Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * * *

Cast: Martin Freeman, Adelayo Adedayo, Josh Finan, Emily Fairn, Warren Brown, Faye McKeever, MyAnna Buring, Mark Womack, Philip Shaun McGuinnes, Bernard Hill, Adam Nagaitis, Romi Hyland-Rylands, Matthew Cottle, Kevin Eldon, Shaun Fagan, Lenny Wood, Eithne Browne, John McGrellis.

Tony Schumacher’s The Responder is of such high quality that it proves a maxim of life; “Write what you know”, for in every facet of character and situation that appears on screen in the Liverpool set police drama, there is an absolute truth that bares its soul with ferocity, with integrity and gratification. The fact that the writer is a former officer who would have been confronted by the unfolding drama of the city’s own night life and people who give it perhaps an element of colour in the darkness as they battle demons and the sadness that comes their way is enough to employ that the authenticity of the series is without doubt, without question.

The second series of The Responder sees former Inspector Chris Carson continue to struggle with the fall out of the mess of his own making, the sense that he is just one final moment of wrong decision making away from completing his own destruction is enough to jangle the nerves of the viewer; and it is to emotional attachment that those watching will feel the intimate construction of damage being built around him, keeping him prisoner as he juggles the belief of good and evil in his city with tired bones and mind.

Martin Freeman once again excels as Chris Carson, and again is ably assisted by a legion of talent, both in main roles and in the supporting actors who give the backdrop of the city its superb resonance in characters that dwell in the shadows looking for daylight.

With actors such as Shaun Fagan, Lenny Wood, Eithne Browne, and John McGrellis offering insight alongside Mark Womack, Philip Shaun McGuinnes, and Faye McKeever, Warren Brown, and MyAnna Buring, the series is an abundance of acting intent.

The sadness of the series is displayed calmly in the knowledge that the legendary Bernard Hill almost seemed to make it a life’s binding mission to return to the streets of Liverpool as perform heroics in the role of Chris’ father, Tom. The sense of mutual admiration on screen between the two men, between a man rightly lauded for his extensive filmography and his range in television and film alike, and that of Martin Freeman, a man who has made his own impressive strides from early television roles to that of one of Britain’s most recognised serious actors, is to be touched by the fraternity and compassion shown. 

A series that is unafraid to seek out and display the truth of the writer and the veracity, the accuracy of what happens to a city when the lights of the estates and homes are switched off at night.

Ian D. Hall