We've all got our own lockdown story.
Mine involves bribing two kids to do school work, battling a love/hate relationship with Joe and Rosie Wicks and stockpiling Jaffa Cakes.
Yes, it’s an emotional coronacoaster, and I’m one of the lucky ones.
So what a genius idea from top writer and producer Jeff Pope to capture the mood of the nation with a series of short Isolation Stories for ITV.
Each 15-minute drama was a powerful snapshot of lockdown life, brilliantly acted, and filmed by the actor’s families.
In fact, the making of the series is an isolation story in itself.
Scripts were penned in days, then after casting, stories were filmed in the homes of the actors.
Sterilised camera equipment was delivered to their doors, loved ones roped in to become the crew, and directing all given via online chats.
If you study the credits, you’ll see the likes of Sheridan Smith’s fiance Jamie and Eddie Marsan’s wife Janine listed as camera operators.
“Luckily Jamie is tech savvy and turned out to be a natural,” said Sheridan.
Heavily pregnant and self-isolating, Sheridan played, fortunately for her, a heavily pregnant woman self-isolating.
Sheridan is bloody marvellous in absolutely everything she does. When I wasn’t wondering where she got her furniture from, I was captivated by her story of loneliness. Immediately afterwards I called my grandma for a chat.
The episode, like all the others, left us with questions. What happened to her mystery caller who was clearly in an abusive relationship?
In Ron and Russell, starring Robert Glenister and his son, Tom, just as Ron started to recover, Russell gave a tell-tale cough. Who would look after them now?
There was another opportunity for an actor’s children to be breakout stars as Eddie Marsan and his sons Blu and Bodhi played a broken family. David Threlfall as a comedic grandad resolved to fix it.
“I’ll furlough off,” he quipped, from behind glass doors.
To reel us into these stories in just 15 minutes is testament to incredible writing and performances.
I cried when Ron, a dementia-sufferer, thought the neighbours were clapping for his birthday. I laughed when Darren Boyd’s hypochondriac Mike shouted about the zombie apocalypse.
I nodded in recognition when the news Mike had ordered hair gel online sent Rochelle, played by Angela Griffin, over the edge.
Little things are magnified right now, with emotions supercharged, something they captured perfectly.
I’m hoping for another series. Lord knows we’ve got enough material.
