Insomnia; Trying

“As well as the fear of ageing and the perennial terror of becoming your parent, Insomnia turns its bloodshot gaze to the secrets within families and the passing down of trauma from one generation to the next. But, really, we are just waiting for the pot to boil, which it has barely started to do by the end of the introductory double bill. And yet, Insomnia does reward those who abstain from fingering the skip button. The fractious dynamic between Vicky McClure and Leanne Best as unequal, mutually resentful siblings – one a golden child who is flourishing as a responsible adult, the other a scrappy rebel who is unhappy, but free – is given time to become convincing. The final episode’s jamboree of drugging, stabbing and bludgeoning includes a comeuppance that is as satisfying as it is inevitable.”
Jack Seale, The Guardian

“No one expects unembellished realism in this sort of drama, but it’s imperative that the characters are believable. You might imagine that a woman who fears she is having a homicidal breakdown and on the verge of attacking her child would be terrified, but Emma appears no more than mildly perturbed. McClure’s performance is expectedly fine, I suppose, but much of the material that she and the rest of the cast are working with is – excuse the pun – tired.”
Neil Armstrong, The i

“Trying, back for a fourth series on Apple’s streaming video service, is almost certainly the best comedy-drama currently on TV that you’ve never seen. It’s an emotionally fraught set-up, and Trying can deliver lump-in-the-throat moments without warning. But writer Andy Wolton balances this with a stream of throwaway lines honed to comic perfection, scattered among a cast of top-name guest stars.”
Christopher Stevens, Daily Mail