Ten Pound Poms

If I had to summarize my experience of watching 'Ten Pound Poms' so far I would have to say that Danny Brocklehurst was determined to work his story around xenophobia and racism, and chose the Labour Camp outside Sydney as his best way to integrate those themes, as it brought many races closer together. Unfortunately, it makes the story flat as every day we see Terry going off to do his bit in a hole in the ground, and in the evening he gets together with the other immigrants for a drink or party. It's a generalization of course, but many members of the Maltese side of my family went to Australia at this time and they ended up in the big cities. I think this makes the whole story seem untrue. There may have been one of two places that were like the camp, but they were probably the exception rather than the rule and this is where this story falls flat for me.

The production values, acting, scoring, cinematography are all world class. It's just that the story falls flat, it is too crowded, and the characters are not three dimensional enough. I will make an exception for the Terry character, and I think the Michelle Keegan character could have been worked better. The orphanage scene was embarrassing and unconvincing.

I think the subject material needed a more sensitive approach and probably should have come from someone with more first jhand experience of the process of emigration.

I was really looking forward to this show as I was a "Ten Pound Pom". I came out to Australia as a member of a large family who emigrated from North Wales. I was hoping it would be a semi accurate reflection of how life was at that time. It's not.

It's a cliched, overblown, melodramatic soap. It's entertaining but completely over the top. I've only watched two episodes and I'll persist but so far we've had a robbery, a break in to steal documents, an aboriginal child killed in a hit and run. Etc.

What next, a bomb scare or a terrorist attack?

I really like the cast, especially Warren Brown who is good in everything but they needed to limit the number of things happening in each episode and rely on character development. It's as if it was a competition to see how many things can happen in each episode. We saw nothing of the journey out here, one of my most vivid memories.

Anyone hoping for anything like an accurate portrayal of life as a Ten Pound Pom will be disappointed. This is more like a series of Coronation Street episodes with better production values. I hope it gets better.

The first episode starts very well then it takes a nose dive. The cinematography and acting is superb, it is let down by a very weak script. Other reviews call it 'soap opera' drama and I tend to agree.

The writers had an amazing opportunity here to write a period drama delving in to the issues of the time. Instead we get a bloated over dramatic 'modern show' with nothing new.

If this is renewed for a 2nd season. I hope they tighten up the story focus on fewer characters giving the audience a chance to become invested. And for god sake leave the modern drama tropes behind. There is reality tv for that.

I've often wondered why the Aussies call us whinging poms. After watching this six part BBC drama it would seem they had a lot to whinge about. Placed in cockroach infested one bedroom huts on some multi national camp in the middle of nowhere.

Whilst the show has some high quality production, with some impressive CGI and great attention to detail from the period. It's unfortunately let down with some just plane daft storylines like Michele Keegans character travelling the other side of the world in search of her son, after drugging her fiancé who seamed a perfectly decent bloke to go after her son.

Our Australian friends don't come out of the series to well with most being stereotyped as hard drinking wife beating foul mouthed Aborigines hater's.

Overall it feels like a wasted opportunity as the story itself is a fascinating one about a forgotten part of Anglo Australian history.

6/10.

Not an unforgettable drama or a terrible one, somewhere in the middle. One of those shows where you should probably bail if the characters and storyline in the first episode don't grab you.

It had decent production values, with a few sound and lighting wobbles and a solid ensemble cast. Michelle Keegan's character felt a bit far-fetched in some of her endeavours, but fans will no doubt forgive her. One of its strengths was the number of strong female characters.

If you get on board with the first episode stay with it, if you don't jump ship as it continues along the same path.

On the downside there was a lot of heavy-handed messaging that didn't need to be there.