EGN NEWS DESK
Legal thrillers and true-crime sagas usually succeed at producing momentum however fail at conveying real humanity. “Mr. Bates vs. the Post Office,” debuting Sunday at 9 p.m. on PBS (verify native listings), succeeds at each; it’s a tender and shattering drama and a tense, twisty authorized story.
Toby Jones stars as Alan Bates, a British sub-postmaster who radiates decency and integrity. He’s satisfied — as are we, instantly — that his new Post Office-issued kiosk is the supply of grave accounting errors, however dozens of calls lead him nowhere. He is advised, repeatedly, that he’s the one particular person encountering any issues, and the Post Office fires him and accuses him of theft. With the assist of his considerate spouse, Suzanne (Julie Hesmondhalgh, excellent), he vows to clear his identify.
Thus begins a 20-year saga, one among baffling malfeasance by the British Post Office that led to widespread struggling, with tons of of individuals falsely accused of crimes. The sub-postmasters had been contractually chargeable for the perceived shortfalls, which typically amounted to tens of 1000’s of kilos. Some, like Jo (Monica Dolan), pleaded responsible simply to keep away from jail time. Some served jail sentences not only for crimes they didn’t commit, however crimes that didn’t even happen. Some filed for chapter; some died from suicide.
“We simply gotta belief within the British justice system, and every part’ll be all proper,” says Lee (Will Mellor), one of many victims. He would possibly as nicely be the man within the horror film who asks “what’s the worst that might occur?” earlier than strolling into a sequence noticed. When Alan lastly manages to arrange an advocacy and assist group, we get our first glimmers of hope and aid barely poking by means of the Kafkaesque, viciously punitive morass.
“Mr. Bates vs. the Post Office” is true story, however in tabloid parlance, it’s an unbelievable true story — the injustice it depicts is so outrageous that it defies comprehension. The present’s actual sense of actuality, then, flows forth from exact portraiture by the present’s author, Gwyneth Hughes, and from intimate, grounded performances by Jones and Dolan. By the top of the 4 episodes, I knew all of the characters so nicely I swear I may pick birthday presents for them, the heroes and villains each.
