User reviews

Written by Tony Schumacher, himself a first-responder cop on Merseyside for 11 years.

The story is fictional but has the air of authenticity, it's real life down and dirty drama on the streets of Liverpool. Martin Freeman (an award winning performance here) plays a burnt out cop who seems to have lost his moral compass.

Production values were good all round, script and supporting cast were top notch, plus a nice score too. It won't be for everyone, it has black humour but it's quite bleak and reminiscent of Ken Loach and Jimmy McGovern who mentored the writer.

I liked its original approach, its not just another police procedural. A strong and well made drama that looks honestly at inner-city Britain today. Hope it wins the wide audience it deserves and gets another series. Big congrats to all involved.

Chris is a Policeman on the edge, his personal life and work life are tipping him near the edge, he has some tough decisions to make.

One word sums this series up, gritty, this is an intense watch, you will be on pins watching, you'll be stressed, you'll feel Chris's anxiety and despair. It is somewhat bleak, it's loaded with bad stuff, but it does offer hope.

I found it had to get into this initially, I was unsure about Parts one and two, by part three I was hooked, part five was awesome.

The acting is unbelievable, whether you love or hate the story, you can't help but be impressed by the brilliance of Martin Freeman, he is awesome throughout, a terrific supporting cast, including Myanna Burring, Warren Brown, and David Bradley (who is just awesome.)

Has the door been left open for a second series, I hope so?

Stick with it, it's well worth it, 8/10.

Realistic police drama. Martin Freeman stars as a troubled cop at the end of his tether. Burnt out by the stresses of the job, he operates at, and beyond, the edges of the law.

Freeman is really excellent here, a great role for him, he is extremely convincing as the tough and broken cop.

It flows nicely, full of strong content with a decent plot. Lots of elements making for a very good TV drama. A good score reflects that it keeps you engaged over all 5 episodes.

There is a nightmarish quality to this series. I wanted to turn it off and to wake up from the bad dream, but there was a momentum about it that propelled me onward. There are few sane, grounded characters -- they are all lying to themselves and to others, making one bad decision after another until everything is careening out of control. I kept watching to find out how it would all be resolved.

I wish I could sympathize more with the characters. In spite of some grand gestures, the "responder" is no saint and has a pretty casual attitude about drug dealing. One hopes that most cops have a clearer moral compass and aren't such screw-ups. Still, Martin Freeman's performance was riveting. Watching this was like watching a car wreck. It's hard not to look.

Ok, I admit, the first episode...yeah, that was a tough sell. I stuck with it though and have been mightily rewarded. It is a masterful character study. There is the poor wife, left out of his inner life which she desperately needs to be able to share his troubles. His dying Mother, who can see he's at his wits end but is powerless to help him. His snarky partner who is trying to do right by the book. His childhood friend who is using him for his own ends. He is definitely between a rock and a hard place. I don't know how he holds it all together...a man against the wall, with no outs. Brilliantly directed, you will cheer for the good, the strength that you see in everyone! It's brilliant. Stick with it. Trust me.

Martin Freeman plays a very stressed policeman in 'The Responder'. At first he just appears depressed and harassed, but we soon learn he's up to his neck in stuff he shouldn't be, stuff which is only going to get worse. There are some tense moments in this drama, but its basic problem is that almost everyone we meet appears to be unusually screwed-up. At least one normal perspective might have provided some balance. As it is, Freeman's good cop/bad cop finds himself in a mess entirely of his own making. The series is thus like the tragic endgame of a larger, but more ordinary story, which we only pick up as it spirals out of control.

And so is the rest of the cast - this is gritty British TV at its very best. If you don't like gritty and dark, this is not for you - it's no Midsumer Murders. It also shows a Britain that most people outside of it usually don't get to see or even know about. Another interesting aspect is the fact that this is set in LIverpool and most of the cast speak with a (more or less pronounced) Scouser accent. Britain is such a diverse place, but most people only think of London and the South when they think of it. I've always liked Martin Freeman, but I had no idea he was THAT good of an actor. He's incredible in this, and the young troublemakers (the junkie girl and the dim wit dude, I can't recall their names now - oh hold on, Casey is the girl).

So anyway, to make a long story short, this should be rated way better than a 7.4 on here (Rotten Tomatoes has it rated much higher!) and I highly recommend it!! Hopefully, there will be a Season 2!!!!

An interesting look at how the stress of being a police officer can affect you mental state. My only criticism is how a police officer could survive with his problems.

Refreshing to see what the dark gritty side of Liverpool is really like as being a scouser myself every character has put in a performance down to a T especially the Scouse dialect lingo which is completely spot-on. Great performances by Martin Freeman! Must watch.

I was very impressed with the style and flow of The Responder. Dark, deep and human. It was great that all the episodes were available to binge watch and that I certainly did.

The opening episode really shows the grind and frustration of the lead character Chris played by Martin Freeman as a first response police officer and slowly through the series you meet other characters who are just as rich and interesting as Chris. Even though it is set in Liverpool it feels like it could be my home town or any city so easy to relate too which helps.

The show really helps build this constant tension and stress inflicted on Chris boiling up all the way to the end of episode 3 when a big moment happens which takes Chris on a new journey at this point you don't know to hate or love him. You then really see the inner turmoil and the human in Chris through some very emotional and human scenes in the penultimate episode (get the tissues out) which makes you feel like you understand his rooted mental health issues.

The finale has me wanting to see more of this brilliant show and hoping that this turns into the new line of duty.

I thought Morgan freeman's character 'Chris' couldn't be under more anxiety and stress than he was in the 1st season. 2nd season amps it up to another level where he just keeps digging a bigger grave for himself in his attempts to simply get a day job. You flip between feeling sorry for him and thinking he is an absolute twat who just doesn't learn the lessons life is dishing out to him. It is not easy to watch. I could only digest it slowly over a period of time. Not bingable at all for me but well worth the effort to watch and hopefully appreciate that you're not living Chris's life. Looking forward to a season where Chris just lives a normal happy life.

So pleased all episodes were available on iPlayer. Watched them back to back until early hours of the morning as the plot was so compelling. I nearly didn't watch it at all as it doesn't seem to have been promoted by the BBC (I can't recall seeing a trailer). Martin Freeman will undoubtedly receive an award for his acting. I'm not from Liverpool but to my ear his accent sounded authentic and consistent. The plot follows a several nights that the character Chris Carson is on duty responding to crimes in the city. This gives us insight into his mental state and moral compass after many years of doing the job. Contrasting, with Carson's perspective is that of the probationer, Rachel, who lacks his experience and believes everything should be done by the book. We also gain insight into how Carson''s job affects his relationship with his wife and other pressures in his life (money worries and a mother dying of cancer) By the end of the episodes, I felt compassion for most of the characters dealing with the cards that life has dealt them. None of the main characters were stereotypical cops and villains, each was complex. Only after watching all of the episodes did I find out that the writer was ex-police himself - this explains why he was able to achieve this credible portrayal of the moral dilemmas faced by those breaking the law and upholding it. Excellent piece of writing.

I am no Polyanna. I am not opposed to dark and disturbing tales. In fact I 'enjoy' (of course that's not the best term) them. More than that there is much to learn, much to take away from stories about people on the edge, on the very brink. More than once I have seen myself, or parts of myself, represented in a dark character.

But 'The Responder'; it is relentless. Relentlessly depressing. For the episodes I viewed I kept wishing for a break, a slice of sunlight, a hope. But there was none. A film or book or TV Series about a depressed individual need not - itself - be depressing. Over the course of the story there can be moments, characters, even alternate points of view - that give the reader or viewer a breath of fresh air and, in doing so, cast the main character's darkness in an even more dramatic 'light'.

Unfortunately this series does not do anything remotely like that.

I didn't know what to expect when I first saw this pop up but in the end was blown away at how good it was. Season 1 was amazing. Martin Freeman is brilliant and is surrounded by a superb cast. A very special nod though to Emily Fairn and Josh Finan. They took this to the 10 level it deserves.

This is a gritty, fast-paced, humorous, intense and well-written/directed/acted TV series full of twist and turns. I flew through the 5 episodes and want more. Hopefully, there will be a second season.

One other note, the song 'Pilgrim' by Fink is on the soundtrack. First time hearing the song and loved it!

Martin Freeman is totally brilliant in this gritty and affecting drama. It's a pretty grim and dark setting so if you're expecting some light relief then this won't help. But if you enjoy totally immersive and compelling acting then you'll love it. One of the best acting performances I've seen in years.

Acting is top notch by Martin Freeman, not amazing by the rest of the crew. With all the stuff that is happening with Chris Carson (Martin Freeman) how on Earth does the Force let him get away with it? It's so freaking blatant. That's when you sort of lose faith in the drama. Weak characters but a solid production.

Whenever the story is with Freeman, the series is great. But the supporting characters make it hard to really love The Responder. Marco, for example, has been borrowed directly from Scooby-Doo: he's portrayed as such a comically stupid comic-relief character that you get whiplash from the tonal shift of his scenes. Likewise, Rachel, the partner of Freeman's Chris, is somewhat bizarre in her development towards the last third of the series.

It is this inconsistency that has somewhat spoiled this high quality series for me: Chris's life feels real, the lives of most of the supporting characters feel like made-up stories.

Its gripping to watch, as he conscience leads him on a dark path. This is the sort of role you expect to see Stephen Graham take on. It well written and directed and great cast.

No an easy watch at times. Not sure this is a true reflection of life in the force as a Responder, but it is certainly worth a watch. Nicely acted in the main and a few genuinely funny moments amongst the darkness.

Didn't think much of the first 25 minutes or so (seemed like I'd seen it all before) but I'm glad I stuck with it. It drew me in, not just with its story but the acting too. An excellent cast is what pulled that off for me.

I've just finished watching both seasons of the responder. Martin Freeman, and the cast I'll do a terrific job. The directing was good, and most elements of the story were very believable. The reason I only gave it six stars is because none of the characters have any redeeming qualities. Even Martin Freeman's character, who is trying to do what's right, continuously does the wrong thing. I believe the story would serve itself better if there were some wins, at least some of the time. If you'd like, Martin Freeman, it's worth a watch, however, I cannot give the show a hi recommendation. There are plenty of other shows similar to this one with a better story lines.

I consider myself a crime drama aficionado ;) and this one makes the cut! This one feels real. The acting and direction are superb. You truly feel a part of this world and you can't help but want Chris to win.

I 'did' have to put closed captions on because the Liverpool accents and fast talking warranted lol but It added to the authenticity of the work from all actors.. (I did get used to it though!)

Although not the best series I've ever seen by any stretch of the imagination, it is worth a watch and does have moments within the plot which will grab your attention. Honestly though, the highlight of The Responder is the acting skills of Martin Freeman. He absolutely nails it.

Martin Freeman was superb in this, let's get that straight. As a Scouser, he was believable and relatable. Can't say the same for a lot of the supporting cast though.

The script was laughable at times. The storyline bordered on ludicrous. The ending was a huge anti-climax, probably setting up for a second series, but even so it was just daft.

Freeman saved the series from being unwatchable. He was the only reason I stuck with it.