Catherine Tate is back with a new TV show based on female prisoners. As we can expect with Catherine Tate, she has created multiple characters that she portrays throughout the 6 episodes. We all know that Tate can create well-thought-through characters, that are either relatable or just outright funny. This time it feels like Tate slightly missed the mark with some of her characters.
Hard Cell is a 6 part mockumentary found on Netflix. Set in a women's prison, we watch Tate play around 6 different characters. These include the governor of the prison known as Laura whose main objective is to make the inmates more creative. There is also Marco the guard, constantly making jabs towards the inmates. Tate also plays three prisoners and one of their mothers too.
Big Viv, the Scottish prisoner played by Catherine Tate, is a strange creation. It feels like she could be a really scary character, but those characters' humour just doesn't land very well. Her impression of the Kardashians fails to impress.
One of Tate’s better characters is the Irish inmate Ros who loves her mammy. Her story with the shocking ending is very complex and it works well. We see her go on a real journey from tricking her boyfriend, to getting tricked and left by her mammy and then the events in the play take a turn for the worse. Out of all of her characters, Ros is one of the favourites.
Each character is totally different and interesting to watch. Alongside Tate's own creations there is also Dean (Christian Brassington). A constant gag is used that Dean is Laura's number two. It is a funny gag that is overplayed throughout all 6 episodes. By the 6th episode, the gag doesn't have the same meaning or effect anymore. It was funny the first couple of episodes then it started to lose its charm.
What drives these 6 episodes along is actor Cheryl Fergison – AKA Heather from EastEnders, trying to put on a musical with the inmates. It is funny, that Laura mistakes Cherly for an inmate every episode. The musical itself that the inmates put on, gives off huge RENT vibes. Other notable characters are the couple Sal and Cal who found love with one another in prison. They are a great couple and they bring a lot of heart to the series. Also, Charlee (Jola Olajide) improves as each episode progresses, her performances just constantly get better.
Overall, Hard Cell feels very repetitive, but Tate does feel committed to every role that she plays. The plot itself is very simple, however, it isn't until the last 5 minutes of the final episode does it grab your attention. In those final few moments, everything we knew about the plot and certain characters changes. The finale is shocking, more than what I was expecting. From this comedy show, I didn’t think there would be a twist at the end. Ange is a sweet character, and her reveal is well delivered.
Parts of Hard Cell work well, while areas need improvement. Not all the jokes landed well, and the ending was the best part. Therefore this 6 part series was an easy watch on a weeknight. However, I’ll be surprised if we get another season of this show. Although, I acknowledge and appreciate the amount of effort Tate put into this show and her fans of her work will enjoy this show.
If you enjoyed this review, then give it a like. While you are here why don't you check out some more of our reviews below!
Performance | 3/5 |
Enjoyment | 3/5 |
Overall Rating | 3/5 |