13 reviews
I am a huge fan of Jacqueline Wilson, especially the Girls series. The first time I watched this show, I was hugely distracted by all the tiny details that were overlooked or tweaked and changed slightly by the producer. At first these tiny details really got to me, because I was such a huge fan of the books and I judged the show as a huge misrepresentation. I thought that Olivia was an overacter, who was too beautiful to play my beloved Ellie, At first sight I was shocked by Magda, who just looked so contrary to the image of her in my head.
I've now watched the first two seasons, once you adjust to Olivia's style of acting, you realise she's OK. For people who had never read the book, an Ellie as she's described in the book would not be welcome. This is a television show, and beauty always wins. Even though Zarrah is black, she plays the same spunky and out there Magda as in the books. Nadine is pretty much perfect, apart from the fact that she's so short. The one thing I wish they had have included was the Girl's Under Pressure storyline, which is probably my favourite. I'm 14 years old, and I definitely relate to the girls, and to be perfectly honest they look like I do, maturity-wise (but then, I suppose, Olivia is 20!) Once you push the books out of your head, and watch it as a TV show, Girls in Love is a good fun show.
I've now watched the first two seasons, once you adjust to Olivia's style of acting, you realise she's OK. For people who had never read the book, an Ellie as she's described in the book would not be welcome. This is a television show, and beauty always wins. Even though Zarrah is black, she plays the same spunky and out there Magda as in the books. Nadine is pretty much perfect, apart from the fact that she's so short. The one thing I wish they had have included was the Girl's Under Pressure storyline, which is probably my favourite. I'm 14 years old, and I definitely relate to the girls, and to be perfectly honest they look like I do, maturity-wise (but then, I suppose, Olivia is 20!) Once you push the books out of your head, and watch it as a TV show, Girls in Love is a good fun show.
"Girls in Love" was excellent. Being a teen girl myself, it was thoroughly enjoyable to know that people were going through worse dilemmas than me!
One thing which some people found disappointing was that it didn't remain true to the book. Having not read that particular book in the trilogy, I am forbidden to comment. But I must say that, faithful or not, it was great. Besides, they did say that it was only "based on" the book.
I hope they bring "Girls in Love" to new heights in the near future.
One thing which some people found disappointing was that it didn't remain true to the book. Having not read that particular book in the trilogy, I am forbidden to comment. But I must say that, faithful or not, it was great. Besides, they did say that it was only "based on" the book.
I hope they bring "Girls in Love" to new heights in the near future.
- JenBluffheid
- Jul 23, 2003
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- racel_angel
- Jul 14, 2006
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Well made series and it's good but having read all the books, there seems to be no such similarity to it but their names. I know it's based but Ellie is supposed to be someone we can relate to, average size, brown hair, glasses and average looks and we find ourself lumbered with a pretty, slim , Ellie.
Well made but lets get ourselves some real role models, hey!
Well made but lets get ourselves some real role models, hey!
- film_freak26
- Nov 6, 2003
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I am very disappointed with this, mainly, as other people said, Ellie's appearance. I believe Ellie's appearance is very important because she always puts herself down about her body, her hair, her glasses. The Ellie on TV is nothing like that. She's thin, straight hair, no boobs, nothing - NOTHING LIKE ELLIE! Ellie was supposed to be someone we could all relate to, but I really can't relate to her character on TV. Also, I don't regard TV Ellie as a witty, clever, wonderful person as I regard the book Ellie. Instead, I regard her as whiny, overacting and just plain annoying - I don't relate to her, I don't side with her. As other people have said, you expect characters to look slightly like the character in the book, but in this case, they are nothing alike at all. Another thing is that Magda magically changed from white to black. I don't mind the new Magda but it's definitely not as I imagined her to be. I imagined the dad older and Anna completely differently. Maybe I am being picky, but this TV series doesn't really seem true to the books at all, which is really sad because it could have been really good.
As a lover of the Girls in Love series and many of Jaqueline Wilson books, I am tremendously disappointed in this untrue adaptation of a funny, clever novel. I suggest you stick with the books!
As a lover of the Girls in Love series and many of Jaqueline Wilson books, I am tremendously disappointed in this untrue adaptation of a funny, clever novel. I suggest you stick with the books!
- Incalculacable
- Jan 2, 2006
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Girls in love is a brilliant way to spend half hour, however, I have to admit that it is extremely irritating that the details in the program aren't similar to those of the book series. Also, when I first saw girls in love, I thought that the girls were in like yr 10 or 11 and I was amazed that they were supposed to be in year 9 and 13. I, being in year 9, know that these girls act much older than a year 9 girl. However, the series is easy to relate to and does portray most of the problems that a teenage girl has to face. Its also a laugh and a great series to watch and I am very much looking forward to the second lot of episodes. However, there is another point, why get a boy who looks 15 to play a 17 year old? I am talking about Russell, the actor does not look like he's playing a 17 year old. Oh well, apart from those points, its a great show!
I totally agree with Kate - Girls In Love is nothing like the books! I've got all the books at home and Ellie is meant to be plump, bespectacled girl with frizzy brown hair. How come other programmes and films that are adapted from books do try to find actors and actresses that fit the characters, but on this particular Jacqueline Wilson book, they get it wrong! Harry Potter, for example, the characters look similar to how the characters are described in the books. Also, I'm not racist 'cause I'm black myself, but in the books, Magda's supposed to be a blonde-haired white girl! I'm VERY sure they couldn't change the race of a character in another book, like the Harry Potter books just because the casting director wants to! The story lines in the series are different too. I much prefer The Story of Tracy Beaker, The Illustrated Mum and the recent Best Friends, all of which are true to Jacqueline's books. Anyway, all that said, the series is still very enjoyable, as long as you cast a blind eye on the irregularities in the series and don't expect it to be just like the books.
- fantasyescapist
- Jun 21, 2005
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I saw this show, and I have read all 4 books and I think that they are totally unfaithful. Ellie is not supposed to be a red head, she is supposed to be a brunette with glasses who is quite plump, I feel that I could play Ellie because I feel that I relate to her more. Lets hope they will sort this out and not choose people who are 19 and 16 to be playing years 9s, and Magda is totally different.
- fallenangel76163
- Dec 6, 2003
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Hi. I think that the film/ TV series was great if you hadn't read the books. I know they were different to the books and I was also disappointed at the way they were portrayed, although if you hadn't read the books you wouldn't know this and it wouldn't be a problem. The books were better than the film and I agree that the actors looked too old although they were only supposed to be 13. The actress who played Ellie was 17 at the time. Also (and this is a problem with not only the film but also the books) some of the things what happened where not appropriate for the age that the characters where supposed to be. I would just also like to add that I was in this film :-) It was only a small role; however I played the part of the 10year old Ellie. Katie Howseman
- angel_vs_devil
- Dec 22, 2006
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yrs 9's are not babies I'm in yr 9!! Some girls in this year do actually act like this. i cant believe the producers or whoever casted the show hired 16-20yr olds to play 13-14 yr olds!! and to the comment above the show cannot be exactly like the book, you cant hire actors/actresses that match the descriptions in the book exactly. Adam Paul Harvey now stars in an ITV drama called "where he heart is" and only looks 16, i cant believe he is 20!! I wonder what olivia (ellie), zaraah (magda) and nadine (amy) will be doing in a couple years time, i don't think they'll still be in this show, i hope they produce another show based on another one of jacqueline wilsons great books!! x
- baby_girl2k3
- Jul 31, 2004
- Permalink
A TV series featuring Olivia Hallinan, who is stuck with the disability of looking rather cute. This series says that she can act.
26 half hour episodes with OH. My DVD of Girls In Tears is a feature made from some of these and there are a few other DVD features based on more episodes.
The storyline is not perfect, but maybe stands comparison with many other series.
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If that was all there was too it then I would now have a set of the DVDs. Instead I only have the one.
The problem comes from this being adapted from a set of novels by the author Jacqueline Wilson. A lot of the details of the novels are changed for this television version and that is normal and often healthy.
Most stuff by that particular author does not appeal to me, I seem to be in a minority re that, so swapping and changing to get stories with the appeal of the DVD I have would typically be an improvement for me, I would hope for a full DVD set.
Most stuff by that particular author does not appeal to me, but this series does, I find it amazing. I have a set of the novels. The difference is so big that I would find a set of the DVDs to be too painful.
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I also have Sugar Rush season 1, another OH. It is as if Olivia was getting the roles of girls who are a lot younger than she actually is. Could be that this adaptation of Sugar Rush might be difficult to film with a genuine 15ish? I would still have preferred OH to be in different roles. She has blatant charisma.
I do not always find such an age difference to be a problem. A good example as Looking For Alibrandi. In these I do experience a problem.
26 half hour episodes with OH. My DVD of Girls In Tears is a feature made from some of these and there are a few other DVD features based on more episodes.
The storyline is not perfect, but maybe stands comparison with many other series.
*
If that was all there was too it then I would now have a set of the DVDs. Instead I only have the one.
The problem comes from this being adapted from a set of novels by the author Jacqueline Wilson. A lot of the details of the novels are changed for this television version and that is normal and often healthy.
Most stuff by that particular author does not appeal to me, I seem to be in a minority re that, so swapping and changing to get stories with the appeal of the DVD I have would typically be an improvement for me, I would hope for a full DVD set.
Most stuff by that particular author does not appeal to me, but this series does, I find it amazing. I have a set of the novels. The difference is so big that I would find a set of the DVDs to be too painful.
*
I also have Sugar Rush season 1, another OH. It is as if Olivia was getting the roles of girls who are a lot younger than she actually is. Could be that this adaptation of Sugar Rush might be difficult to film with a genuine 15ish? I would still have preferred OH to be in different roles. She has blatant charisma.
I do not always find such an age difference to be a problem. A good example as Looking For Alibrandi. In these I do experience a problem.
Actually there IS an episode where she has an eating disorder...
...one episode.
Instead of a whole book? man I was disappointed.
And I bought the box set when CITV stop playing reruns of the episodes along with Nickelodeon, but they've missed out a couple episodes, including THAT ONE.
And the one with the dancing competition, the one with the revenge on Dan's vegan girlfriend, and the one with them all fighting over the cute guy who works in the pet shop.
Also, what happened in the second half of the Girls in Tears bit of the series? like, after her break up from Russel? I haven't seen any of these episodes at all and I want to badly.
Love that show, but some things about it quite annoy me.
And the fact that Ellie is like a model doesn't bother me as much as it was the television series that got me into the book xDD But it does also irritate me as that was one of the reasons I loved the books so much - because I could compare with Ellie.
Obviously a chubby bespectacled teen who actually LOOKS 13 would have been a hit on the ratings >:/ Grrrr. Rant over.
...one episode.
Instead of a whole book? man I was disappointed.
And I bought the box set when CITV stop playing reruns of the episodes along with Nickelodeon, but they've missed out a couple episodes, including THAT ONE.
And the one with the dancing competition, the one with the revenge on Dan's vegan girlfriend, and the one with them all fighting over the cute guy who works in the pet shop.
Also, what happened in the second half of the Girls in Tears bit of the series? like, after her break up from Russel? I haven't seen any of these episodes at all and I want to badly.
Love that show, but some things about it quite annoy me.
And the fact that Ellie is like a model doesn't bother me as much as it was the television series that got me into the book xDD But it does also irritate me as that was one of the reasons I loved the books so much - because I could compare with Ellie.
Obviously a chubby bespectacled teen who actually LOOKS 13 would have been a hit on the ratings >:/ Grrrr. Rant over.
- o_small_one
- Dec 31, 2007
- Permalink