Bad drama and mad teeth. Yes, I loved it!
BANCROFT! Despite all its flaws, I found myself oddly drawn to ITV’s mad mini-series, shown over four nights this week.
That’s because nothing says Christmas more that a psycho shecop who murdered two people, fire-bombed a young mother and her baby on a witness protection programme and is in cahoots with the local gang leader.
Sarah Parish — one of my favourite actresses — was Det Supt Elizabeth Bancroft. It is testament to her superior thesp skills that she managed to shine despite a startling appearance involving an alarming new set of teeth.
My theory? She told her Bancroft dentist she wanted ‘dainty’; he thought she said ‘donkey’ and the rest is orthodontic history. Also, whoever did her lip injections? They deserve to be behind bars.
Miss Parish also had to play a version of Bancroft who was younger by 27 years, which the make-up department appeared to achieve by coating her in liquid plastic. It was insane.
Yet a not very good plot was saved by a lot of very good actors, somehow managing to keep the melodrama just the right side of demented.
Is Bancroft mad and bad? I’d still love to see her again. Just please, please bring in Sgt Hastings and Line Of Duty’s AC 10 police corruption department. They’ll sort out that wee lassie once and for all.