Truelove

Truelove starts with a question that nobody wants to answer - could you and should you kill a friend if they asked you to? But it doesn't linger. The story moves forwards at a pace that keeps the weight of its moral quandary off of the shoulders of the viewer. It's comical, nostalgic, heartwarming and fun despite its subject matter.

The story, told through a stellar cast, is well balanced and constantly developing through each episode. It resists the temptation to be carried too far into any specific genre whilst giving the audience enough familiarity on which to hang their reference points. Police procedural, thriller, drama, it has hints of each without compromising on its highly original concept. The show strikes a pleasing balance between entertainment and stimulation whilst opening up discussion with viewers both young and old(er).

After the death of a friend, a group of close friends in their seventies make a pact with one another, true love, a merciful act of assisted dying, question is, will they get away with it?

What a year 2024 has been for drama so far, Mr Bates and The Post Office has rightly taken most of the oxygen, but this drama has also had people talking.

This is a captivating drama, I loved it. After the first two episodes, I didn't quite know what to expect, a romance, a dramedy, or a social exploration of assisted suicide, after episode five, I was left in no doubt, it's a straight up thriller, one with some fantastic twists and turns.

Full of surprises, it will have you guessing til the final act. There simply aren't enough dramas like this these days, certainly those with as much imagination.

I like that the central characters aren't particularly likeable, Phil for example is rather unpleasant, she is very manipulative, and incredibly controlling, Duncan however is marvellous.

Wonderful to see a primarily mature audience, and each of them nails it, Lindsay Duncan, Clarke Peters, Phil Davis, Sue Johnston and Peter Egan, all outstanding.

9/10.

I'm disappointed but not flat out shocked at the number of reviewers here who seem to view any treatment of end of life subjects played by actual oldsters as depressing.

This isn't -- not a bit. Instead, it's a very twisty take on the subject of assisted suicide with plenty of nuance and a lot of surprises you won't see coming.

One of the biggest surprises is someone actually turned out a script about old people that isn't solely comprised of patronizing stereotypes. These folk all feel very real -- the unique distillation of their own complicated (and often compromised) lives and careers.

It's fun to watch, despite the subject matter -- more police procedural in tone and content than dark night of the soul.

Hmm. I started watching this thinking... Why am I subjecting myself to six long episodes of a program about really old people? That's what we all do. We immediately dismiss old people. How refreshing and positive it was to enter into the lives of this fictional group, with all the uncertainties and passion of someone starting out in the adult world.

Age gives us time to get really good at what we love to do. This is a quality production with classy performances from very experienced actors. For example, I love the way emotions explode out of Phil's face, with just the slightest change of expression. The topic is bleak and challenging, moments in this drama are moving, but I came away from it feeling strangely positive. Criminal activities aside, I hope my golden years are exciting as this!

This UK Channel 4 series starts well but tails off somewhat as it progresses. Certainly a difficult, painful and controversial subject is handled competently without bias and at times with some delicacy. The fact that a retired senior copper is a main player in the deployment is of some interest, given the nature of the law on this subject. The cast was well chosen and mostly very convincing in their portrayal of a group of old friends facing stark choices in their declining years and how to deal with them. I have one reservation - the later stages of this drama tended to stretch credibility, and the ending is - well, frankly - a little disappointing.