KILDARE TV COLUMN: Powerful performances in new C4 drama

Imagine a world where you’re locked away 24 hours a day, afraid to venture outside because of an insidious, mysterious threat.

You can’t see, hear or smell this foe, but trying to avoid it begins to dominate every aspect of your day to day life.

I’m not talking about a Covid lockdown, but rather the plot of Pete Jackson’s new TV drama Somewhere Boy. This is an eight-part series that you can watch on Channel 4’s Player, All4.

Somewhere Boy stars Lewis Gribben and Samuel Bottomley, and has garnered rave reviews in the British press. I can happily report that it mostly lives up to the 5 star ratings it has received there.

The plot revolves around Gribben’s character Danny. After Danny’s mother is killed by a hit and run driver, his dad Steve struggles for a long time with the black dog of depression.

In a twisted effort to ‘protect’ his son, he creates a web of fictions and lies, telling Danny that the world outside is full of ‘monsters’ and that most of humanity is dead.

Steve coerces his son into a reclusive existence in a remote countryside house with boarded-up windows and no connection to the outside world.

Danny is conditioned to believe that it is safer for him to stay inside permanently. He whiles away his days watching classic movies and listening to old music on his record player.

After 18 years living like this, Danny’s father dies. Danny goes to live with his Aunt Sue, her son Aaron and extended family. He struggles at first in this alien environment, expecting to see ‘monsters’ around every corner.

This ‘fish out of water’ device is used cleverly by Pete Jackson. The suspended reality that Danny existed in for so long couldn’t be more removed from the ‘plugged-in’ virtual world his cousin Aaron inhabits. Both lads are deeply affected by their environments.

Taking it at face value, you might expect Danny to be more damaged than his cousin, but this isn’t always the case.

It quickly becomes clear that Aaron is dealing with his very own 21st Century demons, some of which have gone unnoticed by his harried parents.

Danny is unsurprisingly suffering with the post traumatic stress caused by his father’s death and the realisation that his life up to this point has been a lie. However, in some ways he has fared better that his cousin.

Raised on a diet of classic films and romantic songs, Danny is kinder and more intuitive than his floundering relative.

At the centre of the plot is this ‘coming of age’ interplay between the two protagonists. Neither boy is whole, and each has a lot to learn from the other.

All4 gives you access to Channel 4’s interesting catalogue of offbeat documentaries, series and comedies.

The fact that all this content is not behind a pay-wall (for the moment at least) is great to see.

You will have to watch some ads, but that’s not the end of the world. And, unlike BBC’s iPlayer, Republic of Ireland viewers are not blocked from viewing All4 content.

At eight episodes, this is easily binge-watchable telly, and I highly recommend it. The performances throughout are consistently powerful.

What is also quite refreshing is the soundtrack, featuring some real ‘oldies’, from El Paso by Marty Robbins to Candi Staton’s Young Hearts Run Free.

You could easily find yourself making a few new additions to your Spotify Playlist.