The Amazing Mrs Pritchard

Hasn't this been done a hundred times? You'd think after Margaret Thatcher this wouldn't be such a shocking premise. I found the whole thing silly and irritating.

I dislike prejudice in any form so it offends me to hear statements like, "Women are better at politics because they can admit when they've made a mistake." I don't think work has a gender, I don't think women are better at politics any more than men are better at engineering. I also dislike seeing women treat their husbands like children and their children like adults.

This might make a nice "follow your dream" film for school girls except for the fact that the film teaches that self-esteem is a more useful career preparation than education or experience.

This is one of the least realistic,and most annoying, things I have ever seen. The plot is nonsense, the central character smug, the acting second rate,and the setting totally unrealistic. Most infuriating of all, it projects a Britain that is entirely white and middle class. Not only are all the main actors ,and apparently therefore candidates in Mrs Pritchard's party, white , but even the extras seem to have come from old Tory central (casting) office ! The only non white faces seem to be in the background at the hospital-although not,of course, doctors. If this is what television believes the world if like,and what people would vote for, then you wonder why David Cameron is bothering about image change.

Epiosde 1 screened last night - Tuesday 3 October

It was a good start with plenty to develop in the further 5 episodes.

Often in these kind of shows where real people play themselves, the real people lack credibility - They appear to act. But here Kirsty Wark and Peter Snow played themselves with the authority one should expect from the original.

Jane Horrocks was excellent and her beleaguered hubby was entirely believable.

There was also an excellent balance between shabby politicians and exposing the job they do as remorselessly difficult. It is to hoped that this balance can be maintained throughout the production.

Interesting that it is billed as comedy when the laughs were few and far between. Not that that is a bad thing.

I watched this show mainly because it was written by Sally Wainwright, creator of the excellent At Home With the Braithwaites and ITV's recent Jane Hall. She is a fantastic writer with a strong sense for creating 'real' people, especially those in the North and, in particular, women. There was also the added bonus of the great cast. Jane Horrocks is a fantastic actress, anyone who has seen Little Voice knows how versatile she is, and the supporting cast all bring their own strengths. I had never seen either Jodhi May or Carey Mulligan outside of a corset so it was great to see them do something contemporary.

I thoroughly enjoyed this programme. There was something so likable about Ros Pritchard that I found myself rooting for her from the start (although I can't say the same about her husband!). You could say that the two daughters, especially the youngest, were a little too similar to the daughters from The Braithwaites, but I really didn't mind. The characterisations and dialogue was spot on, I laughed out loud several times. As well as being funny and entertaining, Mrs Pritchard managed to make some very serious, and real, points about the state of modern politics and the problem of voter apathy. I'm very much looking forward to the rest of the series.

Firstly I think the previous comment was perhaps a little harsh. So far this program has operated at a highly interesting angle, by having an initial intense fast pace, and a gradual slow down before throwing a new thing at the audience to consider.

There is continually something for the audience to think about, and about 15 things at the same time. All the concerns of someone running a country, while it is slightly unrealistic with some of the simplicity it makes the point it's trying to make very well.

Much of the policies "Mrs. Pritchard" tends to raise are real life policies. Won't say any more here.

As a piece of Tuesday night viewing it's worth watching, unlike much of whats on at the moment.