The Gallows Pole (2023) review: Punkish period drama that dares to be too different

If your TV diet’s in need of something a bit funky, you can’t get a much safer bet than Shane Meadows. An adaptation of a little-known tale about a criminal mastermind at work during the dawn of the suppressive Industrial Revolution, promised an alternative retelling of a rather dull period in English history. The Gallows Pole takes its task of jazzing things up to the extreme, outdoing itself once too often.

It’s an adventurous assault on the senses, that’s for sure. Based on the book by Benjamin Myers, the setting is 1760s Yorkshire with an entire village community rather concerned about what the future holds. Enter David Hartley (Michael Socha), not quite safely returned from Birmingham, and his grand plan to save the day.

His fellow spoken cast members are numerous, like one big happy family, which can get overwhelming within a three-parter but does also mean that scenes are dialogue-driven with a capital ‘D’. Without being too harsh, this is just as well, as without all the northern-flavoured patter The Gallows Pole would just be a study of village life at the time. We never get a full sense of how desperate the community’s become and what’s driven them to it.

Back to the dialogue. Improvisation has much to do with it, but it all sounds so incredibly real! This might seem insignificant, but you cannot overstate what a rare and important quality it is. The cast talk over each other, talk to themselves, are rudely interrupted, and whilst it’s always clear who the main protagonists are, they seldom hog the limelight. It’s genuine and true to life, making it a breeze to identify with, and a whole heap of scripts are never performed this way. You’ll struggle to find more natural deliveries during this summer’s Ashes.

A Meadows project never takes itself too seriously, which comes within a Yorkshire teabag of becoming a hindrance here, what with all the off-the-wall psychedelia and mystical goings-on. Viewers of a certain vintage, as well as ITV4 afficianados, will recall the 1980s TV series Robin of Sherwood, which was heavily reliant on a paganistic fantasy element. The Gallows Pole has a brave but amateurish stab at this; just one example of how everyone involved seems to have gone all out to make it as dissimilar to Catherine Cookson as possible, but get too rock n’ roll for their own good. Where its refusal to become self-important really comes into play is where the female cast members are concerned. Their equal perspectives and contributions are integral, rather than being there ‘just because’, something many shows have been criticised for in recent times.

The references to today’s perceived social and economic issues are about as subtle as a broad Barnsley accent, but no doubt the timeliness with regards to all the talk about AI will strike a chord with many. Having the local tavern as the main focal point adds enough charm to offset this, the downside being there’s a little too much build-up before we get to the nitty-gritty. The setting of the Yorkshire Moors is perfect for added mystique, while the soundtrack is a belter; from old English folk music (long overdue a revival), to the main theme from alternative band The Mystery Lights.

As entertaining and humorous as it can be, this does feel like a little bit of a wasted opportunity; as if it were too preoccupied with how it could wow the audience, but sometimes only succeeds in losing it. The Gallows Pole is available now on BBC iPlayer.