This September

Die hard Charles Dance fans may want to give this posh soap a try but be warned, it's tedious for the most part. I only watched it because I'm a big fan now of Irish actress Jessie Buckley and I discovered that this was her first TV filmed series, but blink and you'll miss her, playing the girlfriend briefly of Dance's son in two episodes, not three as listed. Freddie Fox, Edward Fox's actor son, gives probably the most interesting performance but is only in one episode. Both Buckley and Fox have gone on to greater things but actors have to start somewhere. Most of the dialogue would be poor even for Emmerdale and it's mostly delivered with a wooden spoon. The leading actress is dire and the casting director should be fired for hiring her. There are one or two moments where the slimy villain perks it up a bit but mostly we have to rely on Charles Dance, Harriet Walter and Eileen Atkins to inject some credibility into things.

This is definitely for Rosamunde Pilcher fans and why I never read her books. Dialog is stilted and obvious. Self-indulgent fluff with ridiculous and unbelievable plot motivations. Any surprises would be if the banal DIDN'T happen. British TV requires some patience to "get around to it" - but it usually pays off. Even the beautiful scenery is not worth sitting through this dreck. A fine example of "popular writer throws her weight around to get a sappy movie."

Not ONE plot was completed... when the end came, I thought I had missed something... I had to rewind several time to reassure myself that I HAD NOT missed some scenes... So what did I just watch???... A nonstory... so sad... even with the cast of known actors did not save this fiasco...

As a devoted reader of Rosamunde Pilcher I started watching Shades of Love with relish. I was soon aghast at the mostly awful, wooden acting. I watched it to the bitter end full of disbelief that Rosamunde Pilcher could have written such drivel. However, as explained by another well informed reviewer this is someone else's imagined sequel to Rosamunde Pilcher's wonderful "September". That also explains why I've never come across Shades of Love in novel form.