The Syndicate - TV review

Writer Kay Mellor brought lottery-based The Syndicate back to our screens last night for a second series, with a fresh bunch of winners – and losers.

The drama is, as you would expect, pretty good. Within minutes you make connections with the well-rounded characters, depicted by some of our finest acting talent. The ingredients are all there. The naïve youngster, Jack the lad, matriarch, woman scorned and so on.

And as fabulous as the combined talents of the cast are, four points were – intentionally or unintentionally so – hammered home in the opening episode.

Firstly, never lose your ticket. Poor trainee nurse Becky, played by Natalie Gavin, accidentally gave the winning ticket away to a lad she fancied at the local disco, scribbling her mobile number on the back of it in a haze of drink and short-sightedness.

Secondly, having bought a ticket, always sign the back of it. That way, even if you lose it, the ticket should be honoured when rediscovered.

The third point it made was a tad darker. If you join a syndicate, leave under no circumstances. Helen (Sally Rogers) was the founder of the lottery syndicate which won the £72 million EuroLotto jackpot in last night's opener. The winning numbers were hers too.

You can only imagine how crushed you would feel if, like the character, you had played the same numbers as part of a group for five years – only to leave four months before such a life-changing win. Needless to say, she was not happy.

And last of all it served as a brilliant hour long advertisement to support the 30 second real EuroMillions campaign on commercial channels for this weekend's estimated £80million jackpot. Well done BBC. A cracking advert.

Will I be buying a ticket this weekend? You bet I will. And I'll sign it. And I'll keep it safe.

Elsewhere in the drama, Mark Addy, complete with dodgy wig, played cannabis-growing hospital porter Alan. A likable chap, but with a mysterious background. Mandy, played by the ever-dependable Siobhan Finneran, hopes to escape an abusive relationship with her winnings, while Jimi Mistry's character Tom looks most likely to blow his winnings fastest.

Alison Steadman's character Rose didn't have much storyline last night, but you can be assured a talent of her stature isn't just along for the ride.

In a nice nod to the first series, Denise (Lorraine Bruce) is now an adviser working on behalf of the lottery company, helping other winners cope with the instant fame thrust upon them.

She organises a fumbled live broadcast in which jilted Helen steals the limelight as the ousted 'sixth' member.

I for one do feel for her. After all, if the other five had anything about them they would see that the ex-member will not go away lightly.

Let's do some maths. £72million divided by five is £14.4 million. Include Helen and they would still each receive £12 million. I could get by on that – just.

Over the coming weeks, sub plots and fallouts will come and go, misery will be paired with joy and not all characters will enjoy such a happy ending.

So was this top-notch drama or a public safety film? For decades, The Central Office of Information provided safety advice and stark warnings, often on the most mundane subjects. Who can forget The Green Cross Code safety campaign, or cartoons of Charley the Cat warning us about stranger danger?

Perhaps the BBC has spotted a hole in the market and put together this series as a reminder that greed is good and even better if you if stick to the four golden rules of playing lotteries in groups – join a syndicate, never leave, sign your ticket and keep it safe.

Well done Kay Mellor – or should that be well done Tufty?

Paul Naylor