Tim Mielants directs Cillian Murphy, Tracey Ullman and Jay Lycurgo in this drama following a put upon headteacher at a violent boy’s home.

These teenagers look way old. This pressure cooker day is set in the Nineties and I’ve reached the age where even the smallest anachronism about “my decade” really irritates me. There’s me waving my wrinkled fist at a cloud as someone refers to drinking Hooch a couple of years before the brand launched. Get over yourself, Bobby. Very worthy Play For Today type deal. There’s a nice moment where the fly on the wall documentary framing device switches to the perspective of a graceful overseeing actual fly as it hovers over the drama. There are probably too many framing devices here in all honesty. Pick one, not six. They do chose the right ending though. Not the one that would have capped off a Play For Today back in the day. Nice to have Tracey Ullman back as she’s perfect here.

6

Perfect Double Bill: Clockwork Mice (1995)

I write regular features about live comedy for British Comedy Guide here https://www.comedy.co.uk/people/bobby_carroll/features/ and my own Substack https://substack.com/@edinburghlaughterbulletin