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The Moorside

531 replies

NancyDonahue · 06/02/2017 09:23

BBC dramatisation based on the kidnapping of Shannon Matthews. Starts Tuesday 7th February 9pm, starring Sheridan Smith.

Obviously a horrendous crime against a young child so I wasn't sure I'd want to watch, but it looks like it focuses on friends of the mother who headed up the search and barely features the child herself.

I love Sheridan Smith too so will give it a go.

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Cagliostro · 07/02/2017 23:39

Only saw the first 40min due to phone call, will watch rest on iplayer. Love Sheridan Smith in everything. Karen (don't know actress) is incredibly similar from what I remember, excellent acting

MipMipMip · 07/02/2017 23:46

Has anyone got a link to the original interview Karen did, the one the police didn't approve? Thanks.

OneWithTheForce · 07/02/2017 23:52

Totally agree mipmipmip l"the Julie show" is exactly how it came across and I think the not believeable aspects are exactly because Julie may have 'misremembered' a lot some of it.

Glastonbury · 07/02/2017 23:58

I had to watch it with subtitles on especially the actress from Happy Valley couldn't understand her most of the time. Considering it's been advertised for weeks it didn't live up to the hype.

MipMipMip · 07/02/2017 23:59

Still very interesting though, it did happen in the general if the particulars are a little sketchy.

And I admit I cried at the community celebrating Shannon being found! I blame my hormones. No matter what they're doing.

Haudyerwheesht · 08/02/2017 00:17

I don't think Julie comes across well in it though. Her son's been excluded and she obviously hasnt and isnt being the best mum. She hardly knew Karen really. Even now she's saying her and SS are mates. All just insincere.

The neighbour who suspects Karen is much more relatable and much more active actually in doing what needs done rather than just doing what will be seen by others.

It's very sad that this happened at all and I do hope Shannon (and her siblings actually) don't feel victimised or traumatised by the programme.

Tomselleckhaskindeyes · 08/02/2017 00:35

This happened quite close to where I live. The word in West Yorkshire was that the family were suspected because of the money. I was in the hairdressers when this was discussed and I remember thinking that's harsh. When it all unravelled it was pretty much like the rumours.

Wingedharpy · 08/02/2017 00:41

The woman who was the actual family liaison officer on this case was interviewed on The One Show (? last week) and she said that the scene where the mobile rang and played music and Karen got up and had a bit of a bop did actually happen. It was about 20 minutes after she met Karen for the first time and aroused the suspicions of the police virtually from the outset.
She was very interesting and said that while no-one would suggest that there is a prescribed way for a Mother to react when a child goes missing, experience told her something was not right very early on in this case.
It was a very wicked thing to do to a child and hopefully Shannon's life, and those of her siblings, have benefited from being removed from the madness - though, I'm sure it wouldn't have felt beneficial to them at the time.

OneWithTheForce · 08/02/2017 00:45

the scene where the mobile rang and played music and Karen got up and had a bit of a bop did actually happen

Oh yes, it was very obvious that it was a real event, I just think it was badly directed in the programme. It was almost as if the direction consisted of "Karen hears song and dances" and that's it! In the show it was like she was under a hypnotic spell! Her demeanour right before it happened just didn't fit in with it. I'm sure it wasn't like that when it happened.

KenDoddsDadsDog · 08/02/2017 04:59

There was a good documentary a few weeks ago where it discussed how language experts and behavioural psychologists worked out that Karen was lying .
I'm not sue if it was in tonight's show but apparently she hid behind a door in the house and jumped out on the police liaison officer like a game.

HalfShellHero · 08/02/2017 06:34

*mythic strong northern woman? Hmm BitofFun

SaorAlbaGuBrath · 08/02/2017 06:58

I think, unfortunately, it was very over acted. And it didn't portray Julie in a good light at all. Which is a real shame.

Tightarseinleggings · 08/02/2017 07:11

I loved it and SS is a fab actress. All the actors plsyed their characters well.

I was Shock at the way the thick stepdad just sat there on his computer. Im guessing that was true to form and he did fuck all through the day. Of course the police knew they were in on it from that day.

But what was that policeman, Ketchie or something? Cooking the lads tea? Bent cop or fucking sbout with the birds on the estate (shudder)?

Glastonbury · 08/02/2017 07:14

KenDodd It was a reporter she jumped out on not a police liaison officer. He said she then grabbed him round the waist.

southeastdweller · 08/02/2017 07:15

Like others I'm really surprised that it took so long for Shannon to be found, despite various people, including some police, having suspicions about Karen.

Roomba · 08/02/2017 07:26

I thought he was just one of the community police officers, who therefore knew everyone on the estate well and was also a family friend of theirs. Don't think there was anything sinister implied at all.

DesolateWaist · 08/02/2017 07:37

I was shock at the way the thick stepdad just sat there on his computer.

I've done nursery home visits before where the dad didn't look up from Call of Duty the whole time.
Different to a missing child but I can see that some people would do that.

SaorAlbaGuBrath · 08/02/2017 07:40

Also given what was discovered on the stepdads computer later on, I'm not surprised he didn't come off it when the police were around!

Lottapianos · 08/02/2017 07:45

I wasn't impressed by Julie's character either. A lot of sentimental talk about 'one of our own' and a lot of ordering people about while leaving her own kids at home alone. I thought Sheridan did well with a dodgy script

I wasn't impressed by the female PLO saying 'im a mother too'. It seemed to be a way for the scriptwriter to show that the character wasn't a cold hearted cow. Thanks for that! We weren't told whether the male PLO was a parent or not, maybe because it doesn't actually matter!

I remember reading about Karen dancing to the ringtone and finding it utterly bizarre. The police must have known from very early on that there was much more to the story

HalfShellHero · 08/02/2017 07:46

In a bizarre way the crime itself in the long largely benefitted the children who were taken away from that dreadful life...

BitOutOfPractice · 08/02/2017 07:55

Never mind the GoT actress being unrecognisable, I hardly recognised Sheridan Smith!

Thattimeofyearagain · 08/02/2017 07:57

I thought I was a good portrayal of Karen Matthews, as a person playing the part of a distraught mum who wasn't actually distraught IYSWIM.

pishedoff · 08/02/2017 08:08

I really enjoyed it! Had to google the actress playing Karen, couldn't believe it was the same person!!!

Looking forward to next week

TabithaBethia · 08/02/2017 09:27

The actors playing Karen and Craig were magnificent.

I love Sheridan but I wonder if the part of Julie should have been played by someone less incredibly famous.

I was hooked.

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NancyDonahue · 08/02/2017 09:29

I enjoyed it. I don't remember an awful lot of the events at the time but I've watched the you tube video posted above and think Karen was acted really well considering how strange her behaviour was. Looking forward to episode 2, shame it's not on tonight.

Can't believe the police missed the uncle. Surely if they had suspicions from the start they would have been more thoroughly searching properties of everyone known to Karen and boyfriend.

I wonder if the boyfriend knew Karen was having a relationship with his uncle? He wasn't in on the plot was he?

I agree, it was probably the best for the kids in the long run. Poor Shannon, I hope she found a family to love and nurture her.

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