User reviews

There are two kinds of series.

Type 1: Straightforward dialog anybody over 12 and with the concentration span of a 13 year old can follow. Character's lines are typically drawn up from a list of 100 words and 10 melodramatic quotes to convey the maximum 3 types of emotions allowed. To compensate, the performances are either ridiculously over the top in an attempt to be original, or the kind of performance that takes itself WAY too seriously, as if humans are all walking tragedies. Plot lines are equally as simple so as to not cause even a flicker of confusion, enabling you to watch in a semi-conscious state where you use about 3 brain processes.

Type 2: Characters that surprise and intrigue you from the first episode, who you may like one second and dislike the next (much like real people). Characters that don't do everything but look straight into the camera and say LOVE ME, REPEAT MY QUOTES or HATE ME, BUT ALSO REPEAT MY QUOTES BECAUSE I AM HARD. Dialogue that is rapid-fire and unique to a particular kind of people (because nobody speaks sitcom in real life), that makes you feel like you're eavesdropping on real people. Characters who aren't defined by their looks but by their, wait for it, CHARACTERS. No glamour injected into lifestyles that are actually ordinary. Plots that reveal fresh and sometimes uncomfortable truths about life. Or paramedics.

Sirens is Type 2. It's excellent, gritty comedy with a bit of world weary wisdom thrown in. The comedy ranges from witty banter between the three main characters, to some brilliant caricature from Fonejacker virtuoso Kayvan Novak, to black fatalistic medical humor which never strays into the melodramatic. If this were a Type 1 series, the pretty Madden would be held up for female consumption as the good-enough-to-eat male lead; instead he opens a frank door onto the gay lifestyle without glamming it up. The best material, however, comes from Rhys Thomas. A character who is hardened to the point of being a sociopath, his cynical, sterilised insights into human nature are pure gold.

These characters aren't people you'd sell your soul to be; they're just people you'd like to know.

The summary depicts "Sirens" in a nutshell - it is one very well acted, very funny, very terrific T.V show. Being a fan of shows like "Scrubs", I was very pleased with how the first episode was directed, not to mention the great characterization that we've seen thus far. The three main actors are all superb; delivering a solid, realistic performance of life and routine of being a paramedic, whilst simultaneously providing plenty of laughs to develop the comedy aspect of the show.

As well as that, there seems to be a good amount of medical knowledge and medical gore involved (which is to be expected), so we are kept from the "surreal" notion of a sitcom. The characters are well-developed and the actors seem to fit the roles perfectly, judging by how well they play the parts.

Being from Ireland, I could tell straightaway that the setting and props used are all spot-on (e.g. - the uniforms, streets, ambulances, etc.), which is good, because it shows that the creators spared no expenses in perfecting every little detail, even if they don't have a very large budget to do it with.

My analysis: "Sirens" is a very funny and very realistic T.V show, which contains brilliant acting and terrific direction. I only hope it gets the viewing levels to keep going, because it has amazing potential.

10/10

I thought Richard Madden's character's orientation would just be played off as like a one-off thing, from the gif I saw from tumblr. But, I was wrong. The really getting into Ashley; his character, his orientation, his environment and how he acts around it made his character respectable, a kind of respect that I couldn't find from other TV shows, and that especially you wouldn't expect in a show like this.

But not only him, all the main characters in this show are fully-fleshed out with fantastic character arcs and beautiful chemistry, it just makes you so happy whenever you would see them together.

This show made me relate the most out of anything I've watched. First as a gay man with Ashley, second, as a person with daddy issues with Stuart, and third, as a narcissist with Rachid. This show does a good job of making you, a viewer, reflect and sympathize with a character no other shows can do. You see yourselves through their perspectives, you feel what they feel, you laugh along with them, it's beautiful, really.

Though being a one-season-six-episode show (sad, but all great things must come to an end), it still told you a full, laugh-cry story that when you finish watching all 240+ minutes, you would just wonder, "what am I supposed to do with my life now?" This TV show absolutely needs more recognition, it's saddening to see it so underrated for what a goldmine it actually is.

I laughed, I cried, I suffered with them. So simple and sharp, but so breath-taking. One of the best shows I ever watched. Just in 6 episodes you observe so much psychology, how to influence our lives. It's about love, friendship, parents.

It's simply a bad show, bad background scores. Only reason to watch is Richard Madden. He is very cute. But that's it.