A bunch of haphazardly thrown together plot lines let down what was clearly supposed to be a thriller as the BBC deliver another limited series- Collateral.

Centred around a police sting to foil a human trafficking ring, John Simms and Billie Piper take centre stage- when they’re probably meant to be a subplot- as a fringe opposition MP and his former fling, a now settled refugee from Lebanon who has fathered his child illegitimately. In an attempt to tenuously link their narrative and the associated scandal of the relationship with a professional people smuggling outfit, Piper’s character (who is also a dope addict) orders her weekly pizza from the takeaway that acts as a front for both drug dealing and the trafficking…

It is proven that junk food is bad for your health and the the action kicks off when a home delivery goes very wrong. Before you know it there are dead bodies and “collateral damage” strewn all over London as the criminals attempt to cover tracks and the police attempt to unpick the complex web of corruption and complicity across the capital.

It was hard to keep track on what was happening and there were far too many moving parts without the need for them. The BBC have done much better than this but obviously knocked this drama together at a time when “illegal” channel crossings are a topic of interest.

Rating: 5/10

Viewed: November 2020