TV Review: The Kennedys - After Camelot

It was set up for high dudgeon dramatic impact.

But this drama miniseries The Kennedys: After Camelot was about as edgy as a cheese sandwich dunked in water and emitting masses of sloppy cheese.

Matthew Perry playing Senator Edward (Ted) Kennedy was akin to watching a weird caricature. Everything about him had been extended and faked from his ears to his wavy wig and I couldn't get past all that.

This episode revisited the grisly death of Mary Jo Kopechne in 1969. It opened with Ted Kennedy and Kopechne who had been at a party on the island of Chappaquidick on Martha's Vineyard, driving home.

Kennedy accidentally drove off a bridge into a pond. He flailed about in the water to reach the bank then fled up the road without a backward glance to see if his passenger was safe.

She wasn't and she died of aspyhxiation trapped in the car.

So immediately we're swamped with another tragedy to deal with in the doomed Kennedy family.

As Ted's wife Joan said, ''belonging to this family is like being an addict.''

While Ted is desperately trying to convince his team of advisers Mary Jo's death was not his fault we're faced with scenes which made my teeth ache.

The scene of Rose Kennedy (Diana Hardcastle) sniffling under a mantilla of Chantilly lace praying in her private chapel at Hyannisport, where she is joined by Ted also prostrating himself, was self-indulgent rubbish and bad writing.

But snap and we're on a superb Greek Isle flooded in sunshine, the Mediterranean sea glistening, sparkling golden sand and probably the fake of the year Aristotle Onassis (Alexander Siddig). Weird casting.

Up close and personal with the famous Kennedy widow Jackie (Katie Holmes).
Why on earth did the writing include a snippet about Ari's former love singer Maria Callas?

We hear absolute tripe from Jackie saying once a Kennedy always a Kennedy and she needed to return to the United States to help brother-in-law Ted.

Holmes as Jackie was so wrong. She looked wrong and definitely sounded crass - no sophistication there.

This episode was supposedly about Jackie's effort to help Ted with the legal ramifications of the latest disaster.

Well I missed it .

Dramatic moments were set up throughout like Joan Kennedy being forced to call Mary Jo's mum in Connecticut and offer her condolences.

It was embarrassing.

Joan hiccuping on the phone Ted standing silently by and every else feigning concern.
Unadulterated cheese my friends, sloppy and bereft of talent.