The Moorside

In The Daily Telegraph, Jasper Rees gave the first episode five stars, writing, "[...] it is Smith’s honesty and sensitivity that makes her such an exceptional performer, and those qualities led to another scorching performance tonight in the opening episode of The Moorside [which] derived its stark power from stripped-back performances anchoring the story in reality. Wearing not an ounce of make-up on blanched, puffy cheeks, Smith exuded fiery faith in working-class bonds of loyalty in the face of society’s censure. Her searing intensity, a charismatic ability to pull focus, is what makes her a compelling presence in musical theatre: she seems to walk in her own spotlight".[2]

In The Guardian, Sam Wollaston wrote, "I thought I knew this story. [...] But as he did with his drama Appropriate Adult, about Fred and Rosemary West, writer Neil McKay has found another way into a familiar, awful story". He added, "It's getting boring, plus hard to avoid cliches, when gushing about Smith – her range, her extraordinary humanness, her ability not just to play someone but to inhabit them, to be heroic without being sentimental. [...] Big shout-outs also must go to Sian Brooke (Sherlock's new secret sis) who plays Natalie Brown, the neighbour who begins to suspect Karen before Julie does. And to Game of Thrones's Gemma Whelan, whose Karen is not the evil woman the real one was made out to be – more immature, naive, weak, easily manipulated ... and yet she did manage to con a lot of people for a long time, so she can’t be stupid." Wollaston concluded by saying, "Anyway, The Moorside allows you to make up your own mind. It’s non-judgmental, as well as unsentimental, responsible ... God, I'm making it sound worthy and bland. It isn't, it's convincing and real".[3]

Ellie Harrison, reviewing the first episode for Radio Times, noted, "In The Moorside, the key focus is not the abduction, nor the subsequent arrests, but the tireless hunt for Shannon and the seemingly boundless altruism of Julie Bushby. The BBC drama paints a bleak and evocative picture of the small Dewsbury estate [...]. It perfectly captures the collective feeling of anxiety when a crime like that shakes a small community." Harrison found that, "Gemma Whelan is very convincing in her portrayal of Karen as childlike, as someone who is way out of her depth, deluded and who begins to actually revel in the fame of having a missing child. [...] Karen's character is very purposefully presented as stupid, rather than evil. Smith's performance, though, is the tour de force."[4]

Writing in The Spectator, James Walton began by noting the difficulties in finding a positive outlook on the drama's underlying events, adding, "The Moorside [...] is having a go nonetheless. Although touching at times, the result ultimately proves a rather awkward watch." He recalled that "Karen made a tearful televised appeal for the return of 'my beautiful princess daughter', but ended up serving four years in jail for being an accomplice in Shannon’s kidnapping. With her chaotic taxpayer-funded life, and her seven children by five fathers, Karen was duly turned into a sort of anti-poster girl for the tabloids. The Moorside [housing estate] itself became a symbol, including for David Cameron, of 'our broken society'". Walton found that the programme "sets out, very determinedly indeed, to stand up for the place", but decided that, "The obvious trouble, though, is that Julie’s version of events was completely wrong — and therefore the programme is essentially a portrait of group delusion. Yet, far from seeing itself that way, The Moorside seems not only to share the delusion, but to want us to do so as well."[5]

Reviewing Episode 2 for The Daily Telegraph, Gabriel Tate wrote, "Sheridan Smith has taken the plaudits, and her performance as Bushby in the second episode was if anything even more fiercely convincing than last week, as the extent of Karen Matthews’s deceptions and inadequacies dawned. But Sian Brooke and Gemma Whelan were, in their different ways, her equals". He concluded, "[...] it was the intimate exchanges that really hit home, most notably when Bushby and Brown revealed their histories of sexual abuse to each other, almost by accident. Karen Matthews was a wretch, certainly, but no less a victim. It was hard not to be left wondering whether society does enough to support the marginalised and vulnerable".[6]

According to the Broadcasters' Audience Research Board, the first episode achieved 9.93 million viewers. The second episode rose to 10.23 million viewers.[7]

The Moorside received criticism from the family of Shannon Matthews. Matthews' grandmother told the Daily Mail: "Shannon deserves to live her life in peace. [...] What happened to her was a trauma, a tragedy. It is sick and disgusting that it is being turned into a TV show. It isn't entertainment. [...] If she sees it, Shannon is old enough now to understand that it is about her. [...] How is that fair? It will upset her. They shouldn't be dragging up the past and what happened. [...]".[8][9][10][11] Karen Matthews' cousin told Good Morning Britain that the series "shouldn't go out because it's going to bring everything back. Family members will get grief like they have done in the past, I don't think it should go ahead. [...]".[11][12] A spokesperson for BBC One said: "This drama is not focused on Shannon Matthews herself. Her abduction is not portrayed, nor are her experiences during the time she was missing. The drama tells the story of the women who led the campaign to find her."[8][9][10]

• The Moorside at BBC Programmes
• The Moorside at IMDb