Channel 5's new thriller Number One Fan stars Sally Lindsay and Jill Halfpenny, both former Coronation Street actors, in a tale of a daytime TV presenter being stalked. The four-part series is full of twists and turns, even if it isn't wildly sophisticated.
Halfpenny plays Lucy Logan, a beloved presenter with her own show, a sponsorship deal, and a line of pampering products. Life is good, apart from the monthly box of expensive truffles that are actually made of manure, sent by an unknown non-admirer.
When Lucy's bag is snatched in a supermarket car park, she is rescued by Donna (Lindsay), an ex-military fan. Donna declines an interview but accepts a tour of the studio. Lucy tells her not to be a stranger, which turns out to be a mistake. Donna soon becomes a constant presence at tapings and possibly outside Lucy's daughter's school, and leaves messages in lipstick on Lucy's bedroom mirror.
Things escalate, with hints that Donna's presence was not by chance and that she has a deeper motivation. The truffle-sender, glimpsed shouting at Lucy's show, may also be involved. Subplots include a husband in financial trouble, a son drawn into an eco-activist group, and a daughter at risk of getting into the wrong car.
The series lives or dies by its plot, but the two leads are constitutionally incapable of hitting a false note, however preposterous the happenings. Their performances ensure four hours of harmless fun.
