The BBC’s new prison drama Time has been given five out of five stars in a review praising its powerful writing, outstanding performances and relentless tension.
Jimmy McGovern’s latest story is set in a young offenders institution, following earlier series based in men’s and women’s prisons. The younger age of the inmates brings a volatile mix of aggression, bravado and vulnerability to the centre of the drama.
The institution is portrayed as being constantly close to violence, with staff facing the possibility that a single mistake could have fatal consequences. Custody manager Bobby Bailey, played by David Tennant, warns: “You don’t open a gate here unless it’s safe to do so. When is it safe to do so? Hardly ever.”
Tennant’s character is calm and professional while at work, although his personal life is becoming increasingly unstable. His wife wants to leave him and he may soon be homeless, yet his difficulties appear not to have affected his performance at the prison.
By the end of the first episode, Bailey has also developed an interest in the aunt of a young offender, raising questions over whether such a relationship would breach prison regulations.
Into this pressured environment comes Marie-Louise O’Dell, a new chaplain played by Siobhan Finneran. Finneran appeared in the first two series of Time and played Miss O’Brien in Downton Abbey.
O’Dell arrives with doubts of her own, admitting that she has lost her faith and may not be suited to the role. Her faith had already been fragile, disappearing after she was reprimanded by a bishop, though the modern prison service still appears willing to employ agnostic chaplains.
Bailey shadows her during her first days, while the drama moves between the personal problems of the staff and the dangers faced by those in their care.
One of the most affecting moments comes when a young offender meets his birth mother for the first time. She is from Kenya and does not speak English, while her son has a severe stammer and cannot understand what she is saying.
McGovern based the scene on a real incident, changing only the language. It is one of several moments that give the drama an emotional force beyond its prison setting.
The script is matched by strong acting throughout, with Tennant singled out for his restrained performance as a man attempting to maintain control while his life begins to unravel.
The opening episode concludes with a colleague making a judgement that Bailey had advised against. The decision has tragic consequences, reinforcing the drama’s central message that the compassionate course is not always the right one.
