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The tragic senseless murder of a beautiful young woman embarking
on her journey through life acts as a catalyst of change for
a large and diverse group of people seemingly unconnected
with this terrible event. As the ripples of change expand,
this group of people come under pressure to face the harsh
realities of their existence and turn away from the cosy fantasies
they thought they knew. Some discover an inner strength that
inspires them to better their lives and look to the future
with hope, but for others the overwhelming waves of despair
and despondency push them even near to the edge of the abyss...
Holding
On follows
several families as they go about their lives in different
areas of London. As the show progresses, we see how all of
these individuals manage to make an impact, however small,
on one another in various ways.
Watching
it all with a jaundiced eye and a practised put down, apparently
aloof and untouched by events, is Gary Rickey, a London newspaper
food critic who doesn't seem to like food or it doesn't like
him. However, even he cannot escape the inevitable and must
eventually decide to sink or swim in this tide of change.
Phil
Daniels's portrayal of Rickey is spot on. Annoying, vain and
pompous, his constant commentary to camera make you want to
smash his face in. But, as the series progresses, you start
to see a whole different side to him and by the show's conclusion
you can see where he's coming from.
The
on/off relationship between Hilary (Lesley Manville) a PR
executive and Lloyd Palmer (Treva Etienne) the security guard
who looks after the block of flats in which she resides, is
interesting. Hilary falls for Palmer when he helps her after
she is being stalked by an unknown assailant. Despite the
class and race differences, additional tension is built on
the fact that Lesley isn't entirely sure whether Palmer was
the person stalking her in the first place, and when he gets
wind of this fact he looses his temper to the point where
you are left wondering whether he is the mild mannered gentleman
he seems to be.
Chris
(Razaaq Adoti) is a regular young man. He wants to better
himself and is well up on the music scene. So when he sets
up his own pirate radio station it's only a matter of time
before the police come knocking on his door. Chris's mother,
Florrie (Ellen Thomas) moans at her son, like most mothers,
wanting him to concentrate more on his job as a chef rather
than his dream of becoming a DJ. Diane
Parish plays Chris's sister, Janet, who believes that, in
her mother's eyes, she lives in Chris's shadow. All three
actors turn this family into a believable unit.
Claire
Friel (Saira Todd) has troubles coming to terms with her sister's
pointless death and sets off on a quest to ensure that this
never happens again. Some much needed comedy is injected into
the series when Claire gets a new lodger in the form of Brenda
(Annette Badland), a slightly batty woman who has left her
husband to start a new life in London.
But
it is David
Morrissey, as Shaun Sotherns, who is the main character. A
tax man with a faultless record for being on the straight
and narrow, he throws his reputation and career away when
the chairman of the company he is investigating, for tax avoidance,
digs into his past and uncovers a few well kept secrets about
Shauns shady past - secrets that he hasn't even told his wife.
The
first few of episodes were real eye openers. Two characters
who the audience instantly grow to like, who are our eyes
and ears of the London depicted in this series, die suddenly
throwing the viewer off balance.
There
are no extras at all on this three disc collection. While
it would have been interesting to have had a few audio commentaries
with the cast and crew, this release is still worth purchasing
for the episodes alone.
One
of the best BBC drama series's of the last decade.
 
Darren
Rea
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