1. First, a quick comment re series category at the ITV player :
Yet another TV series/film that gets misclassified! :-(
This series is NOT in the "romantic comedy drama" niche that ITV claim, it's in fact a drama with a lot of sad moments. Why oh why do the TV channels do this?! If a viewer is in the mindset to watch a horror film, they won't want to watch a romcom, and - ditto - if wanting to watch a funny series then they won't want to watch a tragedy! I know I wasn't prepared to watch something so sad.
If it's a good & moving drama - as it was in this case - the TV production/admin department might think that any errors re classification of film is OK. But no, it isn't. As I chose this series because I wanted to laugh. Instead I was brought 'down' to quite a sad & sombre mindset, because that is what the series is - a serious story.
. . . All these online players supplied by TV channels/Amazon/etc really do need to research their classifications system, as it just isn't working!
Ah well, ITV, at least it was a GOOD series.
2. As for the programme itself :
Fortunately the drama series works, and is enjoyable viewing. Well acted, by fresh faces (for me at least) in the three lead roles. The target audience seems a bit younger than me - but the production team & writers knew what they were doing with this one. Yes, it a bit predictable in style - so does not reach a star-score of 8/10, for example - but it puts the series' point across well. And that is the first thing any TV series/film must do: tell its tale & clearly.
It is worthwhile noting that a few of the events in the drama are unlikely in real life. This naivety clearly gears the film to romcom fans aged under 23. However, the dark point to the lack of reality is that these features/events can be a bit misleading for observers. So I hope no young viewers head off to London thinking any of the following lovely events will/might actually occur in the Big Smoke!:-
(a) In huge cities like London you never have the good fortune to meet the love of your life in a farcical & hugely romantic encounter while running at a bus stop and chasing a disappearing bus.
(b) You NEVER then meet the 2nd love of your life in another farcical but endearing encounter, this time at a café. (In a fun case of mistaken identity, straight out of a Shakespeare comedy!)
(c) You also never find that the 2nd love of your life lives in exactly the same borough as you - in other words just around the corner. It would be convenient if they did, but normally you were lucky if they lived on the same side of the city's river as you did! ,-)
(d) As for meeting a gorgeous someone at the local lido; don't be daft!
(e) You never meet lovely people at a pool who already - by pure chance - turn out to know your sister or friend, let alone have dated several people you know. (Big cities are NOT friendly little villages!!)
Through the above 5-plus features, the TV drama is written rather like a junior Richard Curtis romcom! So all in all, quite unbelievable in some aspects. Sadly, this could be perceived as a misleading representation of big city life. Adult viewers will 'get' that this plot is indulgent nonsense, and so is not something to set your hopes on; but teenagers may well not.
The good news: the miniseries is short enough to invest your time in, even if at the end the viewer is still frustrated at the wrong classification. At only 3 episodes, most viewers won't - hopefully - end up thinking they've wasted their time (or too much of it), even if they find that the series is not to their taste.
Yes, it's a right old weepie. And yes it seems targeted at 15-to-17-year-old young women. But, if you take it as just what it is, it does the job well. And as it has some nifty surprises in the plot, these unexpected turns make the drama less saccharine and more respectable.
The main thing for me, as I shall never watch such a youth-oriented drama again - if I can help it! ,-) - is that it was well made. Congrats, ITV. Let's see more such well-spun dramas on your TV channels.
Yet another TV series/film that gets misclassified! :-(
This series is NOT in the "romantic comedy drama" niche that ITV claim, it's in fact a drama with a lot of sad moments. Why oh why do the TV channels do this?! If a viewer is in the mindset to watch a horror film, they won't want to watch a romcom, and - ditto - if wanting to watch a funny series then they won't want to watch a tragedy! I know I wasn't prepared to watch something so sad.
If it's a good & moving drama - as it was in this case - the TV production/admin department might think that any errors re classification of film is OK. But no, it isn't. As I chose this series because I wanted to laugh. Instead I was brought 'down' to quite a sad & sombre mindset, because that is what the series is - a serious story.
. . . All these online players supplied by TV channels/Amazon/etc really do need to research their classifications system, as it just isn't working!
Ah well, ITV, at least it was a GOOD series.
2. As for the programme itself :
Fortunately the drama series works, and is enjoyable viewing. Well acted, by fresh faces (for me at least) in the three lead roles. The target audience seems a bit younger than me - but the production team & writers knew what they were doing with this one. Yes, it a bit predictable in style - so does not reach a star-score of 8/10, for example - but it puts the series' point across well. And that is the first thing any TV series/film must do: tell its tale & clearly.
It is worthwhile noting that a few of the events in the drama are unlikely in real life. This naivety clearly gears the film to romcom fans aged under 23. However, the dark point to the lack of reality is that these features/events can be a bit misleading for observers. So I hope no young viewers head off to London thinking any of the following lovely events will/might actually occur in the Big Smoke!:-
(a) In huge cities like London you never have the good fortune to meet the love of your life in a farcical & hugely romantic encounter while running at a bus stop and chasing a disappearing bus.
(b) You NEVER then meet the 2nd love of your life in another farcical but endearing encounter, this time at a café. (In a fun case of mistaken identity, straight out of a Shakespeare comedy!)
(c) You also never find that the 2nd love of your life lives in exactly the same borough as you - in other words just around the corner. It would be convenient if they did, but normally you were lucky if they lived on the same side of the city's river as you did! ,-)
(d) As for meeting a gorgeous someone at the local lido; don't be daft!
(e) You never meet lovely people at a pool who already - by pure chance - turn out to know your sister or friend, let alone have dated several people you know. (Big cities are NOT friendly little villages!!)
Through the above 5-plus features, the TV drama is written rather like a junior Richard Curtis romcom! So all in all, quite unbelievable in some aspects. Sadly, this could be perceived as a misleading representation of big city life. Adult viewers will 'get' that this plot is indulgent nonsense, and so is not something to set your hopes on; but teenagers may well not.
The good news: the miniseries is short enough to invest your time in, even if at the end the viewer is still frustrated at the wrong classification. At only 3 episodes, most viewers won't - hopefully - end up thinking they've wasted their time (or too much of it), even if they find that the series is not to their taste.
Yes, it's a right old weepie. And yes it seems targeted at 15-to-17-year-old young women. But, if you take it as just what it is, it does the job well. And as it has some nifty surprises in the plot, these unexpected turns make the drama less saccharine and more respectable.
The main thing for me, as I shall never watch such a youth-oriented drama again - if I can help it! ,-) - is that it was well made. Congrats, ITV. Let's see more such well-spun dramas on your TV channels.