Unsaid Stories takes a searing look at Britain

Production on various projects was forced to shut down across the country, and TV bosses wondered how they would fill their schedules with content appealing to those who have turned to the small screen for entertainment, solace and something to do.

What they maybe didn’t reckon on was that programme-makers would find new and inventive ways to address the situation. As a result, socially distanced projects such as ITV’s star-studded Isolation Stories, and the BBC’s Staged and reboot of Alan Bennett’s Talking Heads appeared.

Now ITV is back in the game with another put together series, this time inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement. It features four standalone short dramas, running from Monday to Thursday, written and directed by as well as starring a wealth of talent.

“For these amazing actors to commit to the series, to work with such great creative talent behind the camera and bring these urgent stories to life in such a short space of time is an incredibly humbling experience,” say executive producers Nadine Marsh-Edwards and Amanda Jenks. “We are thrilled to be working with such talented teams and with ITV to bring these films to screen.”

The opening episode, Generational, stars Nicholas Pinnock as Oliver, a protective father who hates the idea of his teenage daughter Justina (Yasmin Monet Prince) attending a Black Lives Matter march. Their differing views on fighting for social justice result in a conversation that brings to light facts about Oliver’s past.

On Tuesday, I Don’t Want to Talk About This stars Joe Cole and Adelayo Adedayo as former lovers Tom and Thea. They bump into each other at a party before having a frank and open discussion about their relationship, in particular the challenges they encountered as a white working-class man and black middle-class woman.

Then, on Wednesday, Paapa Essiedu, a rising star was recently seen in I May Destroy You, appears alongside his Gangs of London colleague Pippa Bennett-Warner in Look At Me. They play professional duo Michael and Kay whose date takes a dark turn when they are stopped by the police while en route to a restaurant.

Having recorded what happened, they return to Kay’s home to listen to it; it’s a moment that has a profound impact on them.

Finally, on Thursday, in Lavender, Nicole Lecky plays Jordan, who has an uncomfortable discussion with her mother Lyndsey (Amanda Abbington) after having a baby with a black man. By the time it’s over, they have been forced to re-evaluate their relationship thanks to the seemingly immovable wedge between them. At only 15 minutes in length, each drama cuts to the chase and delivers a searing look at Britain today.

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