The Moorside (2016)

The Moorside – a miniseries in two parts – is a drama set in the north of England, in the beginning of the 21st century. The drama, which is based on true events, focuses on the case of Shannon Matthews, a nine-year-old school girl who disappeared without a trace in February 2008.

Shannon lived with her mother Karen, her mother’s boyfriend Craig, and several siblings in a housing estate called the Moorside, in Dewsbury in West Yorkshire. Hence the title of the drama: The Moorside.

Here is some basic information about this drama which premiered on British television (BBC) in 2017:

** Director: Paul Whittington

** Writer: Neil McKay

** Run time: 2 x ca 58 minutes = ca 116 minutes

The cast includes the following:

** Sheridan Smith as Julie Bushby – a neighbour – Karen’s friend

** Sian Brooke as Natalie Brown – a neighbour – Karen’s friend

** Gemma Whelan as Karen Matthews – Shannon’s mother

** Tim Hanson as Craig Meehan – Karen’s boyfriend

** Siobhan Finneran as Christine Freeman – a police officer

** Dean Andrews as Steve “Kinchie” Kinchin – a police officer

** Steve Oram as Alex Grummitt – a police officer

** Rebecca Manley as Reverend Kathy Robertson

While this drama is based on true events, it is not a documentary film. It is a dramatized version of events. Not everything happened exactly as shown here. But the basic story is true.

An on-screen message at the beginning of each episode states that this drama is based on research and on interviews with people who lived in the Moorside housing estate in 2008 when the case took place. Some details have been altered or added for dramatic purposes.

Since this drama is based on true events, the basic facts are part of the public record. They are not a secret. Therefore it is not necessary for me to mention them here.

What do reviewers say about this drama? On IMDb it has a rating of 72 per cent, which corresponds to 3.6 stars on Amazon.

On Amazon UK there are at the moment more than 40 reviews of this product. The average rating is 4.8 stars.

If you ask me, the former rating is too low, while the latter rating is much more appropriate. Why?

The script is well-written and the actors play their roles well. The story is captivating, dramatic, and often highly emotional. In addition, it is based on true events.

The case of Shannon Matthews deserves to be told and in this drama it is told very well. I want to go all the way to the top with this product. I think it deserves a rating of five stars.

PS. The following reviews are available online:

** Mark Lawson, “The Moorside: … TV at its finest,” The Guardian, 3 February 2017

** Sam Wollaston, “The Moorside review,” The Guardian, 8 February 2017

*****