I find myself endlessly drawn back to This is England, despite occasional boredom and lots of tears shed. I believe my first interaction was with ’86, and I was in love with the clothes and scooters mostly. I also think Joe Gilgun is pretty incredible, and Vicky McClure was cute back then too. I fondly remember the Monday mornings in school for those two weeks of rapes and murders – we were all pretty shocked and upset, and stole some ideas for a drama performance. I then worked backwards and watched the film which I didn’t love as much, because Shane Meadows is something of an acquired taste and I hate England. Yet every two years, here I am. Glued to my 4oD every Monday (because who watches live TV).

The issue with This is England in all of its incarnations for me is perhaps wherein others find its strengths – it…