So who's going to watch Cracker tonight then?

[emkana]

I'm looking forward to it,
I'm feeling so miserable atm and I intend to curl up and watch it and nibble on something nice, ie chocolate.

wow - loved it.........it was as good as i remember........bring it back i say x

watch ITV3 NOW

brand new cracker

look out for it in usa CF

SUNDAY 01 OCTOBER

Drama

Cracker

9:00pm - 11:05pm

ITV1 London

VIDEO Plus+: 27398772
Subtitles, audio description

Written by Jimmy McGovern

A new episode of such a brilliantly iconic drama as Cracker is always a hugely exciting prospect and on many levels this new story by Jimmy McGovern doesn't disappoint. Don't expect a whodunnit - this is a "whydunnit". Former soldier Kenny Archer (an astonishing, compelling performance by Anthony Flanagan) is a lost and damaged soul, psychologically in pieces after serving in Northern Ireland. When George Bush declares the "war on terror" after the 11 September attacks, Archer spirals into a murderous decline, feeling that his dreadful experiences now count for nothing. Tormented by flashbacks, he becomes an avenging angel and wreaks a ghastly revenge on two hapless American strangers; one a Bill Hicks-type comedian, the other a philandering businessman. Of course, Cracker is shot through with Robbie Coltrane's colossal (in every sense) presence, but this is really Flanagan's show. Coltrane, as Fitz, temporarily returned to Manchester for his daughter's wedding and co-opted into the police investigation, is the piece's Greek chorus, declaiming from the sidelines.

It's a tense and exciting drama, though some viewers will doubtless feel resentful at being beaten over the head by McGovern's politics: we are left in absolutely no doubt as to his feelings about Bush and Blair, and the remorseless anti-American sentiment begins to chafe. But this is still a beautifully constructed, tautly directed (by the gifted Antonia Bird) drama that, at the very least, provokes and, in some ways, taunts. There's also a behind-the-scenes programme on ITV3 later tonight.

RT reviewer: Alison Graham

Fitz - Robbie Coltrane

Kenny Archer - Anthony Flanagan

Katy Fitzgerald - Stefanie Willmore

Elaine Archer - Andrea Lowe

Mary's daughter - Lilli-Ella Kelleher

Judith Fitzgerald - Barbara Flynn

Mark Fitzgerald - Kieran O'Brien

Maria Fitzgerald - Rosina Carbone

James Fitzgerald - John Evans

Gregory - Angelo Bommino

Robert - Stephen MacKenna

DS Saffron Saleh - Nisha Nayar

Elaine's mother - Christine Barton

Daniel Archer - Joel Davies

Amy Archer - Charlotte Forsyth

Jake Archer - Nathan Tunnah

DI Walters - Richard Coyle

DS McAllister - Rafe Spall

Mr Thorpe - Andrew Norris

American comedian - Matt Rippy

Jean Molloy - Lisa Eichhorn

Harry Peters - Demetri Goritsas

.

Very disappointing

awful awful awful... waste of 2 hours of my life === the huge leap where Cracker was talking to the policeman and made the connections was stretched way beyond credibility.... real shame as the direction and acting where great but let down by a terrible story line

yes .. it was pants

I also thought that Kenny (the villain) wasn't a strong enough actor to carry it off personally

well I gave up watching after about 40mins to creep back on here ... however I kept shouting questions to DH who needless to say wasn't impressed. Managed to watch the last 1/2 hour in bed and realised I actually didn't need to have watched the whole blimen thing, just demanded a few answers from DH here and there ...
feeling rather deflated ...

I thought it was the worse Cracker ever, really crap.

Roll on Prime Suspect.

One bit I didn't get (was too busy posting my worms experience on here ) was how (it was after an ad break) the policeman who did it happened to bump into the drugs addict bloke outside the police station

was it because drugs bloke was there waiting for him?

i couldnt watch it last nite as i was a zombie after organising and running my dd's bday party with 16 kids!!

is there a repeat??

i thought it was lame. mcgovern pushing his politics at the expense of plot, yawn, the whole crime story was unbelievable, the americans were cardboard cut outs and the ending - gawd - when will mcgovern stop recycling the ending from 'the apartment'? i know he says it's his favorite film but enough already! ooooh we think they're dead but no! everyone is laughing and smiling! that's twice he's used it in six months, once in the street and once in cracker. huh.

glad it wasn't just me-total; pants. shame because i was looking forward to it. completely unbelievable and lame.