In the UK: Sunday, ITV1, 1st October 2006
In the US: Airing as “Cracker: A New Terror”, October 30th, BBC America
Yes, I know it was on Sunday, but I only watched it last night.
I wasn't much of a fan of Cracker. It all seemed a bit too forced and unlikely. But I was actually really impressed by Sunday's one-off special. Maybe that's because Fitz didn't have much to do and other characters got more of a look-in.
Read no further Americans, unless you want to spoil yourself.
Certainly, the focus - the wars in Iraq and Aghanisation ?��Ǩ��� was something that far more of the audience could relate to than previous outings, which had mainly looked at serial killers, Catholicism, stuttering, Bonnie and Clyde, Hillsborough and potentially gay PE teachers.
You couldn't help but sympathise will the ex-soldier turned policeman who had seen his friends gunned down in Northern Ireland by IRA bullets and explosives bought with American money, who had then seen his experiences diminished by the US's experiences with terrorism. That's what made his crimes all the more ghastly - a blanket attack on Americans he encountered.
Jimmy McGovern turned in a fantastic script that could have been a one-sided diatribe but was actually quite measured; the direction by Antonia Bird was first-rate, doing a magnificent job of showing off Manchester's rejuvenation. Danny Cunningham (I think that was him. I'm rubbish with names) gave a Robert Carlyle-worthy performance as the traumatised squaddie.
Catch it on the countless re-runs that are inevitable or buy it on DVD. Pity the titles were such Se7en knock-offs.
Updates and related entries
January 11, 2007:
My pick of the top 10 TV shows of the year.
October 3, 2006 | Reply
"Danny Cunningham" is actually Anthony Flanagan. Close, though! :)
October 4, 2006 | Reply
Must have been the shock of seeing an ITV drama that was good... ;-)
October 9, 2006 | Reply
Whilst I thought the characterisation and set-up dealing with the soldier was good, and Fitz was his usual cantankerous self, some of the anti-Iraq/Afghanistan stuff seemed even more preachy than McGovern can end up falling into.
Fine, but a little grating in places.
October 9, 2006 | Reply
Yeah, but the preaching was done by a loon. It's hard to be a loon if you only have mild feelings on a subject. I also don't think the audience is expected to go, "Yeah, Mr Loon, you have a point. You go break that American's neck," so you're not supposed to agree entirely. It's supposed to be more "I can see some of your point, but you've gone a bit too far," kind of like a conspiracy theory.