Well thank goodness the reviewer "howTVshouldbe" doesn't have a say in how TV should be, quite frankly though an American calling this series "a dud" can only be a ringing endorsement for how good this show is.
Mcgovern has done it again, with a breathtakingly honest and sometimes brutal portrayal of the lives of ordinary people in an ordinary town. I found each episode absolutely compelling viewing. I did not find it overly depressing at all, many of the episodes are very heart warming with satisfying endings.
I especially like episode 2 & 3. Broadbent is excellent as a disillusioned man finding himself suddenly retired.
I thoroughly recommend this series to anyone that likes a well written, gritty, British drama.