The Street
BBC One, 9pm
Jimmy McGovern doesn’t do glossy or ironic. He tells simple stories about ordinary people in extreme situations, writing in a style that is big and brash and bold. And, in the process, he creates wonderful parts for actors that attract the cream of British acting talent. The opening episode of this this third series of The Street is a straightforward re-working of High Noon. A pub landlord (Bob Hoskins) bars the son of the local hard-man (Liam Cunningham) for smoking in the gents. The hard-man gives him until the following afternoon to lift the bar or face the consequences. Neither man can be seen to back down and lose face. When the landlord asks the locals for their support, they