ITV's Platform 7 from Melton author Louise Doughty has intrigue, mystery and clunkers

Thrillers with a twist tend to go one of two ways - either they’re spectacularly amazing or are the dampest squib known to mankind. ITV’s Platform 7 is neither and holds the unique mantle of being steadfastly solid viewing going on its first episode, but does get derailed in places by clunky dialogue.

The four-part drama, which is based on the book of the same name by Melton author Louise Doughty, arrives at its twist within a matter of seconds as we see the pyjama-clad Lisa Evans (Jasmine Jobson) vanish before our eyes inside the office at Central Railway Station. The series had been billed as a supernatural thriller, so her ghostly presence isn’t a shock - which is good news for Mr Ghostbuster himself, good ‘ol Ray Parker Jnr, as there’s nothing to be afraid of here.

Subtle it is not. Luckily for Lisa (who at this point doesn’t know that’s her name) she is soon joined by another ghost after witnessing a man take his own life at the station’s seventh platform - the same place she died a year earlier. When the man, the initially unkind Edward (Phil Davis), even labels his new surroundings purgatory, it’s almost as if the drama is trying to ram home its twist like a smack across the face. There’s ghosts. Okay, we get it.

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Once the supernatural set-up is out of the way, Platform 7 does find its feet as it begins to delve into Lisa’s life and death - the latter of which she has no memory of. All she knows is that she died at the seventh platform like Edward, but everything else is a blur.

Cue the handy plot development of it being the first anniversary of her demise where Lisa’s parents and former lover Matty (Toby Regbo) appear at the platform to pay tribute. That conveniently triggers memories and unlocks parts of Lisa’s life where we see she had everything to live for - making her suicide all the more shocking.

That word ‘suicide’ does have an odd treatment in the opening episode. At times, you can tell screenwriter Paula Milne has tried her best to avoid using it. It’s understandable given the subject matter, but the knots in which she and the show twist themselves in to avoid it make the dialogue very clunky in places. At other points, the word is said without hesitation which makes the use of it all the more weird and inconsistent.

Despite these niggles, Platform 7 is highly watchable and much of that is down to lead star Jasmine Jobson who is best known for her role in Netflix’s Top Boy. She handles Lisa’s swell of new information well and is an engaging presence on the screen as she becomes overwhelmed by a life she had forgotten. Due to her ghostly nature, there is a lot of thinking out loud dialogue from Lisa which is understandable given she can’t speak with the living, but it doesn’t flow overly well - especially after the fifth or sixth time that Lisa asks “what happened to me?”.

Away from the ghosts, Platform 7 does follow more conventional thriller lines in the form of the Transport Police’s investigation into Lisa’s death. It may have happened a year ago, but PC Akash (Yaamin Chowdhury) knows it doesn’t add up for some reason. Like an onion, there’s many layers to this as we peel back elements of Lisa’s life and hopefully the resolution won’t make our eyes sting.

Much suspicion in the opening episodes falls to the incredibly charming Matty. Toby Regbo portrays a posh doctor and Lisa’s ex with ease, but you get the feeling that despite numerous flashback scenes of him and Lisa in bed and supposedly madly in love, all was not well. There’s a definite darker undertone to him.

However, Lisa doesn’t seem to see this yet as the new-found memories allow her to follow Matty home and re-live happier times. And of course the very first thing you’d do as a ghost freed from purgatory is watch your former lover have a shower. Obviously.

It’s a strange moment for sure and one that isn’t helped by the fact it appears Matty showers in his boxers. You have to hope it's a framing error producers missed, but if not, it certainly adds to the unease you get around Matty.

As the first episode moves along, with a quite repetitive four-note tune that can be best described as “plinky-plonky” piano music. There is certainly intrigue as we learn more about Lisa and what may have happened to her.

Whether the drama closely follows Doughty's source material isn't immediately clear to me as a viewer, but I'm sure Platform 7 fans can point out any major issues - what is clear, though, is that the characters created by the Melton author are full of life and nuance and far from one-note. There’s a definite heart to everyone with the potential ramifications of what is uncovered set to rock their worlds.

2023 has seen a heck of a lot of dramas and I’ve watched many of them. It’s fair to say there’s been many worse than Platform 7, with the drama definitely having a pull to it. A lot of this comes down to the performances of Jasmine Jobson and Phil Davis, the latter of whom commands the screen in the brief time he appears. While the drama lacks some subtlety, it is engaging viewing and is a solid watch that should do enough to make you go on a return visit to ITVX.

All four episodes of Platform 7 can be streamed now on ITVX.