mzulgis Reviews

Happy Valley (2014–2023)

Impressive acting and convincing storyline

[10/10 · 12 February 2023]

Truly breathtaking acting. Sarah Lancashire is so authentic and gritty in her role, the tough police sergeant who's seen it and heard it all before but is always ready to listen and help nonetheless. She had gone through so much and yet is the rock her family cling to when things get really bad. The chemistry between Sgt Cawood and Tommy Lee Royce is so palpable and convincing is almost impossible to believe it isn't real. The relationships between the characters can be complicated at times, but isn't that the way life is at the best of times? British drama at its very best, don't miss this one.

Happy Families (1985)

Hugely underrated

[8/10 · 29 January 2023]

One of my all time favourites. Watching Jennifer Saunders morphing from granny to Madeline and all her other missing granddaughters while Adrian Edmondson ineptly investigates their whereabouts and tries to persuade them to return home is highly entertaining. But it has to be said that Jim Broadbent's Dalcroix and Rik Mayall's French priest are what really made this fabulous (too) short series so unforgettable for me. This is why I find it so surprising that the series can not be bought for love or money and no matter how hard you look you will never find it. "Piano WIRE. They used piano wire".

The Street (2006–2009)

Classic Drama

[10/10 · 1 June 2013]

Nobody does drama like the British. Their use of "real people" like Timothy Spall and other character actors make the stories more believable and plausible. Not all actors look like they've stepped out of the pages of a prominent fashion magazine. I would imagine that many of those offering negative criticism were brought up on mass-produced, pasteurised, plasticised, sanitised, computerised and irradiated drivel, and were shocked at being exposed to real life. Real life, ad-lib, spontaneity, remember that? Not everything comes with a step-by-step instruction manual, so try not to get too disappointed when you can't guess the end 5 minutes into the show. That's what story telling is all about. Dud? I don't think so mate.