Daddy Issues

Two episodes in I wasn't sure why the newspaper I read gave it such a rave review. But, even the slow start gave some funny moments. Gemma finds out she is pregnant right at the start just as her dad is trying to recover from a very messy split from her mother. Everything start to progress when he moves in with Gemma. I really found some of the characters a little unlikeable at the beginning but even this improved each episode. Aimee Lou Wood, who I didn't really care for in the dreadful 'Seize Them' plays Gemma with a combination of biting humour and sweetness. Most of the other main characters do become more lovable but I struggled with David Morrisey as Dad (Malcolm.) He has clearly been totally emasculated by his wife but his man-child persona grates at times and I thought he became a little unbelievable, even at the end of the final episode. That said, other moments of his character are really quite funny. Do give it at least three episodes before judging it.

The answer is there's a common theme amongst those who slated this - they all start by saying how little of it they actually watched! One proudly boasting they only managed 10 minutes, yet feel qualified to trash the entire series, having missed 99.9% of it 😂

We all know you can't please everyone, but the opinions of keyboard warriors with neither the patience nor respect to consider all of someone's hard work, before glibly trashing what they didn't even watch, should simply be ignored or laughed at themselves!

Brilliantly written and performed by all. Even the smallest of parts are well thought through and hard worked on. This had my wife and I laughing and talking about it for days. But that's just our (well considered) opinions 😉, your mileage may vary 😂

For the first series of a comedy show it's surprisingly good. The rapour between the leads is great and they're are a lot of good laughs. Not everything lands but it's one of the best new comedies I've seen in a long time. I've laughed out loud at least once per episode and had a beaming smile in most episodes as well.

Give the first two episodes a go if you're not sure. The first episode is probably the weakest so that's the best way to get a feel if the show is for you. It can be a bit predictable at times but that isn't really a bad thing and so I hope they make more of it! It's certainly better than the other recent comedy pilots on the BBC.

Aimee Lou Wood is new to me, but so impressed. A very engaging, natural actor who the camera seems to love. A UK Jenna Ortega even? Fresh presence, who I could also see being deeply effective in a heavy tv drama.

Have enjoyed David Morrissey for decades and will be intriguing to see how his weak/wet father character develops.

Hoping this show maintains the fresh approach and sharp splashes of wit ("Argos vouchers" etc).

Could be a great year for BBC comedy, who have already blessed us with inspired female roles and writing, allowing them free reign. I'd also recommend Such Bad Girls. Well observed and arrived fully-formed. Inspired slapstick and clever throwaway lines, while not shying away from mental issues with a deft / realistic touch.

A solid first episode, with 2 unusually strong, individual leads. Hoping the show continues not taking the obvious routes and flushing out support roles.

This actually made me giggle, which is quite a rare thing these days. BBC has pumped out lots of garbage since 2020, but this was a good mix of sweet and funny. I did not expect to enjoy this in the slightest, but I was pleasantly surprised. The main characters are great actors - it was good to see some familiar faces in the casting, and the storyline was very simple but still interesting. It's also nice to see a father-daughter storyline. I really hope this gets another season. Will definitely be watching again.

Well played BBC. You definitely got this one right! I look forward to next season.