Just read the preview of this in the Radio Times....
....therefore I obviously haven't actually seen it and yet in a bizarrely perceptive fashion.... perhaps I already have? Let me explain:
Unsurprisingly, the institutionally left-wing BBC can't help but produce shows these days detrimentally littered with a series of tired old politically-correct cliches and poorly conceived tropes that exclusively appear to cater to the sensibilities of Guardian readers/viewers.
Therefore, as a bit of harmless fun here's my new game which I'm calling 'The PC Drinking Game' (tm), (that's 'PC' as in politically correct not police constable): the following is a list of tired, often poorly written, politically inspired tropes and cliches alarmingly found in many if not most modern 'period' dramas primarily produced by the BBC. Each time you see one of the below via this show take a shot of whatever's yer' poison (not exactly original I know but still!):
(1) - Sexism - admittedly this seems to be the primary motive for making the show in the first place so expect lots of it.
(2) - 'W'acism - they'll be at least one episode/sub-plot dedicated to this as tradition dictates and WPC 56 herself will inevitably have an anachronistically 'enlightened' attitude towards immigrants and in sharp contrast to her male colleagues, who'll mostly be caricature racists, naturally.
(3) - Homophobia - As with (2), they'll be at least one episode/sub-plot devoted to this and again WPC 56 will be unconvincingly elevated morally far above her evil sexist, racist, homophobic male colleagues.
(4) - Period bashing - Many regard, rightly or wrongly, the fifties to be the last time Britain was truly 'great' although admittedly the decade was decidedly grimmer than metaphorical rose-tinted specs allow for. Lefties invariably take great offence at such misty-eyed nostalgia though because 50's Britain wasn't the multicultural paradise that it is today (or so I'm told). Therefore the Beeb rarely wastes an opportunity to overtly critique such a "hideously white" (tm of Gregg Dyke) era.
(5) - Evil, white, posh, nasty toffs - Potentially the only type of villain you'll find in 'WPC 56'. Let's be honest here, the closet gay characters, immigrants and lefties will be portrayed as sympathetically as possible and will never ever be depicted negatively or as the 'bad guys'.
(6) - Wimmin - Same with 'sexism' above really. The primary role of most female characters will inevitably be as victims of oppressive men.
(7) - Left-wing politics - Probably integrated via plot/s featuring obligatory oppressed workers and Trade Unionists. Naturally the TU'ers will be depicted as positively as possible.
....now despite my obvious sarcasm I really hope I'm wrong on most if not all of the above but considering 'Ripper Street', 'Upstairs Downstairs', 'Garrows Law', 'Inspector George Gently', 'Life on Mars', 'Privates' and many, many other BBC-produced period shows that have depressingly adhered closely to the above..... I don't hold out much hope tbh.
*sigh* Whatever happened to decent, gripping period drama's mercifully bereft of patronisingly skewed political agendas?
P.S. WARNING: Participation in my thoroughly unoriginal drinking game could potentially result in advanced alcoholism due to the inevitably frequent consumption of alcoholic beverages. Well this is a BBC period drama after all!