Boy A

Easily the best drama of the year tonight with Boy A on C4.

A fantastic piece of television - and the performance by Andrew Garfield in the lead role shows what a mockery it is when come awards time someone from EastEnders is named best actor.


This is certainly the sort of programme which should please the critics of C4 - but unfortunately I doubt it'll get the credits - or indeed the ratings - a programme like this deserves.

An excellent drama - well acted and beautifully directed. Well done to all those involved in the production of Boy A.

I have read on other forums that parallels to the James Bulger case would be drawn, but I thought the story was far removed from that case. There were parts I thought more similar to the Anthony Murray/Imelda Clough storyline in Brookside.

I felt that the media hysteria about Jack's history could have been explored a bit more - for example, what exactly drives the grotesque tabloid press to crucify released child murderers, the publicity having a greater effect on the public while Jack escaped from Manchester.

I am also a bit confused by the ending though - did Jack/Eric commit suicide?

Why the f*** are Channel 4 cutting their drama budget in favour of Big Brother? (rhetorical question)

but when there do, do drama see this is what happens!

I was thinking of the Brookside case too. The Bulger comparison just sums up the tabloid attitude really - headline grabbing is all they care about.


Re: the drama budget - actually C4 are probably spending more on original drama now than they have done for quite a few years - Big Brother or no Big Brother. They just need to give it the push it deserves so it doesn't go to air unnoticed.


Though I think they need a couple more original returning series to rely on, C4 have certainly made their mark with the single dramas over the last couple of years - and they've got an epic four-part mini-series based around the English Civil War coming up early next year too plus 19th century Crime drama City of Vice.

I've even missed this on C4+1 now, does anyone know if it's repeated on More4 - it's not showing in the Sky listings search.

Doesn't look like it's on in the next few weeks according to Digiguide, which now practically goes up to Christmas. It really pisses me off how on all channels the crap seems to get countless showing, but the quality drama just the one.

4oD will probably have it though.

Thanks Brekkie, although 4oD tend to keep back the best stuff too I shall check later and download if available.

Phenomenal drama.

It is available on 4oD - definitely worth the download if you missed it.


Anyhow, the ratings are in and a scandalously low 1.4m watched it.

Not unexpected - that's the way quality drama seems to work with C4 - but it makes even less sense now why there isn't a repeat in the next week or so on C4 or More4 because I'm sure with word of mouth it would get a healthy audience on it's second viewing.

I've recorded it but haven't yet watched it. It's sounds like the stuff CH4 should be doing much more of - and promoting more. Their problem is they promote all the lifestyle **** to the nines yet let stuff like this fly under the radar then wonder why it underperformers.

That's part of the problem - though to be fair it's been pretty heavily promoted on the channel itself.


It's the wider mainstream coverage which is the issue though - most TV guides dedicated little more than a corner of a page to this.

One of the girls was banging on about this at work today. She was telling everyone to watch it when it's repeated but apparently the ending is a bit crap.