and the fact that she has chats with Greg’s ghost does make for an all too convenient reason for her to verbalise how she’s feeling all the time. Having said that, the scene where she asked who she would talk to now that he’s gone was truly affecting.
It was also good to see that the production team put some effort in to try and make it stand out from all those other ITV thrillers that disappear into the ether. While they may not quite have succeeded in their mission, their efforts were admirable, with some nice nifty camera shots that would provide a Media Studies field day. (The point-of-view shot used as Ellie took stock of the fact that the police were stood in her living room was particularly effective.)
As an opening episode, therefore, this was a successful one, with the only major, potential problem being that the idea that there was something more to Greg’s death was only vaguely explored. The only clue we’ve been given so far is that Greg wasn’t wearing a seatbelt, despite being a very safe driver (if that seatbelt isn’t the key to unlocking everything then I’m Dolly Parton), so there is plenty of opportunity for the rest of the series to get a bit carried away. Whatever happens, though, I know I’ll be watching to the end; even if it’s just to watch people’s puzzled reaction as you say to them: “I’m watching without you tonight.”
Without You continues Thursday at 9pm on ITV1.
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