The Cage; The Neighbourhood

“Tony Schumacher based his brilliant debut drama, The Responder, on the years he spent as a police officer. For his follow-up, The Cage (BBC One), he has taken inspiration from the time he worked on cruise ships and observed the casino workers: “They all had a bad relationship with money, which fascinated me.” He’s set it on land, in his native Liverpool, where Sheridan Smith and Michael Socha play colleagues in dire financial straits. In desperation, they start skimming the night’s takings. The result is a nightmare of unintended consequences for them and an enthralling watch for us. It’s a world in which people struggle to make ends meet, and the streets are full of dealers, loan sharks and gangsters, yet it’s not unremittingly bleak. The tone is lighter than The Responder. This is down to the gallows humour in Schumacher’s script and the casting of the two leads.”
Anita Singh, Telegraph

“Every scene is fuelled with a noisy urgency that is verging on panic. His characters want to save themselves. They are not inherently bad people — they care, they love, they hope. But they can’t catch a break, because in this crime-ridden netherworld, poisoned by drugs, the only breaks are broken bones. In a succession of dramas where she’s in freefall and clawing at the air, Sheridan Smith has perfected her desperate smile.”
Christopher Stevens, Daily Mail

“The hardmen here aren’t stereotypes either. Paul (Louis Emerick) administers his punishment beating to Matty (for not paying up) with a heavy heart. “You’re a mate, I don’t want to keep knocking the f*** out of you every other week.” So kind! He then gives him water to apply to the bruise afterwards. Gary is a monster but a multidimensional one who is capable of kindness (well, sort of). This is more of a “conventional” TV crime drama than The Responder, but it is worth five hours of your time.”
Carol Midgley, The Times

“Ostensibly it is the tale of the robbery of a casino by two of its employees, cashier Leanne (Sheridan Smith) and manager Matty (Michael Socha). In reality it is, like The Responder, an astonishing, deeply angry, deeply moving state-of-the-nation piece merely masquerading as a mesmerising, perfectly paced and plotted thriller.”
Lucy Mangan, The Guardian

“The first challenge is pleasantly silly. A volunteer from each household is hoisted onto a giant rotary washing line that doles out mild static shocks, and they have to match a statement of fact to one of the other players. These include: “Which household has a member who has been married four times?” and, “Which household had a member who once received a police escort to McDonald’s because they urgently needed the toilet?” Another question seemed to be scraping the barrel – “Which household has a member who says cats are pointless, boring, miserable, moody and s—?” – but it gave all the cat-lovers reason to dislike him. The only moment of mild drama occurred at the end, when the contestants had to signal who they were voting out by planting a “For Sale” sign in that household’s front garden. The show is full of quirky little design touches like this, and it seems as if the producers have put more thought into how it looks than how engaging it is to watch.”
Anita Singh, Telegraph

“Norton lifts the energy when he’s there but is only present for the welcome and removals-voting. The contestants are largely a charisma-free bunch, and the only one that isn’t is evicted early, with a suggestion of underlying racism that everyone works very hard to ignore. Yes, a moratorium, I think, is in order. TV commissioners and whatever the proper name for formatters is, take some time out. Rest. Recharge. Put the university puppies on in the meantime, and don’t rush back.”
Lucy Mangan, The Guardian