Afterlife

Afterlife is a series of un-realised potential. I watched two episodes and both adhered to the same odd mix: excellent set-up, surprisingly complex characterisation, but absolutely no time whatsoever to develop plot. Watching both episodes made me think that they must have been edited down from something much longer and more worthwhile.

What makes Afterlife worth grabbing, whatever its faults, is a remarkable performance from Lesley Sharp. The writer has given her a fantastic role - a medium who teeters on the edge of mental health - and Sharp fills the part with quite extraordinary humanity. It's a shame that Andrew Lincoln turns in such an unconvincing performance as a psychology lecturer. He seems to struggle to convince that he would even get into university, let alone be able to teach.