GBH, which stands for “Grievous Bodily Harm”, tells the story of two men who are in the midst of a political drama in Northern England during the Thatcher era.
 
Michael Murray (Robert Lindsay) is the ambitious leader of a local council with links to a far-left party who does not mind using power and authority to achieve his goals. One day, in protest of government policies, Murray manages to shut down all public transportation and facilities, except one school which is overlooked by accident. Jim Nelson (Michael Palin), who is the headmaster of this school for children with special needs, becomes a very unlikely obstacle for Murray. As Nelson continues to refuse to meet Murray’s demands, Nelson gets loved and respected more by the locals, but his school and family become targets of constant harassment by Murray and his militants. In the meantime, Murray’s past dark secrets come back to haunt him. What made Murray so power hungry? What does he try to accomplish? Who is behind him? Can Nelson handle the pressure and threats? 
 
The plot is not simply about a likable school headmaster defying a mean and greedy politician. This show has a great amount of suspense, conspiracies, drama and dark humor. Therefore, watching all the 7 episodes was actually quite an enjoyable breeze. I found myself drawn into the scarily realistic story of corruption and power as well as the characters. GBH successfully reveals each character’s emotional state, and Robert Lindsay’s performance is so convincing that I really despised his character. However, the more I watched, the more I understood Murray’s actions and behaviors. I even felt sorry for him towards the end, and the outcome surprised me. If you are familiar with British political history and culture, you will certainly understand GBH better. Nevertheless, the overall themes and premises of the series are very universal, and each episode brilliantly touches on a gamut of issues that I could understand and get into. I recommend this series to anyone who loves political drama.
 
Special Features:

• Episode 1“It Couldn't Happen Here” With Commentary by Robert Lindsay, Michael Palin, and Peter Ansorge
• Interview With Alan Bleasdale
• Elvis Costello Biography
• Cast Filmographies - Robert Lindsay, Michael Palin, Lindsay Duncan, Julie Walters