Revisiting Five Days, a Grim and Gripping Five-Part Crime Drama

Five Days is a five-part crime drama released in 2007 as a BBC and HBO co-production. Years before Broadchurch, the series delivered a realistic, emotionally driven investigation with early performances from Hugh Bonneville, David Oyelowo, Rory Kinnear and Penelope Wilton.

The plot follows Leanne (Christine Tremarco), a mother who vanishes while out with her seven- and five-year-old children, Ethan (Lee Massey) and Rosie (Tyler Anthony). The opening sequence places the audience inside the children’s terrified perspective; after being left at the side of a highway they are later kidnapped in a seemingly unrelated incident.

Structured around five non-consecutive days, the series moves among the family, the press and the detectives as the case escalates from a missing-person inquiry to a murder investigation. Red herrings and character-driven tension propel the narrative, and the compact five-episode format keeps the mystery tightly focused.

five days, crime drama, bbc, hbo, hugh bonneville, david oyelowo, rory kinnear, penelope wilton, christine tremarco, child abduction