The series has a very impressive 7.5 stars on IMBD and viewers have claimed it is “truly one of the greatest BBC” drama series and “incredible viewing.”
A cult novel turned into a gripping BBC drama has captivated audiences on iPlayer. The show, featuring Benedict Cumberbatch and Ruth Wilson, boasts an impressive 7.5 stars on IMDB. Fans have praised the series as “truly one of the greatest BBC” dramas and hailed it as “incredible viewing.”
The story penned by Angela Levy centres on Hortense (Naomi Harris), who in 1939 is an illegitimate but bright and ambitious girl being raised in Jamaica. She grows up alongside the charming and free-spirited Michael (Ashley Walters), who enlists in the Air Force as war breaks out and departs for England.
After the war, Hortense, now a qualified teacher, agrees to a marriage of convenience with Gilbert Joseph, financing his move to England on the condition that he will send for her later. She longs not only for a reunion with Michael but also believes that life in Britain will provide her with better prospects.
Yet, when she arrives in London in 1948, Hortense is bitterly disappointed by their cramped single-room living space and the overt racial discrimination she faces. Queenie, their open-minded landlady, has faced her own share of letdowns, having married the reliable but uninspiring and unromantic Bernard to get away from her family’s farm, reports the Express.
While Bernard, who is now presumed missing, was serving in the Air Force during the conflict, Queenie started taking in lodgers from the military for company, including Michael, with whom she shares a sexual past.
A viewer who gave the series a perfect score enthused: “Small Island is a truly incredible drama, it gives the story of the lives of a group of people from Jamaica during the second world war, the effects they have on one another, and on a group of locals.”
They continued to praise the show, saying: “It tells the journey the brave Jamaican fighters undertook, and the gut wrenching racism they had from the people they bravely fought to defend. Some scenes in the second part will have you close to tears, and some will have you chuckling away, it’s an incredible balance.”
The same fan added: “I have watched many dramas over the years, and I’d have to say this is one of the most powerful I’ve seen, it tells a story that’s often never told, but in light of the Windrush scandal it has an even more powerful impact.”
On the topic of performances, they remarked: “The acting is benchmark standard, it is no surprise that awards followed, Naomie Harris is a revelation, but all concerned are sensational, too many performances to note, but David Oyelowo will near bring you to tears.”
The series, featuring Benedict Cumberbatch as Bernard across two 90-minute instalments, is currently available for streaming on BBC iPlayer.