Maggie is putting her world to rights
The Trouble with Maggie Cole
STV, 9pm
A lot can happen in five weeks, as we all know too well at the moment.
That’s how long it’s been since amateur historian Maggie Cole (Dawn French) blabbed to an unscrupulous journalist about the local gossip in Thurlbury, only to have her G&T influenced broadcast on the radio heard by the whole village.
Since dishing the dirt on her neighbours – who is having an affair, who has money problems, who is covering up a lottery win, who has a murky past – Maggie has desperately tried to make amends and salvage her own reputation, with varying degrees of success.
And it’s that element of writer
Mark Brotherhood’s drama, Maggie’s attempts at making things right with the village folk, that French reckons has been its strength.
“She’s a good-hearted person actually,” the 62-year-old actress and comedian says about her tittle-tattling character.
“I think that’s a key thing. Being a gossip doesn’t make you a dreadful person.
“We’re all gossipers. It’s how you handle the gossip and how you handle the aftermath. If you’re quick to be contrite.
“She does have a moment of shock and pride, if you like, where she is a bit numb.
“But then she very quickly realises that she has to apologise and she does with the help of her husband who guides her with that.
“He’s a teacher so he just says, ‘You have to make it right with everyone.’ Thus begins her pilgrimage to the door of each person to apologise.
“And like any good drama, and certainly like any good gossip, there’s a bit of truth in some of the stories and a lot of untruth.
In some cases she finds out the story is 10 times as big or it is about something completely different than she thought.
“I can be just like anyone else and be quick to condemn.
“But we all know in our hearts that there is no future to anything unless you can forgive. It’s just some things are harder to forgive than others.”
The mischievous tale comes to a conclusion tonight, and it’s finally the day of the village celebrations.
But as the previously close-knit locals gather for the fete, a sudden shocking series of events are put in motion that could potentially cost the life of one beloved character and change everyone else’s in Thurlbury forever.
Roxanna (Emily Reid) is still terrified by Alex’s (Arthur Mcbain) alarming behaviour the previous night and is desperate to get to him before he confronts the money lenders.
Meanwhile, Jill (Julie Hesmondhalgh) is in a quandary after witnessing Maggie’s hen-pecked hubby Peter (Mark Heap) kissing school secretary Karen (Vicki Pepperdine).
Should she tell her best friend what has happened or let her find out for herself?
Initially, Maggie is only concerned with reuniting with her own family and heads to the celebrations with her daughter-in-law Becka (Gwyneth Keyworth) to meet them.
But they say ‘people in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones’, and perhaps it’s high time Maggie started looking a little closer to home for scandal.
That’s where the real drama has been all along.