Mouth to Mouth - BBC 3
Director Craig Young Looks At One Group's Quest To Live The Dream
Nov 18, 2008
Mouth to Mouth tells the story of three members of a wannabe girl band, Cat’s Eyes, and their quest for glory on the TV talent show Fame Search. Unlike the recent Peter Kay’s Britain’s Got the Pop Factor, this is no glorious over-the-top parody of the desperate and bizarre contestants usually seen on reality shows. The talent show audition is barely featured – what “Mouth to Mouth” explores, through a series of monologues by the girls, is their three different personalities.
The main focus is on ever-perky Meeshell (Anna Nightingale), who at first appears to be the typical shallow, self-absorbed Essex girl and most closely resembles the vaguely deluded talent show hopeful. Best friends with fellow band member Divine for 15 years, she has no hesitation in dumping both her and founding member Chloe when offered the chance of a solo place in the show.
Doing It For Dad
Rather than appearing merely cruel and back-stabbing, writer Karl Minns lets her tell her story at her own pace, and a fuller picture slowly appears. Her father’s death from a heart attack left Meeshell and her mother broke as his life insurance wouldn’t pay out because of an undeclared pre-existing medical condition. Her mother appears clinically depressed and is finally admitted to hospital, but still Meeshell carries on, probably because clinging to her dream is the only way she can cope.
What Price Success?
With Meeshell’s story dominating the programme, disappointingly little is revealed about either Divine (Ayesha Antoine) or Chloe (Pippa Duffy). As Meeshell becomes more and more driven to succeed, it becomes obvious Divine and Chloe will form a closer bond. With an eating disorder in her past and a distinctly unsupportive father, it’s not surprising Chloe blows the audition for the group due to excess nerves. Meeshell is astounded that, when offered the chance to continue in the show minus Chloe, Divine flatly refuses and is more concerned about comforting Chloe. By the end of the show we hear no more from either of them, although the tables have turned and the two of them have formed a successful duo, Two’s Company, while Meeshell is reduced to working in a laundromat and singing in pubs to keep her dream alive.
Mouth to Mouth is a pilot show, but it is difficult to see how it could be expanded into a series. All three actresses are excellent, but unless future programmes delve deeper into the lives of Divine and Chloe, there seems little left to say. Neither a comedy nor a drama, any further shows may struggle to find an audience on BBC 3, or either of the mainstream BBC channels. But it’s good to see the BBC trying something new, rather than churning out safe, reliable “been done already” shows.
