lowerorchard This failed to generate any excitement in any of the episodes. The acting was ok, but let down by a weak storyline and very shallow plot. The potential was there, but all too often - possibly due to the lack of time afforded to the series - the opportunities to explore the details were overlooked. I began to wonder if the director had been given a drone for Christmas, as we were presented with numerous 'flyby" shots of the beautiful coastline. Overall this was an unfulfilling drama, which promised much, but each time failed to properly satisfy on any level. Every thread played out without difficulty, never really diving deep enough to generate excitement or tension. The characters were all ok, but lacked substance or background. The final twist was delivered on a plate, with minimal fuss or fear, and I was left frustrated at having watched all 4 episodes for what felt like little payback! If you have nothing else to do then watch it, but don't expect to be gripped!

Bertaut Innocent is a four-part whodunit that is half by-the-book, paint-by-numbers, nothing-you-haven't-seen-before, and half superbly and realised and expansive family drama. The show begins with David Collins (Lee Ingleby) being acquitted for the murder of his wife, having already spent seven years in jail for the crime. Viewers are never left in any doubt as to Collins's innocence, which does have the unfortunate side-effect of making the characters who are convinced of his guilt seem either naive or antagonistic-by-default. Collins's quest to uncover the truth and learn why people he trusted lied during his trial is never especially gripping, with no real urgency, no major twists, and a decided sense of "is that it?" Where the show succeeds, however, is in the litany of secondary characters whose lives are changed irreparably as the effects of Collins's release ripple outward; his brother Phil (Daniel Ryan), with whom he moves in; his sister-in-law Alice (Hermione Norris), whose testimony that he beat his wife was an important factor in his conviction; her amiable husband Rob (Adrian Rawlins); DCI William Beech (Nigel Lindsay), the original lead investigator, who may (or may not) have suppressed evidence; DI Cathy Hudson (Angel Coulby), the new lead investigator, who also happens to be Beech's girlfriend; Collins's children, Jack (Fionn O'Shea) and Rosie (Eloise Webb), who were adopted by Alice and Rob after the trial; Tom Wilson (Elliot Cowan), Collins's former best friend, whose failure to provide him an alibi led to his conviction; Melissa Wilson (Hannah Britland), Tom's wife, who suspects he knows more than he's letting on; and Louise Wilson (Christine Cole), Tom's ex-wife, who left him after she discovered his affair with Melissa. Each of these characters are given a fair amount of dialogue, screen time, and character development as the show lets the whodunit plot fade somewhat into the background, and it's here where the narrative is at its most enjoyable. It's not going to change your life, but it's worth a look.7/10

jc-osms From the no-question mark title it's plain that Lee Ingleby's David Collins character has indeed suffered a miscarriage of justice as this 4 part ITV thriller gets under way with him finally being acquitted after three trials of the violent murder of his wife, the apparently flighty, wilful Tara. There's no flashback sequence at any stage of the proceedings so the viewer is kept in the dark pretty much all the way through as to who was the culprit.From there on, in time-honoured Agatha Christie fashion, an array of suspects are paraded in full view, all apparently with motive, opportunity and busted alibis before the eventual murderer emerges as if from nowhere (although I correctly called out their identity long before the end). There are the expected sub-plots required to flesh out the four hour viewing time, including a tug-of-love between Collins and his estranged sister and brother in law over his children who they've more or less adopted as their own in his absence but who also benefited from Tara's demise as it extinguished a debt of money she had lent them for their failed IVF treatment and who also got to live in the dead woman's house, a souring romance between the newly appointed female police investigator and her boyfriend predecessor who is convinced that Collins was guilty all along and the disintegration of a marriage between Collins' philandering ex-best friend (who's had a fling with Tara) and his younger, now pregnant wife.Like I said I wasn't surprised with the reveal of the murderer's identity, I didn't like the way that the sister and brother in law had the children call them mum and dad nor did I appreciate that cliched relationship between the police detectives which of course doesn't end well.All that said though, it was quite entertaining, fast moving if old fashioned, reasonably well acted and with a fine brooding soundtrack in the background adding atmosphere. Broadchurch it wasn't however.

warrennatalieolson Innocent was shown here (NZ) as a TV mini-series - From the start we are more-or-less assured that David Collins has been falsley incarcerated for 7 years ; accused of his wifes murder. Red herrings are scatterred near and far during the four 1 hour episodes of this well acted drama. There were one or two minor points that could have ben better developed, the baised and mis-placed one eyed opinion of the initial investigator for one. Finally with yet another plot twist all is resolved, but after all the intricacies introduced during the build up I did feel things ended a little too sudden/conveniently which resulted in an 8 rather than a 10 out of 10 for this entertaining whodunnit.