BBC Radio 4, June 14 2018

The Fletchers’ lives are no longer a walk in the park.

There’s a moment in this episode of Martin Jameson’s Dangerous Visions serial where you’ll kick yourself that you’ve not realised what it is that’s tearing Dave Fletcher apart – and perhaps then also shudder when you recognise  it’s something you’d hope would never even be contemplatable in contemporary Britain, but which is totally credible in the world that Jameson has created. You’ll be hoping against hope that you and Dave are wrong. But I have a horrible feeling that we’re not.

In one of the later Star Trek: The Next Generation movies there’s a scene which was meant to be evocative of the Serbian/Croatian conflict of the 1990s, as the Enterprise crew help refugees across sunny Californian landscapes. It’s a horribly sanitised version of reality, and this episode of First World Problems is far more true to life, with characters virtually unable to go on through sheer exhaustion, and all the anger and frustration being unleashed at any target – particularly ones that may not be able to fight back as easily (the scene between Dave and Jonny over the wheelbarrow is a particular case in point, with great performances from both Jeremy Swift and Sam Barnard). Every so often there’s a moment that refreshes your faith in humanity – and even then, I suspect you’ll be wondering whether it’s a trap of some description, particularly when there’s mention of stripping off…

Verdict: This is no simple Insurrection – by keeping the focus firmly on the extended Fletcher family, the horrific realities of a Civil War are brought home. Highly recommended. 9/10

Paul Simpson