When my partner suggested watching this my initial reaction was moderately positive, but I have to say that I quickly warmed to this apparently well-made drama, with its cast of familiar high-quality actors and actresses. The first episode was very engaging, with solid development of characters and plot, and the second episode was mostly equally watchable. The only downside so far had been the introduction of what seem to be fairly ubiquitous(and rather boringly predictable) plot devices such as the car chase, the lesbian fling, the past suicide, the alcoholic, the estranged teenager, and the attempted blackmail. I persevered...
By the third episode we had unfortunately began to descend into slightly idiotic and unbelievable farce, very similar to that which rather disappointingly afflicted the final series of Upstairs Downstairs. We have estranged children violently attacking mum's, er, "friend with benefits", elderly people getting trapped inside a rather creepy house, and exploding cars.
I won't spoil the ending but was rather saddened to see overall that yet another promising BBC series that began with such promise has been ruined by over-zealous writers trying to inject way, way too much highly artificial and unnecessary "drama". It would be better if this sort of fantastic nonsense could be reserved for the likes of Eastenders or Casualty.
Overall I would describe this as watchable and passably entertaining, but don't expect it to be believable.
By the third episode we had unfortunately began to descend into slightly idiotic and unbelievable farce, very similar to that which rather disappointingly afflicted the final series of Upstairs Downstairs. We have estranged children violently attacking mum's, er, "friend with benefits", elderly people getting trapped inside a rather creepy house, and exploding cars.
I won't spoil the ending but was rather saddened to see overall that yet another promising BBC series that began with such promise has been ruined by over-zealous writers trying to inject way, way too much highly artificial and unnecessary "drama". It would be better if this sort of fantastic nonsense could be reserved for the likes of Eastenders or Casualty.
Overall I would describe this as watchable and passably entertaining, but don't expect it to be believable.