Channel 4's The Promise

A program that I've been watching recently is 'The Promise', written and directed by Peter Kosminsky and starring Claire Foy, playing Erin, and Christian Cooke, playing Len. One thing that struck me as I watched the first episode was how cinematic the titles are, and I think that was what drew me in. Also, the subject of the program is something that isn't often talked about, and i've found it incredibly interesting (if horrible, too). I did history for GCSE, and we learned a lot about before the Second World War, and a bit during, but one thing that isn't often taught is the aftermath for the Jews, and I had no idea that they faced any kind of hardship post-war.

As well as being informative, the Promise is also beautifully shot. The opening sequence has the titles going to black screens with white writing. The titles have things like 'Daybreak Pictures' as well as the actors, which is unusual for a TV series.

Although the visuals for the program in general are very well done, and the research is in depth, I find that i'm not sure about the storyline. The program is set in two different times, and keeps hopping back and forth between them, which is never confusing, but it seems quite badly done. I think that all the parts set in 2005 are a bit unnecessary, although I understand that the point is to show that Israel is still in conflict. I find that although I liked Claire Foy in Little Dorrit, her character is just a bit too sulky to sympathise with, and a bit too bland to find her worth being a protagonist. There are also a lot of pointless scenes, for example the scene in a nightclub where we learn that Erin has epilepsy doesn't make sense. Surely if she was epileptic that would be the last place she'd choose to go? And the fact she has it doesn't actually add anything to the story, unless it becomes important in a later episode. Finally, the use of 'cliffhanger' style endings of each episode just seem to make it a bit too cheesy for the subject matter, turning what should be a highbrow drama into a bit of a soap. Also they just seem to be at random, rather than built up to during the episode. With an hour and a half's worth of TV to play with per episode, you'd think there would be something that would keep you watching for that long, but there isn't.

Although the 2005 parts seem somewhat flawed, I do enjoy the 1946 bits, where we follow Erin's grandfather Len as she reads his diary from the time. Christian Cooke is probably better suited to his role and has a far more interesting character to play. Overall, I will carry on watching The Promise, but I always feel just a tiny bit disappointed when we go back to Erin's part of the story.

Reviews for 'The Promise':
The Guardian
The Telegraph