Brace yourselves for brand-new drama The Accident
CHANNEL 4, THURSDAY 24 OCTOBER, 9PM
Public service announcement: BAFTA winner Jack Thorne’s powerful new drama, the third in his trilogy, is so shocking and emotionally impactful, it’ll get lodged deep under your skin and remain there for hours, if not days. Following 2016’s National Treasure, tackling historic sexual abuse, and 2018’s Kiri looking at the social care system, The Accident portrays a devastating industrial accident that tears apart a small Welsh community, as the locals struggle to come to terms with what has happened and angrily look for someone to blame. While not based on the tragedies at Grenfell or Aberfan, Thorne researched them – and other similar tragic events – when writing this and was shocked by the fact no one, in any of these cases, received a prison sentence as a result.
THE TRAGEDY
Thorne favourite Sarah Lancashire plays Polly Bevan, a no-nonsense local hairdresser and wife of local politician Iwan (Keeping Faith’s Mark Lewis Jones), who is a muchloved figure in the local community. From the outside, life chez Bevan looks pretty good with Iwan’s regeneration project injecting much-needed cash into the town. However, when rebellious daughter Leona (Jade Croot) breaks into the unfinished building with friends and disaster strikes, the dreams of the community come crashing down with it – and the real nightmare begins. Borgen’s Sidse Babett Knudsen plays Harriet Paulsen, the executive of the development, who sympathises with the griefstricken locals, but inevitably incurs their wrath.
THE AFTERSHOCK
Little time is spent on the actual explosion itself, but the focus is on the gut-wrenching, visceral reaction of the parents who face an agonising wait to see if their child will be pulled out dead or alive from the rubble. Friendships and relationships are severely tested as lives change irrevocably, and momentum builds to bring those responsible to justice. Lancashire – the queen of portraying normal, relatable women – is particularly well cast as Polly, a mother who manages to find strength even in the depths of her despair. And Thorne delivers yet another hugely compelling, thoughtprovoking drama, which never lets up, and shines a light on important issues that need to be talked about.