The Syndicate

[IstandwithJackieWeaver]

Anyone else watching? More plot holes than a colander. Could be such a good story, but the writing is so lazy. Yet another Kay Mellor drama featuring Gaynor Faye.

I liked the dogs, the rest was shockingly bad! If it had been on today I would have suspected it was an April Fool

This was just teen drama.

Agreed! Just watching it now. All the stereotypes are in place.

I’m laughing at the thought of the audition that Gaynor Faye allegedly has to do before being cast in one of her mother’s programmes, made by her mother’s production company and directed by her sister.

Brief: we’re looking for a Gaynor Faye type.

I wonder whether they see any other actresses, to make a feint at casting the role properly? If they do (unlikely) then I bet the feedback was, “we were really looking for somebody a bit more Gaynor Faye-ish”.

Zoella’s brother must be stunt casting, surely? Talk about wooden.

I worked on a Kay Mellor drama years ago called The Chase.
GF acted, KM's other daughter produced or similar, Son in law was accounts, ex husband supplied vehicles, grandson and granddaughter acted in it. Other family worked in lesser roles.
It was a big family affair.
Did put a strain on everyone else working there as no one knew who may be family and pass on any comments.

I seem to remember previous series being quite good. The new one is shockingly bad. Hasn't Joe Sugg got enough money and fame already? Why not give a new actor a chance?

So it looks like they all chase him around Nice instead of doing the sensible thing and calling the police, who with a quick investigation of the shop's lottery terminal, his phone usage, the 999 call, the taxi firm's log, his passport usage, his bank account with millions in it and a myriad of CCTV footage would have the whole thing sewn up in their favour before you can say nepotism.

Very disappointing but yes - the dogs were adorable.

Kay Mellor definitely has her favourites, as well as the obvious nepotism with Gaynor Faye, she seems to be casting Anthony Stewart Head and his daughters in a lot of her dramas. Nepotism and jobs for the boys (or girls in this case).

I didn't realise this was back for a new season, so I haven't watched it yet.

But I'm surprised it's getting bad reviews because the previous 3 seasons were really good.
From memory: SPOILERS IF YOU HAVENT SEEN PREVIOUS SEASONS!

Seasons 1: set in small supermarket/corner shop. Loved the character of the dowdy woman, whose husband was horrible to her. He divorced her and then she won the lottery and he was pissed off

Season 2: set in a hospital. The main story was around one of the nurses dropping out of the syndicate and not paying, but the next week they won. She thought she should still receive a share of the lottery as she had paid into it for years.

Season 3: staff at a country Manor. The staff won the lottery, but Lord and Lady of the Manor were going bankrupt. Interesting how the staff became richer than the owners

Yes when I started my own thread for this (which nobody noticed!) that was the first comment I made. In previous series they dealt with family tense, financial problems etc., but not is this trivial way.

But seems to be the trend. I hadn't watch Midsummer Murders for a while, which I know was always of the lights side, but the new series it is like they are in a pantomime. It embarrassinly awful. Do they get feedback from people saying I thought this farce or that farce was really, realy good?!!

I'm another who was disappointed - had so much potential. I'll probably still watch but not holding out too much hope that it gets better.

Disappointed too. Agree with the teen drama comment.
How did Neil Morrissey get the lottery money so fast
Did Neil Morrissey dog have a passport / jabs
Why has the dog kennel got more staff than my local tesco
Is a bailiff allowed to take the tv, when the debt related to the daughter
Most scenes just caused questions & annoyed me

@HandlebarLadyTash

Disappointed too. Agree with the teen drama comment. How did Neil Morrissey get the lottery money so fast Did Neil Morrissey dog have a passport / jabs Why has the dog kennel got more staff than my local tesco Is a bailiff allowed to take the tv, when the debt related to the daughter Most scenes just caused questions & annoyed me

I thought it was ok-ish, easy watching TV. I really enjoyed Series 1 and 2 but thought it went downhill with Series 3. This one did have some plot holes, but I can have a go at answering some of your questions: The lottery woman said that the money would take a few days-a week to come through but they were quite good at lending you money before that, so presumably that's the money Neil Morrison had. No idea whether that's true in real life or if it would have come through on the same day! Neil had already got the dog a passport (and presumably jabs) because he wanted him to come on their honeymoon with them, but Gaynor Faye was saying no. From my viewing of Can't Pay We'll Take It Away, they say that it's up to the debtor to prove that items in the house don't belong to them, and if there's no proof they can take any items that are in the house (so it would be up to Keeley to prove that the TV didn't belong to her, even though it wasn't her house, rather than for the bailiff to prove that it did belong to her).

I thought that was a loan shark rather than a Bailiff. Seems I was wrong. .

It was so bad it was almost good. I felt it was aimed at teens though, not adults. An u demanding watch though.

Neil Morrissey is so much like Tony from Men Behaving Badly it's uncanny. Gaynor Faye is always Gaynor Faye whatever she's in.

Ah yes I think he was a loan shark- she mentioned she'd taken out a loan and missed a payment didn't she?

Yet another Kay Mellor drama featuring Gaynor Faye

Seems to be the only way she gets any work at all. Between her and Kim 'two facial expessions' Marsh being in it I think ill give it a miss

ChildOfFriday thank you
I want to like it, theres not much I'm watching at the moment

I can't be bothered to start this even though I enjoyed the first two series's and thought the third one was OK. I thought the last Kay Mellor show I watched, Girlfriends, because of the three main actresses, was awful and I think she's past it now. Fat Friends and Band of Gold were great.

"But I thought, 'I haven't been in her world for 13 years and I'm available and I'm an out of work actress, and the character is there" said Gaynor Faye in an interview recently but she must have a selective memory because I recall her being on a poster for the Band of Gold play that was on in my city last year...

I loved fat friends!!! Sometimes catch it on YouTube to reminisce

Loved Fat Friends. Great cast. A different class from this.

After thinking the initial acting was a bit wooden I persevered with it and in the end really enjoyed it.
So what if there are some plot holes, it's a bit of light escapism

Truly awful, her daughter cannot act for toffee must must have a skin like a rhino to brazen out all the roles her Mum gives her knowing how it must look.
I think the glory days of her writing are long gone and would like to see some new unknowns getting a chance

Light escapism? There has to be at least something believable to make it worth your while to spend time watching anything - we only get one life!

Just watching now in bed. Forgotten I had recorded in

Was tired but can’t sleep

I’m liking so far

Cheese. Easy watching. Good cast with well known names

What’s not too like

Has he stolen the ticket ?

A machine wouldn't make that noise for £500

I enjoyed it

Think the only one

And yes he did steal it 🙀🙀