After the Flood

Ahh, yet another British crime drama. Unique? Not in the slightest, but fear not. This compelling drama on ITVX is brought to us by BAFTA-nominated writer and actor Mick Ford, the mastermind behind other series such as The Stranger and Living the Dream. Reuniting with actor Philip Glenister and casting Sophie Rundle and TV drama stalwart Lorraine Ashbourne means the series is in safe hands.

After the Flood is a mystery thriller set in a town hit by a devastating flood. The community is in disarray and local councillors, emergency services and residents must do all they can to help those in need. PC Joanna Marshall (Sophie Rundle) patrols the knee-deep flooded streets in search of those in need of assistance and is summoned to an underground car park when an unidentified man is found dead. It is assumed he became trapped as the waters rose, but as the investigation continues, all is not as it seems. Who is this man? Who killed him and why? All questions Sophie wants to find answers to.

Rundle is marvellous as PC Jo Marshall and the true carrier of the series, capturing the gritty determination of her heavily pregnant character as the plot thickens around her, and she becomes entangled further in a web of mystery and lies. No stranger to a leading role and indeed a police uniform, she proves to be a combination of genial and gutsy that makes for a powerful and very relatable heroine. There is a reckless streak to her character that makes you question at times, but it is a trait that is understandably necessary from the writers in order to set the wheels of the story in motion.

It feels as though Glenister will forever be immortalised as Gene Hunt in Life on Mars, but he breaks the mould in this series as property developer Jack Radcliffe, and all flowers go to the captivating Ashbourne who steals almost every scene she is in. It is striking to behold the devastation that falls upon the community due to the flood and its constant presence in the background of this tale, but any idea that the show’s focus is on climate change is pretty inaccurate.

A crime series is only as good as its writing and as a good drama should, After the Flood drip feeds clues and twists as the story steadily unravels, leaving the audience in direct suspense with the on-screen characters. It may not be the drama of the century, but it continues a fairly good streak of police-orientated British television. In a competitive and packed field including the likes of Line of Duty and Vigil, After the Flood stands tall and holds its own aside from some corny, soap drama-esque scenes. Regardless of its flaws, the series is pulse-raising and exciting at its core.

Guy Lambert

After the Flood is released on ITV1 and ITVX at 9pm on 10^th January 2024.