Ed-Shullivan A has been celebrity straight man from a successful comedy team is accused of a rape (by his daughter's former babysitter) that had occurred decades earlier. Subsequently a few other women come forward and also charge Paul with sexual misconduct so Paul (Robbie Coltrane) hires an expensive cracker jack law firm and a private detective to dig into these accusers past and one by one their accusations are proven without merit, except for the (former) babysitter's accusation.Paul's wife, a devout Catholic, named Marie (Julie Walters) and an ardent supporter of her pig of a husband Paul, they have come to an agreement that as long as Paul always tells her about his extra marital affairs the next day she can tolerate his infidelities. Their daughter Dee (Andrea Riseborough) is a mother of two, divorced from her husband and is undergoing treatment for a severe drug dependency as well as emotional scars from her childhood living with her parents unconventional lifestyle.The interactions between mother/wife Marie, husband/father Paul, and their daughter Dee, are constant dialogues of dribble that quite frankly belong more in a daytime soap opera than in an evening dramatic courtroom tv mini-series. By episode 3 I was hoping for some twists and turns but they just never materialized. By the series ending 4 episode I honestly did not care if Paul was guilty or not but after investing 3 hours into the program already Mrs. Shullivan and I took a break, watched a hockey game (our Toronto Maple Leafs won their franchise winning 13th straight game at home) and then returned to watch the lat episode. Guilty or not guilty? I won't spoil it for anybody because as far as I am concerned the whole four (4) episodes were non-descript pieces of light melodrama that were not worth watching in the first place.I give the series a 4 out of 10 rating.

Karl Ericsson The only redeeming factor about this production is that it was done Before "me too". Otherwise what's the Point of doing a film of a fat guy being accused of rape and leave it open if he was guilty or not, leaning towards him being guilty. If he had been slender and the "anyone for Tennis?"-kind of guy kthat would have been different. But that's not the case here. Here it's the fat slob getting caught. This could have been so much better, especially seen through the "mee too" Campaign which, most admiringly brings up a very important issue but does not fully convey the risks involved. The Three stars is for the redeeming fact that the guy was rich and not only fat and therefore Worth some kind of whooping.

davideo-2 STAR RATING: ***** Saturday Night **** Friday Night *** Friday Morning ** Sunday Night * Monday Morning In his heyday, Paul Finchley (Robbie Coltraine) was one half of a comedy double act with his partner Karl (Tim McInnery) who were adored throughout the land, but today rests in the side lines, dealing with his troubled addict daughter Dee (Andrea Riseborough) and emotionally distant wife Marie (Julie Walters.) But this all changes when he finds himself arrested over an historical allegation of sexual abuse by a former baby sitter of his daughter, and sinks further and further into an ever wider hole when more women come forward and the allegations mount up. As the stress of the impending trial takes over, and his private life slips further into turmoil, Paul is forced to examine himself over the years, and the actions and behaviours that may have led to his predicament.In the immediate aftermath of the revelations about Jimmy Savile, Operation Yewtree was launched by the Metropolitan police, in an attempt to save face by investigating historical allegations about other, still living former big name stars from the 70s/80s, some of which resulted in convictions. National Treasure, however, seems to be modelling itself on cases such as that of comedian Jim Davidson, who was arrested at an airport upon return from a holiday on the basis of one allegation, which escalated into a witch-hunt where many more women came forward, only for no charges to be brought, in spite of what many could already have claimed was a trial by media. If you follow the news, it's certainly not hard to see the foundations from which this drama drew inspiration, and it certainly comes off in a believable and thought provoking way.The first episode certainly dispenses with its fair share of celebrity cameos, from stars including Alan Carr and Frank Skinner, but it never feels tacky or gratuitous. The most important star is the main one, in the shape of Coltraine, a performer who seems to have been out the limelight for a little bit now, but who makes a revelatory return to form here. As the former icon turned pariah, he fits the skin and bones of the role down to a tee, and it's tough to think of anyone who could have been better suited. The always reliable Walters compliments him perfectly as his understanding, extremely forgiving wife. More than being a riveting courtroom thriller, it works more as a character study and examination of the past and present and how they may have shaped each other.It works on pretty much all the levels it sets out to, and it's an inspired piece in terms of everything that tears a subject from recent headlines and does it proud. ****

bluebruen I loved Julie Walter's performance in this movie...the best thing about the movie. You can see her struggling with herself to not only understand her husband's character but her own. She is forced to examine her life and relationships with family and friends. 4 Episodes. Well worth the time to watch.