Great Film overall

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

This is a very depressing show. Their negative situations carry on and on. There's not an ounce of comedy to offset each of their debilitating affairs. They all stumble through accepting the crap their family or friends dish out. Three great actresses and so disappointing.

I liked this after I saw the second episode. Why do they stop at six episodes???

I usually don't bother writing reviews, despite the fact that I refer to IMDB reviews all the time to see what users have said about movies I watch. But in this case, I was compelled to write something because, despite the ostensible positive reviews, the show is surprisingly inferior, despite the cast. There are so many storylines going on that it's ludicrous. It's more hyper-dramatic or melodramatic than a Charles Dickens novel. Each woman has multiple storylines of failed relationships, divorces, betrayal, in addition to a suspected murder and what not. Surprising for a British series, the show lacks a real sense of place and person, and the pace to let the story breathe, the characters breathe, and for things to evolve. There's so much continuously thrown at you, and there is a lack of credibility from the get-go. We go from a dynamic where there was no contact for years and years, to suddenly these women are instant best friends, propelled by the death of one of the husbands. While Miranda Richardson benefits from the flattering hair and costumes dictated by her character, poor Phyllis Logan gets weighted down with a frumpy hippie wig and long dresses, which is a bit of a stretch. Zoe Wanamaker's look is the most natural, though she vies with Phyllis for the hang-dog role. There was so much artificial interaction between the three women, and the women and their nuclear families that it was hard to suspend disbelief and feel you are watching something real. My understanding is that the producer has a good track record, but this one is off in every conceivable way, except for the overall premise to feature three mature actresses. As a few headlines professed: If only the material were as good as the actresses.

Kay Mellor's characters are usually well formed, I find the main three characters in this series sketchy & lacking substance, which is probably due to poor casting. The titular "Girlfriends" are allegedly middle aged, with Miranda Richardson's character being the youngest of the group. I find it hard to believe this when both Zoe Wanamaker & Phyllis Logan's characters continually complain of hot flushes, these actresses are in their late & early 60's & due to the bizarre choice of wardrobe & hairstyles, look it! The sloppy casting make it hard to believe or indeed care about. Yes there are plenty of sub plots a la Mellor but it's not enough to make it "Too good to miss viewing."