The Syndicate

Peter McGinn

I should point out that this review is based merely on Series 1. I have watched a lot of British television, more so than U.S. programming for the past 10 years. I have had this series for a while - I had grabbed it because I have liked everything Timothy Spall is in, especially Mike Leigh films. But I just got around to watching this. It has a rather complex plot, or at least it seems that way when each episode is apt to rehash events a bit from a different character's perspective in order to fill in back story to advance the plot. Mostly it works. I have watched shows that Kay Mellor has written and/or directed, and the writing is usually sharp, as it is here. If you are not used to northern British accents, you may have a bit of trouble, but I am quite used to it. The chemistry between the characters isn't as strong as it could be, but there is enough there to see that their work and social relationships are realistic for the most part. There were a few places where I was pretty sure I knew what was about to happen, but unlike with most shows in this situation, what I expected often didn't happen. So I credit the writing for originality, This is by no means classic British television, but it was entertaining enough to make me want to watch the others seasons when I get the opportunity..