TRUE-LIFE DRAMA

Bali 2002, ITVX

A SOMBRE but involving fourpart dramatisation of the 2002 terrorist bombings in Bali which killed 202 people and injured hundreds more. The first episode is all contrast, establishing the peaceful paradise of Bali and its people, as well as its obvious appeal for tourists from nearby Australia and a honeymooning couple from the UK (played by Paul Michael Ayre and Bridgerton’s

Claudia Jessie, pictured). Then, the light and beauty turn into blood and fire as two bombs rip through the Kuta district’s buzzing nightlife. Over the following episodes, the drama broadens its scope, picking through the carnage and misery to find examples of heroism, collaboration, tension and hope. The aftermath storylines are spearheaded by two familiar Aussie faces: Richard Roxburgh (Rake, Elvis) as the Australian federal police commander, and Rachel Griffiths (Muriel’s

Wedding) as the pioneering plastic surgeon working with the survivors.