Time review – Is the BBC's Stephen Graham prison drama worth a watch?

Time episodes 1-3 were made available for review.

Stick Stephen Graham in anything (heck, just hold up a camera to him doing his weekly shop) and we'd watch on in awe.

The man never fails to treat each and every frame like an acting masterclass – as previously seen in Channel 4's haunting drama The Virtues as well as Shane Meadows' superb movie-turned-anthology This Is England.

And BBC One's Time, by Jimmy McGovern, is no different.

Starring opposite Sean Bean (Game of Thrones, Snowpiercer), the two lead characters are on opposite sides of the law and, as such, are tracing completely different paths. And yet, as more pieces of each of their stories start to unfold, it becomes clear that their individual struggles cross over in more ways than you might expect.

Graham takes on the role of Eric McNally, an experienced and dedicated prison officer who values the safety and wellbeing of those in his charge. Think Gandalf or Ted Hastings (season five excluded); whenever McNally arrives on screen, there's a sudden sense that everything is going to be okay.

Bean plays Mark Cobden, a former schoolteacher and first-time offender who is haunted by what placed him behind bars. Under the watchful eye of McNally, Cobden is navigating a terrifying new world with a whole set of unwritten rules.

It is through his often-naive eyes that the audience too is engulfed by the unforgiving and relentless daily grind of being a prison inmate. Like Cobden, viewers cannot escape or look away (unless, of course, it gets too much and they reach for the remote) which adds to the claustrophobic feeling that builds across the series.

Set against the backdrop of a men's prison in Liverpool, Time is a visceral and brutally violent depiction of life on the inside. What seems to begin as a character study and exploration into the minds of these two central men, soon transcends into a commentary on the painful injustice of the system that they are both a part of.

If you are expecting a Line of Duty-like, high-octane drama that's packed with big set pieces and unpredictable (if not a little ridiculous) plot twists, then Time might not be for you. Although a fictional story, it's very much grounded in realism.

Without giving away any specific plot points (because, spoilers!) Time also intricately explores themes of male mental health and internalised toxic masculinity – although some scenes should almost certainly carry a content warning, if they should even be shown at all.

Despite its heaviness, the three-part series doesn't feel like a slog to watch – and that's mostly down to its emotive writing, which builds rapport with its audience, and the talent of the two leading actors themselves. Neither Graham nor Bean steal the limelight from the other, each an equal and complimenting part to every scene that they share.

Time is worth watching for their performances alone, but you'll find it impossible not to also have some moral and ethical takeaways too. All-in-all, it's a frustrating watch – but that seems to be entirely the point.

Time will start on BBC One on June 6 at 9pm. The three-part series will be available straight after on BBC iPlayer.

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Laura Jane Turner

TV Editor, Digital Spy Laura has been watching television for over 30 years and professionally writing about entertainment for almost 10 of those.  Previously at LOOK and now heading up the TV desk at the UK's biggest TV and movies site Digital Spy, Laura has helped steer conversations around some of the most popular shows on the box. Laura has appeared on Channel 5 News and radio to talk viewing habits and TV recommendations.  As well as putting her nerd-level Buffy knowledge to good use during an IRL meet with Sarah Michelle Gellar, Laura also once had afternoon tea with One Direction, has sat around the fire pit of the Love Island villa, spoken to Sir David Attenborough about the world's oceans and even interviewed Rylan from inside the Big Brother house (housemate status, forever pending). 

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