The five-part series – which is based on idea by Fleabag director Harry Bradbeer, and is set to continue consecutively over the next four days – stars Noel Clarke in the lead role as Detective Martin Young who is observing the home of a missing primary school teacher as part of an investigation into a tight-knit Manchester community.
Alexandra Roach (Black Mirror) plays single mum Zoe Sterling, with Fehinti Balogun (I May Destroy You), Catherine Tyldesley (Coronation Street) and Bronagh Waugh (The Fall) also co-starring.
Viewpoint began filming in Manchester city centre in August last year, with St John Street, the Northern Quarter, Ancoats, Manchester Town Hall, Lloyd Street and Central Street all highlighted as areas to keep an eye out for as the series unfolds.
It became the first ITV drama to start shooting since the industry went into lockdown.
As the series kicked off last night, viewers took to social media to react to the tense storyline as it began to unfold. Many appeared to be gripped by the events, although others did point out a few critiques, particularly relating to the show’s pacing, its “far fetched” nature, and the fact it wasn’t quite at the standard of the BBC’s smash-hit police drama Line Of Duty, which is set to conclude next weekend.
Viewpoint will continue every weeknight at 9pm on ITV this week
Executive Producer Lucy Bedford called the series “a compelling, tense, claustrophobic thriller that turns the spotlight on the observer rather than the observed”.
Head of ITV Drama, Polly Hill, said the crime series felt “new and fresh”, whilst also having “a touch of Rear Window“.
People are so quick to judge these days… what's wrong with a story unfolding slowly? Everyone wants over the top (bullshit) drama and twist endings all the time. At least give it a chance before vilifying it! #Viewpointpic.twitter.com/6oCjJKJWBs
Viewpoint’s director Ashley Way said he particularly wanted to show parts of Manchester in the drama that people may not have seen on screen before, adding: “Manchester is a beautiful place.
“It’s a modern city that is very much rooted in its industrial past, which for a filmmaker is a dream [and] there are many rich architectural textures, showing its traditional past alongside its modern future.
“You often see a lot of Castlefield and the Northern Quarter but we wanted to show people the concrete and glass, and the beautiful Georgian streets that it’s not necessarily known for – we wanted to energise the story with all these architectural styles.
“Thankfully Manchester has all that in abundance”.
Featured Image – ITV
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New survey reveals one in three shoppers admits to stealing at self-checkouts
Emily Sergeant
Almost 40% of UK shoppers have failed to scan at least one item when using self-checkouts, new research has revealed.
Self-checkouts started to become popular in the UK in the 1990s, and since then have evolved to meet consumer demands and solve the problem of queueing, especially taking on a life of their own in supermarkets from the 2010s onwards… but now, some exclusive new research for The Grocer has revealed that could be causing more hassle than they’re worth.
A national survey of more than 1,000 shoppers found that only 63% said they ‘never’ failed to scan an item when using self-checkouts, which leaves almost two in five who do so at least occasionally.
A third (32%) also admitted to having weighed loose items incorrectly, while 38% said they had put through an incorrect loose item.
Experts say these statistics show that “a new breed of shoplifter” has been created.
A new survey has revealed that one in three shoppers admits to stealing at self-checkouts / Credit: Aldi
“You’re creating opportunities for people who otherwise wouldn’t even think about shoplifting,” commented Matt Hopkins, who is an associate professor in criminology at the University of Leicester,
When it comes to the biggest culprits of failing to scan items at self-checkouts, the survey revealed that the under 35 age group, and men overall, came out as the most common, but it’s unclear whether this could be blamed on system error, missing barcodes, or rushing shoppers, instead of being intentional.
Surprisingly though, despite public perception and a recent headline-grabbing move by supermarket chain Booths to remove self-service checkouts from all but a select few of its busiest stores, this new research also shows that shoppers actually prefer to use self-checkouts (54.2%), over staffed checkouts (29.8%).
“In a short space of time, the self-checkout option has gone from zero to an accepted norm – and now to an active preference for many,” commented Lucia Juliano, the UK head of research and client success at Harris Interactive.
The speed and relative freedom provided by self-checkouts were the main advantages of using them, according to shoppers, with 56% choosing to use them because they’re faster.
52% cited the fact that self-checkouts allow them to ‘go at [their] own pace’.
Juliano did, however, comment that shoppers’ preference for self-checkouts may only be a reality “when there are no tech issues during the transaction”, which is said to be the “biggest bugbear by far” according to the survey.
“Retailers need to ensure the tech is spotless, the space is ample and staff are quick to intervene when needed,” Juliano concluded.
Featured Image – Ben Stevens / Parsons Media(via Tesco)
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Only 11% of Brits see Brexit as more of a success than a failure, new poll reveals
Emily Sergeant
It’s been just over five years since Britain officially left the European Union, but a new poll has revealed that just 11% think it was actually a success.
On what was a day many will struggle to forget, Britain officially left the EU on 31 January 2020, finally putting into action the 52% to 48% vote to ‘leave’ from the 2016 referendum, but now five years on, how do Brits actually feel that Brexit has gone? And what do they want our future relationship with Europe to look like?
This most-recent survey found that just three in 10 Brits (30%) now say that it was right for the UK to vote to leave the EU, which is the lowest proportion of people since YouGov began asking this question in the aftermath of the referendum.
55% now say it was wrong for the UK to leave the EU, and what’s more, just 11% now see Brexit as more of a success than a failure.
A new survey has revealed that only 11% of Brits now see Brexit as more of a success than a failure / Credit: Flickr
In what is potentially an even more damning statistic than that, however, is that one in six ‘Leave’ voters (18%) who responded to the survey now say that it was wrong for Britain to choose to leave the EU.
By contrast, just 7% of ‘remain’ voters now think it was right for the UK to leave, compared to 88% who stand firm in their decision.
Another interesting viewpoint from the survey is that among the young Brits who were unable to vote in the 2016 referendum, those aged 18-24 years old, three-quarters (75%) say that Britain was wrong to vote to leave the EU, compared with just one in 10 (10%) who say the UK made the right choice.
Five years on, few Britons think Brexit has been good for anything
% saying Brexit has had a positive impact on… Control the UK has over its laws: 31% UK’s ability to respond to COVID-19: 23% British politics: 12% UK’s level of international trade: 11% British businesses: 11%… pic.twitter.com/nAN81yOHHd
When it comes to the visions for the future, 55% of Brits who responded to YouGov’s survey say they would support a complete undoing of Brexit, with 39% saying they ‘strongly support’ Britain rejoining the EU, and 33% opposing rejoining to any degree.
One in five ‘leave’ voters (20%) support rejoining the EU.
Emily Sergeant -
27th April 2021 
