Mr Bates vs. The Post Office

For me, there was a complete lack of focus on those who where responsible for the Sub-Post Masters' scandal. There are hints., such as the evidence in court that Fujitsu were employing staff to fix the data while the Sub-Post Masters slept. But who authorised it, and why did nobody seemingly question that? And what were Fujitsu doing to fix the problems wasn't even mentioned. As to the dramatic part of the show, top marks for everyone. The acting and writing we excellent. They certainly made me cry, even though I already knew the key facts, but making it all about the people affected by the scandal made it all so much more real. I predict a Bafta or two.

Yes, I know, we're all incredibly outraged - even though if we really cared, and paid attention, we wouldn't need a TV show to tell us about this and it could all have been sorted out years ago. The whole country is up in arms, delighted I think that for once we can all agree about hating someone (or some number of people - it's going to be hard to know where to stop). We all luuurve the chance to be sanctimonious. But actually, purely as TV, this isn't great. It's clunky, it's obvious, it's simplistic, it's ALL IN CAPITALS. In fact it isn't really a drama at all, it's a 'dramatisation' - like those segments you get in a doco about Cleopatra. The cast is decent, Toby Jones is of course always great, although Ian Hart is miscast as a posh civil servant type. From a political angle, it's a depressing example of government by TV; but I suppose it does prove that, contrary to what some say, there is plenty of life left in traditional telly - if only they could come up with stuff we want to watch. Ironic in a way that it coincides with both BBC and ITV beginning to switch off their SD channels altogether. One other little point: a white male hero and a woman villain! Never in fiction - only in fact. Edit: I notice that, if you read between the lines, the media reviews quoted by ITV in their own trailers are saying pretty much what I'm saying. They say it is 'meticulously crafted' - which I suppose means 'true to its subject matter' - and that it's a great cast. They want to be nice about it, without saying that it is a great show - because it isn't.

'Mr. Bates Vs. The Post Office' tells the true story of the biggest miscarriage of justice in British legal history. I followed the story on the news as it happened, and thought I was well acquainted with the facts, but the series still managed to shock. I have been involved in the past with major IT changes, and anomalies that show up have to be investigated and resolved. Pushing the blame for financial shortfalls onto people who have run their Post Offices successfully for years is astonishing. There are people in the organisation who who must have known there was not a sudden rush of fraudulent behaviour and that the IT ( Horizon ) was at fault. But they have not been punished which is another scandal. This series has none of the usual faults inherent in 21st century television drama ( actors mumbling their lines, intrusive background music, liberties taken with facts ) and the acting ( Toby Jones and Monica Dolan ) is first-rate. Let us hope that nothing like this scandal ever happens again. Computers, like people, can make mistakes.

This was riveting and we binge watched the 4 episodes and then the seperate Mr Bates the true story . The latter shows how accurately was the depiction of a true (and ongoing) story. Really well made and acted A shocking example of how corporate management will protect their brand image. That they can do no wrong and therefore cannot admit any mistakes or errors. No matter who has to suffer as a consequence. And when an organisation like the post office has the power to investigate itself and is virtually a law unto itself how the senior executives abuse that power. The lengths the post office executive would go to try to cover up software mistakes was shocking. Even more shocking was there has been no. Prosecutions of the post office management nor Fujitsu, (The post office CEO Paula Vennells was even awarded a CBE in 2020 ) You really feel the injustice to hundreds of sub-post masters who were persecuted, prosecuted and sacked. Which went on for years, despite the fact there was plenty of evidence something was wrong and post masters themselves had been saying so for years. The issue was described as the biggest miscarriage of justice in Brtish history (and it is still yet to be resolved) A vivid real life example of how big companies can never be trusted to 'do the right thing'. They will always follow profit and self interest. How chief executives when allowed to be a law unto themselves abuse this power and the arrogance that they do not have to answer to anyone. (nor have they to date) Riveting watch.

First Class - Superbly written and cast, Toby Jones is just brilliantly cast and is so believable you forget your watching an actor and believe he's a Sub-postmaster! The entire 4 parts are excellent and will bring a tear to your eye more than once. The supporting cast are also superb and you will be as shaken as you will be entertained that such a thing could happen, yet it somehow it did. The sadness of those that died and did not see justice is terrible, and was well weaved into the storyline and not forgotten. Well done to everyone involved in this, from the writers to the cast to the directing and producers, I'm sure you're all very proud of this, quite excellent, piece of work!

After a dour Christmas TV, it was great that ITVX uploading this series on the morning of transmission of the first episode (it was also a help as, after a poor Christmas time, BBC 1 went and put series 2 of The Tourist on directly opposite). It is well written and acted unlike most true drama shows. There is a big UK cast of actors on show so it was off-putting at first trying to remember I had seen actors before. It took me 3 episodes before it clicked that the actress playing Jo had been in the brilliant The Man, His Wife And The Canoe but other actors were instantly recognisable and I had to think shows that Toby Jones hadn't been in. This made up for not seeing him in Christmas specials for Worzel Gummidge or The Dectorists this holiday season. A brilliant bingewatch which has you rooting for thd underdogs.