The Moorside

[NancyDonahue]

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.

onewith yeah I understand why these families have kids on/of CPR it is very complicated and must be very frustrating for SS makes me sad for these poor kids.

Just finished watching. Bloody hell - you couldn't make it up could you. If Shannon Matthews came on here (and nobody had read her case in the news) and shared her story, she would be called Troll immediately.
BoF's analysis ^^ up there was spot on I think.
I think as a 2 parter - they should have run it on consecutive evenings and not left it a week inbetween.
Which one is Sherlocks sister?

I was listening to Radio 4 this morning, and they had an interview with the vicar and with one of the step dad's cousins, about the programme.

One of the questions they were asked was how realistic a portrayal of the events it was - the vicar said it was pretty accurate, and the cousin said there were some things that were wrong - but the only example she gave was the scene where Julie Bushby left the policeman to give her kids their tea whilst she went out again (searching? - can't remember). She didn't say it hadn't happened, just that she didn't believe someone would leave their kids with the policeman cooking their tea like that.

She didn't say anything about the portrayal of Karen being wrong or exaggerated, though.

I have no basis for thinking this but it came across to me as accurate and, if anything, not as awful as it actually was? Does that make sense? Thats only going on the reporting back when it happened. What I mean is I don't think it was sensationalised.

SSs accent ruined it for me, hammed up the stoic search party, came across as being ridiculously wooden. Thought the actress who played Karen was very good, although agree with the bit where she gets up and dance - the actions were totally at odds to the rest of the scene and her facial expressions there were a strange choice.
Will watch this next week to see how it concludes.
Irl I remember finding it weird that they wouldn't say that she had been reunited with her family or anything, so many questions were left unanswered at the time.

Natalie the friend who was at the end watching the fireworks is Sherlocks sister. dd recognised her

Perry Sherlock's sister is the friend Natalie. I think she plays the part really well.

I wasn't convinced by Sheridan Smith, it just seemed like Sheridan Smith looking scruffy. Whereas with the other actors I believed that they lived there.

Apparently she did dance to a ring tone the script was written from reports and interviews so it was just slotted in,

The way Julie was smoking irritated me it was as if Sheridhan smith was trying to hard to come over a bit rough

Natalie? Bloody hell she is a good actress (and the one person I sympathised with the most) but despite watching Sherlock a million few times I didn't realise it was the same actress!

What was the 'course' they were on in the beginning, the one they got the certificate for?

If Julie had only just met Karen through that, and then appointed herself the community search leader, I'd find her motives very... 'hmmm'...

I think her facial expressions after the dance were ok - she was smirking like a child who had just done something cheeky. But it was the way that she jumped up and did it that looked wrong - it made me think of a kids game where you have to do something when the music starts/stops. It looked too planned and not spontaneous.

I only watched Sherlock because Dd was watching it I didn't know it was the same actor either, Natalie was played like an ordinary person and wasnt swept up in the drama like Julie

Sum I think it was a parenting course? That did annoy me slightly as there is nothing wrong with parenting classes more of us could benefit from them than would care to admit but it was portrayed as something you have to do. Maybbe I am overthinking it though

Sum It was some sort of parenting course wasn't it?

That's what I didn't understand, it was as though they had to do the course but it wasn't explained if it was compulsory or not?

Was a parenting course sum probably they were encoureged forced to go on it .

I suppose with their kids truanting they were required to attend it then.

Social services often send parents on these courses for various reasons local authority usually run them.

I imagine they were strongly recommended to attend

Social service sometimes promote parenting classes, in cases where they have concerns for the children. I wonder if this was happening here, Julie certainly came across as someone who needed support too, although she didn't seem to realise it.

Sorry xpost with all you like minded people

I think you are right Julie thought she was coping better than most when she clearly had her own stuff going on

I understand Julies motivation. A few years ago, I think if I am brutally honest I would have felt the same. Pissed off with my situation, something happens that I can do something about, makes me feel less shit, tries to get others to look passed our estate and its issues, I get it. I really do.

I guess it is also a distraction from your own shit Perry