Playing Nice is the kind of show that will plague your mind in an infuriating, all-consuming, perfectly addictive way.
James Norton's intense drama follows two couples – Pete Riley (Happy Valley's Norton) and his partner Maddie Wilson (Niamh Algar) along with Miles (James McArdle) and Lucy Lambert (Jessica Brown Findlay) – as they make one of the most heartbreaking discoveries any parent could make: that their 3-year-old sons, Theo and David, were switched at birth.
What starts out as an amicable agreement to keep the child they raised gradually sours when Maddie and Pete slowly begin to realise that the Lamberts have been deceitfully working to gain custody of both boys.
A dirty game involving lies and manipulation has been at work from the minute the Lamberts entered the lives of Pete, Maddie and Theo, but the unassuming couple's tendency for niceness (more so Pete than the suspicious Maddie) threatens to rob them of not just their son but also the lives they've built.
The show explores the nature of people-pleasing, asking the question: 'When does playing nice become detrimental?'
Frustratingly, the viewer will work out the 'when' long before Pete realises, which is what makes Playing Nice a rewarding shout-at-the-telly drama.
What to Read Next
Screenwriter Grace Ofori-Attah's script is cleverly penned and tight, with no words wasted.
While the story's intimate approach to exploring their lives is good at needling the viewer, it is the talented lead cast who compel us to embody their characters' pain through their brilliant acting.
From the sweet, young boys behind Theo and David, who depict spirited (yet malleable) and withdrawn children respectively, to their warring parents, there is no weak link.
Norton's Pete and Algar's Maddie run on high emotions and passion as they wear their heart on their sleeves throughout.
This is cleverly contrasted by the cold, controlled and measured Lamberts, headed by the dominant Miles.
His penchant for presenting as the good guy while deception is at play beneath the surface is the basis for the tension and McArdle is disturbingly good at it.
Downton Abbey's Brown Findlay is the classic 'stand by your man' gal, but there's more to this character than she's letting on. What Brown Findlay can convey with so few words and the tiniest of microscopic expressions is impressive.
The limited series feels much longer than its four episodes (in a good way) as the journey from start to finish is painfully emotive and well-paced. What the families endure feels tantamount to torture and compels you to become more invested.
Playing Nice hardly explores new concepts, but the creative choices (such Maddie's connection to the water) and the cast brought together for this retelling of an old story (so to speak) make it feel like a fresh, new experience, because for Maddie, Pete, Miles and Lucy that's what it is: raw, uncharted territory.
The show catches you off guard with a surprise neatly sewn into its storyline that unravels come the finale.
Ultimately, expect an enjoyably aggravating watch that never lets up on the tension as it delivers blow after blow for those you become deeply invested in.
Playing Nice debuts on Sunday, January 5 at 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX, with episodes airing every Sunday and Monday at 9pm on ITV1. The show also drops as a boxset on ITVX on January 5.
TV writer, Digital Spy Janet completed her Masters degree in Magazine Journalism in 2013 and has continued to grow professionally within the industry ever since. For six years she honed her analytical reviewing skills at the Good Housekeeping institute eventually becoming Acting Head of Food testing. She also freelanced in the field of film and TV journalism from 2013-2020, when she interviewed A-List stars such as Samuel L Jackson, Colin Firth and Scarlett Johansson. In 2021 she joined Digital Spy as TV writer where she gets to delve into more of what she loves, watching copious amounts of telly all in the name of work. Since taking on the role she has conducted red carpet interviews with the cast of Bridgerton, covered the BAFTAs and been interviewed by BBC Radio and London Live. In her spare time she also moonlights as a published author, the book Gothic Angel.
