I, Jack Wright review: Knotty family drama is solid fun but overly busy

Thankfully, this new drama from Unforgotten creator Chris Lang does enough to offset those unfavourable comparisons at the outset, taking a number of different routes and with its mind clearly on different themes.

This is to the show's benefit, making it an engaging piece with some delicious characters – but it's also to its detriment, as it overloads on storylines to the point of bursting.

I, Jack Wright stars Trevor Eve as the title character, Jack, but not for long.

He's dead after one scene in an apparent suicide, leaving behind a shocking will that sends ripples through his already squabbling family.

There are his children from his first marriage, Gray (John Simm) and John (Daniel Rigby), two brothers who could not be more different.

There's also their mother Rose (Gemma Jones), her new partner Bobby (James Fleet), Gray's daughter Emily (Ruby Ashbourne Serkis), John's wife Georgia (Zoë Tapper), Gray's girlfriend Bella (Sabrina Bartlett), Jack's third wife Sally (Nikki Amuka-Bird), and the list goes on.

As they start to build factions and stake their respective claims to Jack's fortune and business empire, they also find themselves the suspects in a murder investigation, when his death starts to look more suspicious than it had at first seemed.

There's a lot to like here, and it starts with the incredible (and very game) cast that Lang has assembled. The writer's acclaimed work on ITV smash hit Unforgotten has leant him quite the reputation among British acting talent, and it's helped to give this series a real class and weight.

Amuka-Bird is phenomenal as Sally, a character who has to be at times unknowable, yet also one of the most emotionally vulnerable of the family members.

Meanwhile, Simm is having particular fun as the chaotic, shambolic Gray Wright, who has gone off the rails in a manner dissimilar from any of the other family members, and Ashbourne Serkis is delightfully complex and changeable as Emily.

Tapper is also having huge fun playing against type as the despicable Georgia, a force of nature who will stop at nothing to get what she wants.

There's a natural sense of intrigue at the heart of this series. Family dramas are always compelling when done right, and it's enticing to watch the threads unfurl as we delve into each of their long-buried secrets and various grievances with one another.

There's also the matter of Jack's enormous wealth, which has impacted the family in different ways, and the murder mystery element, which helps to keep things feeling propulsive.

However, this is also where the problem lies – there are a lot of elements, a lot of different plates spinning and a lot of different characters.

Some take precedent over others, with Gray and Emily's storylines getting a particularly large amount of play across the first four episodes, which have been made available for preview.

John's story, on the other hand, at times feels somewhat relegated to the sidelines, on account of his character's buttoned-up and beaten down demeanour. A tantalising look towards his future promises some big changes for the character, but those certainly don't materialise at pace.

Meanwhile, Fleet feels somewhat wasted as Bobby, and Harry Lloyd is particularly underused as Hector, the DCI leading the investigation into Jack's death.

The murder investigation as a whole, while binding certain elements and adding an additional layer of mystery, in some ways feels tacked on, and less thematically satisfying that the exploration of the family dynamics or the individual character arcs.

All of this might change in the final two episodes, as everything heads towards a close, but in the first four, Hector feels implanted as an archetype police character, rather than a fully flesh out individual on his own. Therefore his scenes are more of a drag than they should be, despite Lloyd's own personal charm and efforts.

There's also the matter of the flash-forward interviews. These will be immediately apparent and noteworthy to anyone watching the series, as they bookend each episode, with the characters in various different, intriguing situations, relaying the story to the cameras and an off-screen interview team.

These add to the sense of mystery, but also add an unnecessary layer of artificiality. Many of them look and feel both tacked on and also a bit cheap, detracting from the more impressive work done throughout the bulk of the episodes.

All this to say, if you're looking for a new drama to get wrapped up in, you could do far worse than I, Jack Wright – you just need to temper your expectations.

This is not a deep dive into the world of the rich and powerful, à la Succession. As a murder mystery, it is also somewhat overcrowded and underbaked – potential motives are so jumbled by everything else that's going on that they begin to feel a little redundant.

But as a character study and a family drama, it works, with enough twists and turns to keep thing interesting. It may not be the most cohesive piece of television you see this year, with far too much going on – but it is certainly an entertaining ride nonetheless.

I, Jack Wright is coming to U&Alibi on Wednesday 23rd April at 9pm.

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