The Change

As a (slightly) pre-menopausal male, I may not be the natural constituency for this show, but I hands-down loved it.

I've heard bits and pieces of Bridget Christie's comedy over the years, mostly on the radio, generally enjoying it but accepting it mostly as comic entertainment. This is a real step up: the writing is on point, big hearted and the larger than life West Country characters shine in every episode. There are laugh out loud moments in every episode.

The rustic folk-tinged score is a great counterpoint to the full range of tender to angry moments throughout. The central character's quest was not so different to my own mother's struggle to establish an identity as she hit her forties.

I was very pleasantly suprised by how good this series was. Its written by and stars Bridget Christie who I wasn't familiar with before, but she does a terrific job in both departments. There's also a familar and talented cast with the likes of Omad Djalili, Paul Whitehouse, Lisa Tarbuck (Brilliant!) and Monica Dolen in character roles.

More than anything this was a comedy that was actually laugh out loud funny, great comic characterisation, quirky story, sharply observed and some very funny one-liners. It was also very well-paced - the 25 minute episodes zipped by.

Congrats to all involved! I know C4 are cutting budgets at the moment but I really hope this one comes back, its a little gem and truly deserves it.

I watched this over a week and found it incredibly funny, sad, thought provoking and relatable.

I'm a post menopausal woman at 50, the scene's really made me stop and think about the mental overload that women are expected to carry. The thankless task of non ending housework and feeling like you lose your identity once you become a parent. It was great to see her journey back into the woods to find herself and in its own way a rite of passage to come through that transition. Not all transitions are joyful all of the time but that's the point. We need to be pushed outside our comfort zones to truly discover our inner selves, our super powers.

I felt it explored these topics really well, it was beautifully written, from the heart and authentic lived experiences. There are a serious amount of witty one liners, put me downs, quotes which made me laugh out loud, a lot, much to the annoyance of the teens in my house. There were also some harsh truths and facts written into the dialogue to help the viewers and the villagers understand why menopausal women are filled with rage. I'd highly recommend watching this.

Great script and actors. Very funny and quirky. Would love a 2nd series.

Thought Bridgette was great on Taskmaster and gave it a watch and binged the lot.

It's not just about the menopause. It's relatable to all those in a relationship. The cluelessness of her husband (Omid Djalili), the disdain of her teenage children and society's general denial of older women makes her realise she is worth more. I loved that she takes back some of those 3.5 million minutes of domestic drudgery (she's been keeping careful record) and hope lots of women start doing the same and head off on their own adventures.

Fifty year old Linda realises she's going through the menopause, the realisation makes her aware of everything else going on in her life, the fact that she's totally taken for granted. Linda ups and leaves and heads for a place she visited as a child.

What a refreshing comedy, and a subject that isn't always picked as a topic for humour. The Change is very much shown as a positive step for Linda, who realises her life is going nowhere, so she says enough is enough.

It starts off as pretty straightforwardly humour, then ventures into something a little surreal, but still funny. For me it's like Spaced meets The Whicker Man.

It does make a few political statements, but it doesn't demonise one group of another, it has a few laughs at everything. One thing it does set out to do, is to normalise the menopause, women's identities and rights to live how they want.

Bridget Christie was tremendous, I loved Linda, she's smart, sassy, she's a good person, with a conscience, she's just had enough.

A wonderful cast, Monica Dolan, Susan Lynch, Paul Whitehouse, Jim Howick are all brilliant.

I really hope there's more to come, I really did enjoy this series.

8/10.