I WANT MY WIFE BACK - EPISODE 1 (BBC ONE)

Back to Brighton from another work trip, Murray learns that his beloved wife Bex left him on the day of her 40th birthday. Too bad for the surprise birthday party he has arranged...

The bottom line: What Richard Poole did next.

Writers Mark Bussell and Justin Sbresni and comedian/actor Ben Miller, who gave us The Worst Week Of My Life (2004-2006), team up again for I Want My Wife Back. This six-part BBC One sitcom is produced by Mainstreet Pictures, the indie prodco of former ITV drama execs Laura Mackie and Sally Haynes, with Bussell and Sbresni's Busby Productions.

Ben Miller is Murray, the hapless husband of Bex, played by Caroline Catz (DCI Banks, Doc Martin). I Want My Wife Back is supposed to be a "romantic comedy" though this first episode is neither funny nor humourous. Murray looks like a thinly disguised version of Miller's DI Richard Poole in Death in Paradise. Unfortunately, there's no trace of the extraordinary sense of social satire and comedic pace usually displayed by the actor in things like The Armstrong and Miller Show.

Also starring Priyanga Burford (Nereesha), Kenneth Collard (Grant), Susannah Fielding (Emma), Jan Francis (Paula), Cariad Lloyd, Abigail Thaw, etc. Music by Grant Olding. Co-produced by Guy de Glanville. Sally Haynes and Laura Mackie exec produce. Created, written and produced by Mark Bussell and Justin Sbresni. Directed by Paul Norton Walker.

http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2016-04-18/ben-miller-wants-to-resurrect-the-romcom-and-armstrong-and-miller
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/2016/04/18/i-want-my-wife-back-episode-one-review/
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3546517/A-funny-rom-com-divorce-Nope-pure-cringe-com-writes-CHRISTOPHER-STEVENS-night-s-TV.html
http://dvd-fever.co.uk/i-want-my-wife-back-episode-1-the-dvdfever-review/

UNFORGOTTEN ON FRANCE 3

French pubcaster France 3 has bought Unforgotten, the 6 X 60-minute captivating ITV cold case drama created and written by Chris Lang (Undeniable, A Mother's Son).

« Is a crime less serious because time's passed? Is it wrong... less wrong... because it was done 50 years ago, or 60, or 70? »

Unforgotten stars Nicola Walker (Last Tango in Halifax) and Sanjeev Bhaskar (Goodness Gracious Me, The Indian Doctor) as DCI Cassie Stuart and DS Sunil "Sunny" Khan. BBC Worldwide distributes it globally. France 3 is the French home of Midsomer Murders, Endeavour, Vera, etc. ITV commissioned a second series of Unforgotten last november. 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/corporate2/mediacentre/worldwide/2016-crime-drama-pays-for-bbc-worldwide

You can find our October 2015 review of the first episode here:

http://tattard2.blogspot.fr/2015/10/unforgotten-episode-one-itv.html

See also:

http://www.itv.com/presscentre/press-releases/itv-commissions-second-series-unforgotten

UNFORGOTTEN - EPISODE ONE (ITV)

[Spoiler-Free] Human bones are discovered in the cellar of a demolished house. DCI Cassie Stuart and her colleague DS Sunny Khan investigate.

A car key discovered near the remains leads them to a bag and a 1976 diary in what happens to be a 39-year old murder case. 

« Is a crime less serious because time's passed? Is it wrong... less wrong... because it was done 50 years ago, or 60, or 70? »

Unforgotten, a 6 X 60-minute cold case crime drama directed by Andy Wilson (Ripper Street, Kidnap and Ransom), started on thursday on ITV. It is the first commission for Mainstreet Pictures, the indie prodco set up by former ITV drama execs Laura Mackie and Sally Haynes. Created and written by Chris Lang (Undeniable, A Mother's Son), Unforgotten stars Nicola Walker (Last Tango in Halifax) and Sanjeev Bhaskar (Goodness Gracious Me, The Indian Doctor) as DCI Cassie Stuart and DS Sunil "Sunny" Khan. The detectives begin their search for the identity of the body found in the basement of a Victorian building at 27 Arlingham Place, Willesden, London. 

This premiere episode introduces four seemingly unconnected characters in different corners of the country. There's wheelchair-bound Eric Slater (Tom Courtenay), who tries to cope with the dementia of his wife Claire (Gemma Jones). Lizzie Wilton (Ruth Sheen) runs a community football team with her husband Ray (Brian Bovell) and helps a kid to prepare his exams. The Alansugaresque Sir Philip Cross (Trevor Eve) is the new entrepreneur tsar of the government and he's married to Shirley (Cherie Lunghi). And finally Robert Greaves (Bernard Hill), a priest with a serious accounting problem.

Thanks to scientific wizardry, the connection between the four appears to Stuart and Khan. DCI Cassie Stuart is a clever and tenacious investigator. She lives with her father Martin (Peter Egan) with whom she shares a passion for doing The Times crossword. DS Sunny Khan is an overworked but excellent copper. They form a perfect professional partnership, without conflict nor sexual tension, often punctuated with welcomed humorous conversation. The pairing of the brilliant Nicola Walker and the versatile and talented Sanjeev Bhaskar as this new sleuth duo works great. 

Chris Lang competently assembles his gripping and atmospheric whodunnit puzzle. The multi-stranded narrative is served by an impressive cast. Amongst the ever increasing flow of British crime dramas Unforgotten makes the difference while following the path of illustrious predecessors like Prime Suspect. Jonathan Harden plays forensic pathologist Sean Rawlins. All We Do, the title song is performed by Oh Wonder. Michael Price (Sherlock) composed the superb music. The fascinating title sequence is from Peter Anderson Studio. Unforgotten is produced by Tim Bradley (Death in Paradise, Primeval) and exec produced by Laura Mackie, Chris Lang and Sally Haynes. BBC Worldwide distributes it globally.

http://www.itv.com/presscentre/press-packs/unforgotten 
http://mainstreetpictures.co.uk/
http://dramaquarterly.com/highlights/under-the-influence/ (An interview of Chris Lang)
http://www.peterandersonstudio.co.uk/