Pretty Good

Plenty to Like, Plenty to Dislike

Memorable, crazy movie

This is a tender, generous movie that likes its characters and presents them as real people, full of flaws and strengths.

The first series was ok, a bit beige but ok. The second series on the other hand is so boring and frustrating it makes you want to throw something at the TV. Cathy, with her perpetual beatific smile which was endearing in the first series but just irritating in the second, still lets everyone walk all over her, including her hapless son and his girlfriend, and Michael still can't string more than three words together. Peter Mullan here is a criminal waste of a good actor, but I'm not sure how soon I can stomach him again after this snoozefest. The dialogue bears no resemblance to real life - I have never met a 60-year old woman who is so dull and so much of a door mat as Cathy, or a group of people so utterly oblivious to the dynamics around them. The only saving grace is Cathy's grumpy father-in-law who as a few genuinly funny gags, but apart from that it is just all too bland and annoying. On the whole, I feel like I have been robbed of a couple of hours that I could have spent watching paint dry. If you want a funny sitcom about a dysfunctional group of people, try Two Doors Down (which also has a Cathy-like character, but at least she gets a chance to roar every once in a while). I can't spoilt it for you, because I just can't put myself through the last two episodes. Maybe Cathy and Michael will get it on, maybe not. Who cares.

I originally watching this series from series 2 - a strange place to start and it took a while for the character development to occur - however when I watched series 1 everything set its self in place.... Focusing on the woman of the household played by Lesley Manville, it is quite a heartwarming situ comedy which seems to place itself on certain lifetime events from within the family perspective be it mothers day or children moving out or going on holiday... The children in the show are probably the weakest element of it - as they portray stereo typical teenagers yet appear in the body's of 20 somethings and over empathises the naivety you expect from a 16 year old... That being said the dialogue and and issues tackled are on point and I often wonder about my own mother and family experiences - is that how she felt, is that what went on in her brain...It is not the most polished of shows and the direction could be a bit more speedy and the children a little less idiotic however it has had me close to tears on occasion which for a 6'3 male is a hard thing to do.Kudos to the team, I hope they continue to bring this different comedic performance into future series

After finding the writer's previous series Him & Her very funny we (both me and my wife) had high hopes for this and were not disappointed. Well written, not a single wasted word in the script, brilliantly observed and all the parts played to perfection by the cast.Brilliant.

Loved series 1 and series 2 is proving to be just as brilliant. I rarely laugh out loud at sitcoms but the relationship between Derek and Pauline in the episode April was just played to perfection and with sublime comic timing. Yes, some people are annoying, or too nice, or slightly stupid, or emotionally armored. or weak ... but this is real life. Well done BBC for this life affirming piece of work.