Channel 5’s revival of Play For Today got off the starting block, with the first of a series of standalone dramas. The first episode was entitled Never Too Late, and featured a cast including Anita Dobson, Nigel Havers, Tracey Ann Oberman, Mike Fenton Stevens and Nina Wadia.
I was looking forward to seeing this series, as the concept is highly regarded. The same can be said for the talent involved, industry veterans who know their way around when it comes to television. A unique but dangerous idea to have three former EastEnders actors in it, as there was a chance familiarity could overshadow the drama.
Luckily, this turned out not to be the case. Dobson led the episode as Cynthia, a widowed mother who goes to live in a retirement village after health concerns. Anita is a pro, able to hit comedic beats but still deliver tense moments when necessary. Nigel Havers turns in a nice performance as Frank, the man Cynthia nearly ended up with 50 years earlier. His charm still evident.
Oberman plays Amanda, Cynthia’s daughter. Once I switched off the part of my brain that said “they’ve both been married to Den Watts”, I believed the mother-daughter relationship. The supporting cast were adorable and helped move the story along.
With this being a one-off drama, the complexity of the narrative is never going to be too high. It had an easy-going pace with some dark moments, enough to keep interest. By the end of the hour, I cared about the characters and their situations. It’s unlikely to set the world alight, but I find that quite refreshing.
The production has an understandably budget feel. The sets aren’t complicated, and most of the camera work was pretty basic, save for the odd fancy manoeuvre to illustrate feeling. It’s not the 1970s, but it’s also not the gloss that has been served up in recent years. It feels like a television play, and that’s more important than you may think. It allows the performances to shine. It’s also likely to go down well with the older crowd, too.
Conclusion
In a world of sprawling serials, soap operas and over-the-top content, Never Too Late was a nice change of pace. The plot may have felt a little rushed at times, especially in the conclusion, but this is a form we haven’t seen for a while. It gives us a glimpse of a story, experienced and new actors a chance to shine and behind-the-scenes talent an outlet. I look forward to seeing the next Play for Today on Channel 5.
