Maggie Cole

The village name seems to be a combination of Thurlestone and Bigbury and apparently filming locations include Burgh Island, Bigbury, Mothecombe and the school is in Ivybridge.

I shall watch it for that

I found Dawn French irritating and unlikeable in this. Hopefully in later episodes other cast members will be featured more.

I didn’t take to Dawn French’s character either, but to me she seems the same in every part she plays. Didn’t seem much like a comedy. Felt more like a Midsomer Murder, was waiting for someone to bump her off at the end of the episode, probably her long suffering husband.

What a load of tripe!

I watched this in preference to the football but found it hard to stick with it. Dawn French was just Dawn French so didn't really do the character justice, she was just not believable. I think Julie Hesmondhalgh would have been better cast as Maggie Cole.

I agree with all the above comments. It seems like they're trying to make another Doc Martin. Beautiful scenery but it didn't grab me. I'm halfway through the first episode and will try to finish it but not sure I'll watch another episode. I'm not warming to her character.

Re the reference to Jam and Jerusalem, I really enjoyed that series - especially the episode when Charles Dance turned up at (I think) the village summer fair and soon lost his heart throb status when he bored everybody to death with his interminably long and totally uninteresting speech.

I think Dawn French really over-acted as the Maggie Cole character. I think she was meant to be quirky and amusing but she was neither.

It didn’t take off for me either. Same character as all the others she’s played. No surprises in the acting sadly.

Eloethan I'm so glad someone else remembers J&J! I'd forgotten about Charles Dance, but I thought Joanna Lumley's turn as a batty 80 something was a treat.
I guess I mentioned it because Dawn French's role in J&J was IMO different from Maggie Cole, and different from the character she played in Lark Rise to Candleford.

Another J&J fan here. Really enjoyed it and the book is very interesting too.

I do like Dawn French but this was like watching a ( bad) copy cat version of Dr Martin with beautiful scenery and not much else

Started to watch it on catch up last night. As someone has said the scenery was lovely. I found the plot predictable and Maggie very aggravating. I think I lasted 20mins and won't watch again.

I am watching the first episode whilst on Gransnet, it certainly hasn't grabbed me yet. I find Maggie very unlikeable and annoying. The scenery is lovely but apart from that, seems like a dud so far.

I watched the first episode, the scenery was beautiful. I agree with others Dawn French is like Hugh Grant just the same in whatever role they play.

I read that the beach is Bigbury , the village Noss Mayo and the pub is not a real pub!

Oh, I thought it was The Ship!

Yes, Noss Mayo.

I must look at the beach more closely, I read that it's Mothecombe.

I paid more attention to the scenery than to the plot and switched off after half an hour.

I really like Hugh Grant and think he is far more versatile than Dawn French (though I agree that in Jam and Jerusalem the character she played was very different from her usual fare).

Hugh Grant does play the diffident, self-effacing gentleman extremely well, but he is capable of more than that. It's true he generally plays charming and likable characters but he was great as Jeremy Thorpe in A Very British Scandal and in the Florence Foster Jennings film.

I thought the recent TV "in conversation with" Hugh Grant was hugely entertaining and very amusing.

I've finished the first episode now and it got better once the radio programme went out! An interesting story line I thought. I will keep watching to see how Maggie will untangle this awful mess. Maybe a wake up call for her to realise how harmful gossip like that can be.

Eloethan he was excellent as Jeremy Thorpe and I thoroughly enjoyed his send-up of himself in Paddington Bear.
Brilliant!

I haven't seen the Florence Foster Jennings film.

I didn't like Maggie, interfering, spiteful, she must have thought those things to say them. I am not a fan of Dawns acting, I will probably watch once more for the lovely scenery, but I think these programmes are just jollies for those involved in them.

Mr R and I watched it yesterday. I wanted to turn it off but we watched it to the end and it got better - as has already been said - after the radio programme went out.
I am actually looking forward to the next episode!

We loved Dawn French in The Vicar of Dibley BTW

The Vicar of Dibley was excellent.

The scenery is excellent in this series!

Anyone else bothered to tune in to episode 2? Found Dawn French rather irritating again, gurning away at every touch and turn. She really does pull lots of silly faces.
The scene at the GP’s surgery seemed very stupid, dragging her foot along, plus not sure how she got an appointment same day.
Is it a comedy or a drama? Neither it seems.

I’ve watched both episodes. It was OK. Not wonderful but not awful. I’m hoping it improves in the subsequent episodes in which case I will continue watching