The Following Events Are Based on a Pack of Lies (2023– ) User Reviews

Surprisingly credible and funny

[christineandfaz · 8/10 · 1 September 2023]

The main female characters, Alice (the ex-wife) and Caroline (the author), both manage to come across as being intelligent and credible, as well as slightly gullible at the same time.

For various reasons, they are both fascinated by Rob, a celebrated Oxford PhD and eco-warrior who seems too good to be true. Is he really as good as he seems? Initially he comes across as respected, ethical, and caring, but cracks start to appear - the question is, are the cracks due to his behaviour or that of the two key women in his life?

It's not serious, although the subject matter obviously is. There's also a nice over the top ending for this black comedy.

Fabulous premise and captivating story... but

[daniellecbrown73 · 7/10 · 30 August 2023]

We learn early on that 'Robbie' aka many other names is a con man who duped Alice and her family from their life savings. The story follows Alice seeing him 15 years later and seeking him out. We see him adopt a high profile professional who seeks out a well known author, recently widowed, clearly planned out. Alice, as vulnerable and sheepish as she is attempts to bring him down but yet so many moments of 'why didn't you record him' or why not go to the people already suspicious of him? But yet this still takes into account the vulnerability of the leading lady at being brave enough to really tackle such an accomplished sociopath.

Entertainment but was screaming at Alice and her inaction far too much.

Triggering for those in, or have been in a DV relationships, or are experiencing any abuse from a 'man'

[lisotter · 8/10 · 27 September 2023]

This was a wonderful series, the acting is great, the scipt wonderfully written.

Most of all is the insight into how these 'men', predators work. From their recognition and attraction to vulnerability, they will honeymoon you then once you are dependent send you on the rollercoaster ride of gaslighting, manipulation, deceptiveness and if all that fails threats and violence. They will deny your reality and and quickly become the 'victim'. Expert story telling in this TV production...I will be looking up the writer and their experiences that lead to this great series.

Whether you are rich or living on a council estate far too many of us women encounter these 'men'. When we speak out we are made to look 'crazy', irrational. The police and other services unable to protect us, even if they wanted too.

2 women a week die in the UK at the hands of these 'men', laws need to change, women need to be better protected. These 'men' are not just our intimate partners, or our family members. They are also our neighbours, that 'man in the pub/shop' that takes a fancy to you. If it is not a partner or relation, there are virtually no laws to protect you, it is a 'civil matter' the police will tell you. Been stalked, threatened and harassed by a 'man' who threatens to kill you is a 'civil matter', or you are asked to 'behave', 'what do you do to encourage him'. Its 2023 people, no woman should have to go through any of this.

If you made it this far, and are going through any of this please speak out, call womens aid, local womens charities, the police but please most importantly know you are not alone. Much Love to all.

So refreshing, quirky, and thought provoking. 10/10 for Rebekah Station.

[Birminghamukengland · 10/10 · 30 August 2023]

I wasn't sure exactly what genre this was going to be when it started but thought I'd stick with it, and I'm glad I did.

Rebekah Station is captivating, she is one of the most underrated actresses in the UK and deserves to be in many more productions than she is.

This production is smarty written, well directed and also funny. We surely need a bit of humour in this world.

Of course the underlying fact that there are actually people functioning like the main character is truly scary.

I hope this at least opens the eyes of someone whom is being coerced by a psychopath/sociopath, not overtly perhaps but even in a subtle manner.

We can't wait for the next one as it's gripping.

Well done BBC1 for giving us a break from the usual trash on offer.

Good Story, But Five Episodes Over-Stretched

[elvisleeboy · 6/10 · 8 September 2023]

A good story, brilliantly acted by an excellent cast, but tediously slow at times, and unworthy of five hours of investment.

Another reviewer made a point about how blatantly implausible Rob's lies were and how unlikely it is that an intelligent woman would fall for them. This reviewer neglects to mention that this very point is made in the show, and by the lady in question, who is exasperated retrospectively by her gullibility and voluntary blindness in the face of an obvious liar.

This show would have benefited from being a little leaner. Three hours would have been quite sufficient to tell the story, enabling it to move along more quickly and efficiently. On this occasion, it is not a case of having time to flesh out the characters, who are well enough established within the first hour, and, rather than tension, tedium is the result of the unnecessarily long time taken to reach the end.

The difference between three hours and five hours, is the amount of people I would happily recommend this show to, with fewer likely to take a chance and commit to the latter.

The following events are incredibly satisfying.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 9/10 · 25 September 2023]

The worlds of two women crash together, brought together by Doctor Robert Chance, who on the surface is a prominent Scientist, fighting for the future of the Earth, but underneath a confidence trickster, and a man who preys on women.

It's a deliciously dark and twisted series, it takes a little bit of time for it to open up, but when it does, it's addictive viewing.

Initially I thought it was merely a black comedy, but as it develops, it morphs into a psychological drama, with domestic abuse as its focus. It proves one thing, the abused can be ordinary, down to Earth people, or indeed the ritch and famous, people you'd look at and say 'it would never happen to them.'

It's well paced, full of suspense, and contains some genuinely upsetting moments, expect the unexpected. The final episode is seriously satisfying viewing.

Each of the main characters has a chance to shine, Alistair Petrie, Marianne Jean Baptiste and Rebekah Staton all have some incredible scenes.

Truly satisfying drama.

9/10.

Pleasantly surprised

[pawebster · 7/10 · 8 September 2023]

I liked it, which surprised me a bit, as I wouldn't have thought it my cup of tea. The premise was good and interesting from the start.

I don't agree with the various reviewers who have criticised the acting. It's great. I'm not entirely sure about all of the casting, though. Alistair Petrie is a very capable actor and he certainly gives it all he's got, but was he really right for the role? Sorry Alistair, but I found it hard to imagine all those women falling for him as they did.

On the negative side, it is spun out to fill five episodes. There is no particular reason for that length. Three would have been fine. The series treads water at bit in the middle, as such serials so often do. We could easily have been told of fewer of Robbie's past crimes and he could have been brought down sooner - it presumably just depeneded on how much the BBC wanted to spend or how many evenings it wanted to fill.

It all goes a bit haywire in the last episode and completely takes leave of reality. It's a pantomime ending, really, but fun.

Fantastic new show from the BBC

[Ron_Bacardi · 10/10 · 1 September 2023]

It's such a joy to see a show with big ideas, big narratives and - whisper it - maybe even a big budget come out of the BBC. Of course, the American networks are still the best at blockbuster tele; recent highlights for me include 'The Power' - the excellent adaptation of Naomi Alderman's sensational book - and Showtime's gripping 'Yellowjackets'. Both series inhabit an exaggerated reality, and although there's countless real-life monsters to rival Alistair Petrie's villain Rob Chance, 'The Following Events...' has a scope and level of ambition that puts me in mind of those two other programmes.

Speaking of real-life monsters, the final episode breaks the fourth wall entirely with actual footage of famous wrong'uns, from Saville to Epstein, as exploited author Cheryl Harker (the excellent Marianne Jean-Baptiste) vents her frustration at power always protecting power. It's a testament to the show's cinematic dexterity that this moment doesn't feel at all out of place.

Rebekah Staton is sublime in the role of Alice Newman, an aspiring fashion designer who spies her long-lost ex-husband cycling thorough the streets of Oxford, cool as a cucumber, 15 years after dissappearing without a trace. Oh, and the bugger had only gone and done a runner with Alice and her family's life savings. What a scoundrel! But now he's got his eyes on a bigger prize. Can Alice uncover the truth and save the day? (It's far more complicated than that, but I don't want to spoil the many delightful twists and turns).

Staton - who deserves to be on TV a heck of a lot more than she is - delivers a nuanced performance of a complex character battling against contradiction, paranoia, anger and - ultimately - a world where powerful men are always given the benefit of the doubt. Even when you've got to look very, very closely to see the doubt. It's not always men, of course, although it usually is, but it is always power. The most powerful in society seem to he held to a much lower standard than everyone else. We don't need rules for the powerful! They have power, ergo they must be honourable and virtuous, and on the occasions they're not, well those are clearly the exception and we can let it slide just this once.

Sorry, got a bit carried away.

'The Following Events...' tackles a lot of big themes and succeeds in making valuable comments about each one, whilst never overshadowing the story. And what a cracking story it is! Even if it is based on a pack of lies.

The following events are implausible and silly

[SamuelPickwick · 4/10 · 12 October 2023]

When watching a TV drama, a certain amount of suspension of disbelief is often required. For example, in a detective drama like Morse or Vera, the police person usually goes in alone and unarmed to confront the murderer, rather than calling in armed backup and waiting.

But in this series suspension of disbelief is needed all the way through. I'm constantly thinking "that couldn't happen", "she wouldn't say that", "he couldn't do that". The premise of the story is that right at the start, a man turns up in Oxford claiming to be a top climate scientist. Well, no, anyone could look it up and see that he and his supposed research institute doesn't exist. All the way through, the characters have to behave in a ridiculously stupid way for the story to work. In the final episode, it descends to a kind of farcical pantomime.

There are some redeeming features. The acting is fairly good, considering the silly things that the actors have to say and do. The sets and costumes are quite lavish; plenty of licence fee payers' money has been spent producing this.

Powerful. Funny. Brilliant

[kdgarden · 10/10 · 15 September 2023]

An excellent darkly comic, powerful & serious drama. So well written and performed by a brilliant cast. Googled Hilary today though & nothing came up. Margaret Jackman was brilliant as Hilary the gardener and there should be more stills available of her. She stole scenes despite having little dialogue, her presence was strong. The Argos costume was unforgettable. The references to Alice In Wonderland worked well as did the interwoven videos. Thought-provoking with powerful comments about those who have been master manipulators and narcissists. This drama will stay with me. What an ending! Bravo!

Very disappointing and downright idiotic at times

[bbosma-24403 · 3/10 · 25 October 2023]

Had high hopes for this and it started fairly well but quickly got just plan nonsensical. And downright irritating This person was supposed to have conned countless people, created endless false identities, yet none of his victims ever speak up. Worse, when he creates a fictional identity as a climate scientist heading a major climate action organisation based in Greenland, no one checks his credentials and Oxford University backs him. I was 50/50 till the last episode, hoping it would redeem itself with a good ending, but no - it was totally ludicrous. It was like they wanted a big finale, so just ignored anything that had happened in the previous episodes, all common sense or any interest in reality. Not a single character did what normal people would do at any stage in the five episodes. Just annoyed that I persisted with it, hoping it would get better.

Ooph! Binged. Was excellent!

[soelir · 10/10 · 16 September 2023]

To be honest, I was hooked from the first episode. So much so that I watched the whole thing in one night.

It's funny, tackles some gritty issues in such relatable ways, and overall has a good message.

I'm hoping for a second series!

I was tempted to give it a nine because it could have maybe been wrapped up in three to four episodes, but I decided it was fun and pleasurable and well worth the time.

The subject it deals with is awful but it is also so normal. And I think that this gives a good, honest, peek into it. For those who think it's a fantasy, either lucky you or more likely you are one of the baddies!

Unbelievable initially but well worth staying the course

[essparks-99975 · 8/10 · 17 October 2023]

Initially the plot and characterisation seemed so far fetched that I nearly stopped watching. But once you realise the storyline isn't supposed to be believable but is more of a witty spoof alluding to the unquestioned power male sociopaths can hold over their victims in patriarchal societies, it becomes very funny indeed. The additionally cut in footage of the statements by previous victims in the last 3 episodes, along with 'me too' and celebrity abusers references at the end work really well to link the light hearted narrative across to a starker real world context. Well worth the watch even though silly at times.

Great for originality, tension & exploration of a serious issue

[ruthturk · 8/10 · 19 October 2023]

Loved this as a totally different & original style of drama, witty, superbly acted, incorporating a particularly strong, realistic & well-aimed speech towards the end from one of the two female leads about the (im)balance of power between the genders.

Great production values and well-written, with one major flaw in the storyline which undermined the whole series for me from ep. 2 onwards, sadly - ie ((**spoiler alert**)) - if supposedly intelligent Alice had thought to get her phone out & take photos/videos of the evil scammer deliberately trying to drown the dog, then the entire subsequent events/episodes could have been avoided! Some explanation for Alice not doing so would have greatly strengthened the plot in my view - eg her phone could have been shown dropping out of her pocket as she got out of her car.

Nevertheless, I really enjoyed the ensuing ride anyway - great entertainment with a very serious real-life point - romance & other scams are an increasing menace out there.

The worst written show ever

[trtwtnjk · 2/10 · 24 September 2023]

I watched this show with my family and we enjoyed it because it was so ridiculous it was insane.

The writers have basically written the show so that the villain wins at every point because the victims act so stupidly. I get that victims of con artists can be naive but the actions of the main character are so stupid as to unbelievable.

It's one of those shows that has no basis in reality If you watch it check out the court scene which is utterly ridiculous. I get its fiction but if you choose to make the main character the most stupid person on earth who is actually really daring when the writer needs to forward the plot but when it comes to foiling the villain then becomes a complete inarticulate idiot then the whole drama becomes pointless. Its one of of the most unrealistic, stupid shows I 've ever seen which was in itself enjoyable.

Incredible!

[rhrsdmtmr · 10/10 · 1 November 2023]

I loved the incredible timing and intricate detail of this fantastic show, I'm so glad I watched it.

The costume and backdrop is brilliant. The mystery and unpredictability of the storyline felt engaging and exciting. The characters are fantastic and should be celebrated! It covers very important topics such as mental state, gaslighting, loneliness, domestic violence and scam being some of them. As a viewer you feel invested in the truth being discovered by all.

It was a masterpiece of an ending where justice prevails (for now) but this has left me wanting more.... I will be keeping a hopeful eye out...an absolute joy to watch!

Farcical take on a serious topic.

[tqgpcw · 5/10 · 30 August 2023]

This series started well for me, I assumed it would be a thriller about a woman trying to bring down the man who caused heartache and financial ruin for her family.

She sees him in Oxford after 15 years with a new persona, and watches as he snares a newly widowed author, one would hope she would warn the poor woman, but she went off on a tangent, and after a series of implausible events, he was brought down in an even more implausible finale.

Amongst all this farce we had a typical BBC pastiche of real life bad men, and the main female characters being all feminist and PC, a totally unnecessary and bizarre addition to the story.

The acting for the most part was a bit am dram, the wonderful Karl Johnson was a notable exception to that rule. I'm not sure what Derek Jacobi character was all about, he just disappeared in episode 4.

A wasted opportunity to tell a good story about scammers and the effect it has on lives.

Watch it if you've nothing else to do, but don't expect too much.

Pity...Could have been better.

[nanieo · 8/10 · 12 October 2023]

Not too bad a series, with an interesting storyline but it would have done much better with different lead actors.

Rebekah Staton is as stiff as cardboard. I know she is supposed to portray a fearful and bullied woman but she came out as an absolutely brainless bore. Why should everything turn out badly for Alice? Her bad luck and inaction became unbelievable after a while.. Alistair Petrie too relied too much on his facial expressions, it looked unbelievably over acted - and the first episode of him clumsily riding his bicycle around university like a mad man made it look like the series was meant to be a comedy.

Marianne Jean Baptist was as usual a good actress, but was some what too strong an actress and became a stark contrast between the other 2 weaker lead actors.

Poorly written, disappointing overall

[Zebra7 · 4/10 · 1 September 2023]

I wanted to like the drama and what it's trying to convey but instead of writing a vulnerable main character, she came across as just stupid and incredibly naive.

Even the supposedly intelligent, self sufficient famous author (not some lonely struggling woman with no social life), kept ignoring a red flag after red flag for no reason especially when the male villain wasn't that convincing to begin with. He wasn't exactly the dashing prince was he, nor was he particularly charismatic or likeable. He was just shady and sleazy. Didn't see why anyone would find him attractive, let alone fall for him.

He concocted some bizarre, far fetched story about his colleagues being kidnapped to steal the author's money, and lo and behold her money completely disappeared. He kept changing his story and giving her the classic "you'll get the money soon" line every single time. Yet what did she do? Absolutely nothing and even covered for him when she wasn't even in love with him as she claimed. Ridiculous.

She finally had an epiphany in the last episode all of a sudden and decided that he'd been deceiving her all along. Duh. She also turned into a psychic out of the blue as she somehow knew her dog was put in a bag and thrown into the lake. How the hell did she know that? Alice never told her the dog was in the bag.

Then came the monologue about how male criminals get away with crimes against women on a regular basis and I do get what the writers were trying to say but don't just let the characters sit on a bench and "explain" on and on whilst showing images of real criminals. Felt so out of place. Didn't help that the actress sounded like she was memorising the lines. Maybe they were trying to be quirky but didn't quite work imo. Trying too hard.

All in all, disappointing. Maybe a drama to put it on in the background. Not for a serious watch.

Quirky drama that has much to like

[JRB-NorthernSoul · 5/10 · 11 September 2023]

A very topical drama about a conman extraordinaire, (Alistair Petrie) and two of his victims, his wife (Rebekkah Statton) who he left in the lurch and defrauded fifteen years ago and his new mark in the present (Marianne Jean-Baptiste).

The central trio were well cast and all three actors shone. I very much liked the story and thought the production values were very high. They adopted a very stylised look and tone for the series that some reviewers have compared to Wes Anderson.

Personally I wished protagonist Cheryl had a bit more get up and go and I didn't really understand why she and her family didn't go to the police at the time but its a small niggle I enjoyed it and got sucked in.

Overall an enjoyable well made show which is worth sticking with. Would have given it a higher rating if they'd packed the story into 4 episodes and made it a wee bit pacier.

Disappointed

[tilsammens · 1/10 · 30 August 2023]

Really looked forward to this as some great actors involved, but... Hackneyed dialogue and some of the other actors were either wooden or overdone.

Don't waste your time on this latest BBC dirge - Unless you have a bingo card of tick boxes containing every sad modern day trope to cross off or use it as a drinking game.

Line up the shots and you'll be drunk within the first half - 'strong confident woman of colour' - tick. Main character refers to himself as 'sad middle aged white man' in the first 20 minutes - tick. If I could have stomached anymore I'm sure they would have shoe horned in a stunning and brave 'woman' with male pattern baldness -but I switched off.

Poor depiction of a very serious matter

[diana_g_schuette · 2/10 · 10 September 2023]

This show makes fun of a very serious subject and the main character, the still-married-as-too-weak-to-do-anything-about-it wife, even after being strangled by him and being with a very supportive loving boyfriend now, is depicted as too weak to even speak up in court. More research about this subject should have been done, how it really affects a controlled partner and it should have been portrait as less "let's have a laugh bout this"......I would not recommend anyone having been in a controlling relationship to watch it as it is very frustrating, disappointing and simply laughable in a not very funny way....

Avoid at all costs.

[crumpytv · 1/10 · 8 October 2023]

I can't help but feel that this could have been so much better and this, in my opinion, is down to the total miscasting of Marianne Jean-Baptiste and Alistair Petrie.

The former is too strong a character to be taken in so easily by someone who is totally unbelievable as a manipulative gigolo/gold digger.

I found their scenes just plain awkward and I found Newman just plain irritating throughout.

Without Rebekah Staton as Alice Newman, the whole thing wouldn't have got off the ground. Even the usually dour Karl Johnson has a bit of spark to him.

The premise is interesting, but it so poorly written and acted out that it is just not credible.

I think it was in episode 2, but did anybody else spot a cupboard door suddenly come open in the background of a kitchen scene.

The use of offensive language (the C word) is totally unnecessary. Is this artistic license? I don't think so.

An then there was the final episode with Chance's thoroughly offensive rant.

Really, is this what television drama has come to?

Not funny, thrilling or clever

[emaildkd · 3/10 · 31 August 2023]

After 15 minutes of the first episode my bad acting anxiety was kicking in, that uncomfortable feeling you get when watching actors try to portray poorly written characters far two literally with no nuance. But is it poor acting? Maybe it's the script? Maybe its down to the direction? Surely a good director would spot that nothing about this was hitting the mark. Hang on! Maybe it's the casting...... Whomever is to blame this big budget BBC 'comedy thriller' is neither funny, smart or thrilling.

Alot of the above could be forgiven if this were a cheap teen afternoon series on just after Countdown, but it's not, it's a hyped flagship type show which looks like a shed load of BBC licence payers money was spent on it

Cinematography and lighting are decent, Oxford looks lovely in the sharpness and vibrancy of expensive 4k cameras.

All in all for me this is a bunch of 2nd rate actors trying to make a 3rd rate script into a 1st rate series and its failed.

Catastrophically Bad!

[Robinsmith64 · 1/10 · 2 October 2023]

Genuinely the worst show of all time. Abysmal direction and writing with a plot that would embarrass a 5 year old standing in front a classroom.

The story splutters from unlikely event to unlikely event with zero credibility and is hampered by am dram level acting. The leads dont know how to play the cliche strewn nonsense. Its neither dramatic nor funny.

The conceit is sound but executed with the grace of a hippo on skates. How this made prime time is a mystery. The risible BBC drama sinks to a new low after years of terrible productions.

Please please avoid as life is far too short for this junk.