Five Days

An intriguing drama based around the investigation into the disappearance of a young mother and her two children, set over five non-consecutive days (specifically 1, 3, 28, 33 and 79), this aired on BBC earlier this year and was a well deserved critical hit. It's unsurprising that HBO had a hand in the production of this show, since the immediacy of the story coupled with the intricate plotting is what British television so poorly does in comparison to its US counterparts. A fantastic cast keeps the story rooted in reality (and it's so good to see Edward Woodward back on screens as part of a superlative supporting cast).

The structure (like 24, which this could be considered a very distant relative) makes you yearn for each subsequent episode and the surprises that take place due to the passages of time that elapse between episodes keeps everything believably taught. Essential viewing.

Extras: Making of Five Days, Audio commentary by writer Gwyneth Hughes on
episode one.

Released 10th September 2007 by Metrodome Distribution.

Written by Simon Cole.