His crime dramaThe Responderwould be unwatchably bleak if it wasnt also so bloody funny.
Now its six months later and guess what?
Chris problems are far from over.
Series two ofThe Responderis just as buzzing with life and wry observation asthe first.
And those are the easy ones.
The hard ones are the local gangsters threatening Chris life if he doesnt follow their orders.
Theyre back and in no less trouble than before.
As well as funny and entertaining, hes tender and desperate.
Theyre all desperate, and you would be too in their shoes.
Martin Freemandoes an excellent job of putting us in Chris shoes.
His twitching jaw muscle alone works harder than most actors.
The silent nods to self.
And, boy oh boy, therage.
Chris anger comes on like a boiler roaring into life.
Its totally convincing and, like the rest ofThe Responder, hard to watch.
Or at least, it would be hard to watch if it wasnt accompanied by such humanity and humour.
Schumachers writing has all the social conscience ofJimmy McGoverns while also whirring with energy and wit.
More still are folded into the whole mixture, into the pitter-patter of vibrant dialogue that accompanies the action.
The Responderairs on Sundays at 9pm on BBC One.
All episodes are available to stream now on BBC iPlayer.
Rating:
4 out of 5
