I've seen a couple different clips online (at this link) and have discovered an intriguing dark comedy that apparently highlights the elements of social work that I rarely write about on this blog -- because it's too close to my workplace!
In interviews, Brand has noted that her mother was a social worker and she has long been interested in spotlighting this profession and shining a little light on these good folks:
Damned is Brand’s attempt not only to tap into an underexplored area, but to counter negative portrayal of social workers by showing them as real people faced with complex decisions. The title is a nod to the no-win situation social workers invariably find themselves in.
Brand believes the public “love to hate” social workers because, although in reality they are a mixed group like any profession, they cannot shake the image of “middle-class”, “do-gooders” telling people how to live their lives.
She says: “Psychiatrists have a similar job to social workers because they have to predetermine how much harm someone is going to do, but when they make mistakes, they are not castigated in the same way…
“…when a social worker does a good thing you never find out because it’s classified information. You only find out when it goes wrong.”Too true.
If you live in the UK, you can watch "Damned on Channel 4 on Tuesday, September 27th, at 10:00 PM.