Summer Love

Sadly a series that could have been so good. But it's race baiting at its worst. The rap version of the national anthem in episode 3 was a new low. As an earlier reviewer said it is very uncomfortable to watch. Essentially the series is a waste of the talent of so many good actors. The remaining twelve apostles are shown in the opening credits and I truly think this could also be an indication of the declining viewer numbers. It's a shame that such a beautiful location should play host to this series. Nice try with the family conflict in episode one to launch the viewer population into a guilt trip.

The idea to have one house, a fantastic house in a magical beach location is wonderful !

The problems are the script and also casting; both disappointing as don't match the hype.

Except for the first episode, the storylines in the other episodes are lacking in twists and not meeting the "comedy" expectations.

Using too many clichés, actors and actresses are left with not much genuine comedy material to make it a good comedy.

Despite all this, the filming locations are really spectacular and would attract people to visit this stunning part of Victoria!

Another positive: introducing actors and actresses that I hadn't seen before.

This series had all the hallmarks of something to really look forward to but it has been such a mixed bag.

The idea of various guests at a fabulous holiday home had huge scope for comedic human interest stories and given that it is on the ABC and the track record of Grist Mill, we were expecting something like Upper Middle Bogan - such a fabulous series.

However: Episode 1 was so promising - good acting, funny and relatable to most people.

Episode 2 was so bad - like a Year 7 play, we turned off mid-way through.

Episode 3 about the cultural clash was funny and entertaining, as was episode 4 with Robyn and Wayne.

Episode 5 was soft porn in disguise, catering to a very niche audience. Again we turned off mid-way and as a result, I await the rest of the series with nervous trepidation.

...but I don't. I'm trying to tell myself that it has all the elements that should make it a success, but somehow, it just feels off. I loved Wayne Hope and Robyn Butler's Upper Middle Bogan, so I thought I'd probably love this. But despite the big name actors, the amazing location, and some other decent elements, it just feels overdone, too tense, and like it's trying to be a comedy but isn't. It's such a pity, because I'm a huge fan of the actors' other work, but placing them in this series doesn't make it any good, despite their skill as individuals. It's actually really uncomfortable to watch (which I'm not sure I've ever experienced before to this extent), and I need a glass of wine to chill out afterwards! Disappointed not to be giving a better review. I know 1 out of 10 is extreme, but in my opinion the series just really doesn't work.

The series begins strongly in episode 1 thanks to great acting on a relatable topic and some terrific photography that takes advantage of the Victorian coast. The episode accurately showcases how once similar lives can go down very different paths and the trials and tribulations that come with that. All that great work, however, is almost brought undone by almost comical (not in a good way) over-acting that wouldn't look out of place on a Studio 10 infomercial and a complete lack of chemistry between the two leads in episode 2. It made the series suddenly feel amateurish and the episode was completely unwatchable.

Hopefully the series can be salvaged going forward, as it's an interesting concept that is clearly capable of attracting a talented cast as seen in E1, but how episode 2 got anyone's tick of approval to be aired is beyond me.