Marriage.

I thought it was too much like real life to be interesting.

Yes, because of the actors' calibre, I'll persist but confess to being disappointed thusfar. Does anyone know how many episodes there are?

OMG booorrriinngg!!!! Himself wanted the second half of Van der Valk too. Have to watch that tomorrow.

Not sure what to make of it. A bit like eavesdropping on friends who have problems in their marriage and it feels awkward and uncomfortable.

I was going to watch it then saw a trailer and decided not to - it would seem that I made the right decision!

It was quite a slow pace, but I enjoyed it because it was like real life.

That was complete and utter crap.

Over on Twitter somebody has called for a Christmas special so that they can find out if Sean Bean's character likes roast potatoes with his turkey ?

I think Sean Bean is brilliant. He’s a bit like Michael Caine in that he doesn’t seem to be acting, is still obviously Sean Bean but still morphs himself into the role he’s playing. His performance in that prison programme was amazing. It does seem odd making a series about marriage though given that he’s been married so many times!

I loved The Royle Family too, so clever to do a programme where hardly anything happens but incredibly well drawn characters and very very funny in its observations about human behaviour. Well that was the late Caroline Aherne's writing skills and getting together a brilliant cast to act our her idea.

This one also has a brilliant cast, which makes it all the more disappointing . There are obviously some back stories and umpteen under lying tensions so will probably watch another one to see whether anything can be pulled out of the bag to redeem it From tonight's episode the dialogue didn't make me believe in them as a married couple of many years.

I was beginning to wonder if Sean’s character had Alzheimers to be honest.

Thought that it was tedious. Guess that it's all available on iPlayer already would indicate that they're not expecting a ratings success.

That was awful, and that music and the start and finish was dire. Stunted conversations, long, long silences, poor diction [Sean Bean] no depth, deeply uncomfortable with each other after nearly 30 years of marriage, awkwardness in every [drawn out] scene.
Disappointing.

The reviews warned that it was a slow starter so I was prepared for that and think this will be an intelligent look at a long marriage. Assume the daughter is adopted? I am in favour of colour blind casting but it has to be believable. Otherwise lots of possibilities being dangled in front of us. And surely James Bolam won’t be wasted in a bit part.

I found all the characters a bit creepy. The husband hanging around the young girl at the gym. The wife with the other office staff and the daughter with a man who is obviously controlling. Who was the man with the father that hid upstairs???

Well you have all decided that for me! I read the blurb about it in the Radio Times and thought I must record that. I forgot it was on until I saw your posts. I'm not going to bother as I can look at a dishwasher any day of the week. I read that Sean and Nicola had to do about twenty takes in order to get the most realistic robotic movement of placing your breakfast bowl in the machine. I'm not watching Van Der Valk either, I gave up after ten minutes of the first episode, he was so bloody miserable.

I pay my licence fee for a bit of escapism where drama is concerned. If I want humdrum I’ll put the bins out or check down the bottom of the garden for unspotted dog poo.

It didn’t draw me in, in fact I couldn’t wait for the hour to end.
The “music” was strange, nothing about it will make me want to put myself through it again.

I will add to the ‘disappointing’ reaction.

If I hadn’t read a précis of it in my TV guide, I wouldn’t have twigged half of what went on.

The creepy bit with Ian ‘stalking’ the girl in the gym? Was he associating her with his adopted daughter? The visit to the cemetery, that must have been a daughter who died, but I thought at first it was his deceased mum’s grave they were going to.

The bloke who hid upstairs, I assume was Emma’s brother, as he called James Bolam ‘dad’. But who was ‘Nicholas’ who they said they were going to visit, which sounded like an excuse to get away?

As for the excruciating meal with the new controlling boyfriend, what were they eating? Looked like Ian finally got his jacket potato, and the tomato ketchup was thankfully in evidence, but would you eat that with salad? The whole meal looked like a scene from Corrie, at Jack and Vera Duckworths.

And do you come home from a Spanish holiday, and are soon lolling on the sofa? I am opening windows, getting the suitcases unpacked, going through the post (thoroughly), not casually rifling through it and chucking it in the recycling.

There are 4 parts to it, I assume it will pick up, but at the moment, to me it’s definitely on a par with the ghastly ‘Mum’.

Another dissappointed viewer here. Didn't like the music at all- had to turn sound down whenever it came on.
Scene at the grave (apparently of a lost child) didn't ring true. They each sobbed separately but no attempt to comfort each other.
Same thoughts as Calendargirl about the meal.

I agree it was, for me, very unrealistic. But maybe for others it rang true.
I may have nodded of at times. I might replay it to see if I missed any relevant bits, that would make more sense!

When they said they were visiting Nicholas I assumed that was the dead child, possibly an anniversary of the child's birthday, she had a card? Maybe?

I found it irritating and it reminded me why I didn't enjoy Mum, but as Nicola Walker and Sean Bean are excellent actors I shall persevere.

FlexibleFriend

That was complete and utter crap.

That was my DH's opinion Flexible. He insisted we watch it to the end as I'd wanted to see it. We were doing crosswords and scrolling on phones, well before the end - and it was still tedious.

I assume visiting Nicola? was the grave of a dead child who they grieve separately for some reason and that the daughter is an adopted replacement child.

I thought to start with Ian was fantasising about the girl at the gym but perhaps he sees his dead child in her. I think he's having a quiet breakdown after the redundancy.

And that Emma's brother doesn't talk to her (because of the death of the first child?) which is why he took himself upstairs.

There's an awful lot which could be going on but it was sooo slow most of the clues probably past over me whilst I was scrolling! It seems that they're being held together only by some awful thing in the past which neither of them can talk about or share. It's going to be a sad ending whatever happens.

I think the viewing figures for the rest of it will be much lower than last nights.

Hmm. Reading all the comments I'm wondering did I really watch. Will give tonight a try.