Befuddled by Fearless

Casting chirpy Scouse comedian John Bishop in Fearless was a smart move by ITV.

He might not have cracked any jokes last night but his presence was enough to lighten the mood.

I’m not saying I didn’t enjoy the first episode of this six-part thriller from Homeland writer and executive producer Patrick Harbinson, but it was quite hard going.

There was so much information to take in. I’m still not sure what the main storyline is meant to be.

When it came to the side plot in which John’s character Steve went to an adoption assessment meeting with his lawyer girlfriend Emma Banville (Helen McCrory) I was torn between thanking the writers for the welcome breather and yelling, “Oh no – not more things to remember!”

What we know so far is that Banville – who, by the way, has a Syrian dissident’s wife and child sleeping on her sofa – has managed to have school caretaker Kevin Russell’s 2003 conviction for murdering a schoolgirl overturned.

Unfortunately, the judge ordered a retrial and it appears there are some very powerful government/ secret service types on both sides of the Atlantic who are glad about that.

Beyond that, I have no other useful light to shed. I can’t even tell you why Banville drives a battered Volvo and smokes cigarillos, or why the credits featured speeches by Tony Blair and Margaret Thatcher.

I’m sure we’ll find out over the next five weeks, though.