Playing Nice
{{Short description|British television series}}
{{Use British English|date=November 2023}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2023}}
{{Infobox television
| image =
| genre =
| creator =
| based_on = Playing Nice by JP Delaney
| writer =
| screenplay = Grace Ofori-Attah
| story =
| director = Kate Hewitt
| starring = {{Plainlist|
}}
| narrated =
| theme_music_composer =
| country = United Kingdom
| language = English
| num_series = 1
| num_episodes = 4
| executive_producer = {{Plainlist|
- Kitty Kaletsky
- James Norton
- Kate Crowe
- Joe Naftalin
- Isobel Carter
- Grace Ofori-Attah
- JP Delaney
}}
| producer = Nick Pitt
| editor =
| cinematography =
| runtime = 50 minutes
| company = {{Plainlist|
- StudioCanal
- Rabbit Track Pictures
}}
| budget =
| network = ITV
| first_aired = {{Start date|2025|01|05|df=y}}
| last_aired = {{End date|2025|01|13|df=y}}
}}
Playing Nice is a British four-part television series for ITV, from StudioCanal. It is set in Cornwall and based on the book of the same name by J. P. Delaney. James Norton stars and executive-produces through his production company Rabbit Track Pictures. Kate Hewitt directs from a script adaptation from Grace Ofori-Attah.
Synopsis
When two couples discover their toddler sons were switched at birth, they struggle with the choice whether to keep the sons they have raised, or to reclaim their biological child.{{cite web|website=Northern Echo|accessdate=22 November 2023|title= Happy Valley's James Norton to star in ITV's Playing Nice| date=22 November 2023|url= |first=Katie|last=Collier}}
Cast
- James Norton as Pete Riley
- Niamh Algar as Maddie Wilson
- James McArdle as Miles Lambert
- Jessica Brown Findlay as Lucy Lambert
Production
Grace Ofori-Attah adapts the book Playing Nice by JP Delaney. StudioCanal and Rabbit Track Pictures produce. James Norton stars and is also an executive producer.{{cite web|website=ITVX|accessdate=21 November 2023|date=21 November 2023|title= ITV commissions psychological thriller, Playing Nice, starring James Norton, Niamh Algar, James McArdle and Jessica Brown Findlay|url=https://www.itv.com/presscentre/media-releases/itv-commissions-psychological-thriller-playing-nice-starring-james-norton-niamh}}{{cite web|url=https://tellymix.co.uk/amp/tv/681492-playing-nice-tv-series-to-star-james-norton-and-niamh-algar.html|website=Tellmix|accessdate=22 November 2023|title=Playing Nice TV series to star James Norton and Niamh Algar|first=Josh|last=Darvill|date=21 November 2023}}{{cite web|url=https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/a45915487/james-norton-playing-nice-itv-first-look/|website=Dogital Spy|accessdate=23 November 2023|title= Happy Valley's James Norton in first-look at new ITV thriller|first=George|last=Lewis|date=22 November 2023}}
=Filming=
The production got underway in Cornwall in November 2023.{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2023/11/james-norton-itv-studiocanal-playing-nice-1235630855/amp/|website=Deadline Hollywood|accessdate=21 November 2023|title=
'Happy Valley' Star James Norton To Headline ITV, StudioCanal Baby Swap Series 'Playing Nice'|first=Jake|last=Kanter|date=November 21, 2023}} Filming locations included St Ives and Padstow, as well as Mawgan Porth beach and Park Head, Cornwall and lasted into early 2024.{{cite web|first=Mike|last=Taylor|url= https://www.cornwalllive.com/news/celebs-tv/playing-nice-filming-locations-james-9837792.|title= Playing Nice filming locations as James Norton praises 'very beautiful' Cornwall |date=5 January 2024|accessdate=5 January 2025}}
Broadcast
The series was broadcast on ITV and its accompanying streaming / catch up service ITVX beginning on 5 January 2025.{{cite web|url=https://www.italktelly.com/post/james-norton-and-niamh-algar-to-star-in-new-itv1-psychological-thriller-playing-nice|website=I Talk Telly|accessdate=22 November 2023|title= James Norton and Niamh Algar to star in new ITV1 psychological thriller 'Playing Nice'|date=21 November 2023}}{{cite web|url=https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/drama/james-norton-niamh-algar-playing-nice-newsupdate/|website=Radio Times|accessdate=23 November 2023|title= James Norton and Niamh Algar lead psychological thriller Playing Nice|first=Katelyn|last=Mensah|date=22 November 2023}}
Reception
{{Rotten Tomatoes prose|71|3=7}} {{cite web | url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/playing_nice/s01 |title=Playing Nice - Limited Series | work=Rotten Tomatoes | access-date=10 January 2025}}
Anita Singh, for The Telegraph, reviewed the series positively, claiming a "child-swap thriller doesn’t need to be believable to be addictive".{{cite web | url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/0/playing-nice-itv1-review-james-norton-james-mcardle/ | title=Playing Nice, review: child-swap thriller doesn’t need to be believable to be addictive | publisher=Telegraph Media Group Limited | work=The Telegraph | date=5 January 2025 | access-date=8 January 2025 | author=Singh, Anita}} Writing for Digital Spy, Janet A Leigh rated the series 5 stars, describing it as “the kind of show that will plague your mind in an infuriating, all-consuming, perfectly addictive way.”{{cite web | url=https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/a63184145/playing-nice-review/ | title=Is James Norton's ITV drama Playing Nice worth watching? | publisher=Digital Spy | date=27 December 2024 | access-date=14 January 2025 | author=Leigh, Janet A}} However, Rachel Aroesti, writing for The Guardian, labelled the show "mind-bendingly bad" conclusively describing it as "the worst of modern television: a witless mystery overly reliant on insidious ambience and really nice houses".{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/jan/05/playing-nice-review-james-nortons-baby-swap-thriller-is-mind-bendingly-bad | title=Playing Nice review – James Norton’s baby-swap thriller is mind-bendingly bad | work=The Guardian | date=5 January 2025 | access-date=8 January 2025 | author=Aroesti, Rachel}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb title|30135004}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Playing Nice}}
Category:2025 British television series debuts
Category:2025 British television series endings
Category:2020s British television miniseries
Category:British English-language television shows
Category:Television series by StudioCanal
Category:Television shows filmed in the United Kingdom
Category:ITV television dramas
Category:Biographical television series