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I see that this show has divided opinions. Personally, I love it.

Season one starts with the funeral of Cathy's husband and each of the first six episodes are scattered through the next year at Cathy's house and follow her and her family. The relationships are beautifully observed with delicate writing and fine acting.

At the centre is Cathy (Lesley Manville) and Michael (Peter Mullan) whose will it/won't it relationship is developed with aching slowness and the depth of emotion is so contained that it's almost all in the smallest detail of the performance - glances and smiles, hope and frustration. There's a temptation to seek Cathy as passive and put-upon, but she has the measure of all the people around her and she deals with them on her own terms. She's no one's fool. Michael, meanwhile, is totally lovelorn but incapable of action.

Then there's Kelly. Kelly is brilliant. She's totally, hopelessly daft but as the show unrolls she's the one who deepens most - her relationship with her mother (in episode 3) and her conversation with foxes (episode 5) are some of the show's highlights. There's a bit in episode five where she asks Cathy if she's laughing at her or with her and, while we might have laughed at Kelly earlier in the series, there's no doubt we're laughing with her now - it's a very nice piece of writing and performance. Lisa McGrillis manages to be both maddeningly irritating and sweetly innocent in the same moment.

The supporting characters are also excellent - Pauline is tooth- achingly annoying and yet believably damaged, Derek is hopeless, Jason is useless and Maureen and Reg - Cathy's parents-in-law - are fantastically dysfunctional and grumpy.

Normally I like my comedy a bit more in your face than Mum but the quality of the performance and writing really raises this to another level. It's a show I find myself grinning broadly at from the opening scenes to the closing credits. I hope there'll be more.

In some ways, Stefan Golaszewski's comedy 'Mum' is a very conventional sitcom: a regular cast of characters, two sympathetic central protagonists supported by a variety of comic monsters, and a setting in a three-bed-roomed suburban semi. In other respects, it's less conventional: no laughter track, and a subdued comic feel that is awfully close to the bone - human beings really do behave this way, even if not quite so relentlessly. It's unusual, however, in that its six episodes are set over a year, and tell a very slowly unfolding story, while desire for a second series has seemingly precluded the natural happy ending where you might have expected it to conclude. But it's nicely drawn, and its unfashionable basic message is that small flashes of human decency can compensate for the disappointments of life. I liked it.

After getting rid of our satellite and cable tv in the US, we've been busy finding English, Irish, Scottish, and Australian shows for quality writing and rewarding viewing. Every time we stumble upon a smart and witty series, we're excited. We eagerly watched both seasons over the weekend and fell in love with every part of the show. The characters, scenes, and dialogue are very well-written, and the actors are accomplished and savvy with their words and actions. Mum/Cathy is lovely, patient, and so sweet, yet we are able to receive her real, personal only thoughts once in awhile, and it's worth the wait. Michael is such a sweetheart, and you root for them to be happy. Every show makes me cry and laugh. Kelly is fantastic as a dumb blond stereotype, but she also provides thoughtful, caring, and observant points at times, surprising the viewer and storyline. Everyone in the show offers a special and unique portrayal of perhaps real people dealing with life's travails in whatever way they know how. Even though it's only filmed in the home, it seems to be a bigger world that the writers explore and add. The older couples remind us of a few that we know - caustic and bitter at times but also loving and in it for the long haul. We're looking for other shows and films that the actors have done because they're that good.

Divided opinions, I see. Today, I watched episode 1., just to see what it was like. Two hours later, I'd exhausted catch-up, and am bereft. There has never been a TV character, (same name!) who is ME, before. She is me, and she is all my middle-aged, single, female friends with grown-up children. She's much nicer, and more patient than me, but that is my life, I swear. Apart from the patient, strong, devoted admirer, alas. There are criticisms above of the characters of Kelly and Pauline. I couldn't disagree more. Those women aren't just flawed and a bit annoying, like most of us in real life, they have a back-story that is rather tragic, and beautifully played. Beautifully. My middle son has an ex who is Kelly. The ex is a Ph.D student, but the life and chat and mannerisms are the same as Kelly's. Even the face, figure and hair are almost identical, but I can't credit casting with that!

OH, how I enjoyed it. Along with the laughs, I suddenly burst into tears at Kelly's mum's behaviour, and Kelly's reaction. That struck a chord. Have bossed my Facebook friends into watching MUM at the soonest opportunity. I congratulate everyone involved. Thank You.

In this world, we desperately need more beautifully written and expertly performed comedy dramas that focus on some of the better aspects of human life with relatable relationships, characters, and situations. A real gem.

I loved Him & Her, and going into Mum I had no clue it was the same writer/creator, but you can feel it when you watch, almost as if the two are related in some way.

The pacing is excellent and the characters are so wonderfully realised. Casting is top notch and Kelly is equally one of the most endearing and irritating characters I've ever watched.

So surprised by how much I enjoyed this show, everything about it was enjoyable, including the soundtrack. S2E6 just made me cry and cheer, out loud, like a freakin' crazy person. you have to give props to a show that balances bitter/sweet so well.

Watch this. You won't regret it.

I watched all 6 episodes of Mum, I was hooked after the first and I'm praying there will be at least a season 2! A perfect cast for this sad comedy - All through the episodes you are left without doubt that the death of 'Dad' has an impact on each character with the exception of new girlfriend 'Kelly' (Lisa McGrillis)who is only meeting 'Mum' at the funeral - Lisa makes Kelly the most endearing girl in the world, I howled with laughter at her social skills, yet I had tears in my eyes listening to her Chav mothers references to her and Kelly's brave attempts to pretend she couldn't care less when really every word was a dagger in her heart - Cathy (mum) played by the brilliant Lesley Manville, has the temperament I pray for and her kindness to Kelly has the warmth of a log fire in winter - The scene when Cathy finds Kelly so broken at her mothers character assassination of her was beautiful! You will need tissues for this one, one for wiping the tears of laughter away and one for the tears of sadness watching Kelly, such a lovely caring soul, being demolished by her own mother, when she wishes Cathy was her Mum and Kelly wanting so badly to get it right, not for selfish reasons but for everyone else. When a character makes me want to hold them lovingly I know the actress/actor has played the part perfectly - Wow! Brilliant from the top down!

I somehow managed to miss this during its original transmission, so have just watched every episode and I have to say I'm hooked.

Cathy is recently widowed and just trying to get on with life, but it's the others around that keep throwing her curve balls, whether it's her well meaning son Jason, who perpetually walks around the house in his pants, his well meaning if absent minded girlfriend Kelly, or considerate brother Derek and his social climbing girlfriend Pauline. Cathy is the one who's world should have fallen apart, but instead is a level headed, strong woman, who is basically just a delightful woman.

Lesley Manville, an actress I've always loved shows that comedy is as easy for her as drama, she is superb. I'm hooked on Kelly's character, Lisa McGrillis is a delight with great comedy timing. The whole cast are great, the parents in law always cause a few laughs, so realistic.

I'm reminded of Grandma's House from a few years back, it's a suburban comedy, nothing slapstick or outrageous, just great character play, coupled with top notch scripts.

A joy. 9/10 Roll on Series 2 and 3.

There has been few tv series that have made me both belly laugh out loud and cry with heart wrenching sadness as this. On the surface Mum is so simple and very little actually happens, but what that allows for is space and time to put the microscope on the humanity of the characters. Their flaws, their joy, their insecurities, their loss, their love. And it's what isn't said that is as impactful as what is said. The dialogue is a masterclass in sparse and layered conversations and meaning. The acting is second to none. It takes a lot of skill to bring so much pathos and humour to such a simple premise. I bloody love this series so much. I am genuinely gutted it has come to an end. I will miss Kelly, Derrick and co very, very much.

Lesley Manville is her usual reliable self in this gentle comedy as is Peter Mullan. However the Kelly character is Incredibly irritating and needs to be toned down if I am to continue watching this. My wife has already given up on it because she can't stand her. The program is peopled by the sort of person that anyone would avoid like the plague. It is not an easy thing to do to create a comedy of this sort,it has a Mike Leigh kind of vibe. The first episode was much better than the second one and it seemed promising. However a lot more work needs to be done to make it work. Kelly says the most crude and offensive things to the Mum character that no one in the same situation would do and this makes the interaction between them unrealistic.

I watched "Mum" on a whim and I was hooked from the opening credits (the "Cup" song is both catchy and apt for this series - you'll see why),

I'm familiar with both lead actors Peter Mullan and Lesley Manville and they bring heavyweight class ability to the rolls of divorcée and widow respectively. Now add in some younger talent, great writing, direction and production values and you know you're in the for a treat. While "Mum" is often dry and wryly observed, it's equally laugh-out-loud funny.

TL;DR version (there are lots of long reviews) if you like beautifully-observed, family dynamic comedy of the type only the Brits are good at, this is a a delight. With a colourful cast of larger-than-life oddballs, Manville and Mullan lead us through a year in the life of the world's most tolerant widow.

Just be thankful you're not there and please, do make your tea in a pot!

While I find the show interesting, with great acting and writing, I don't consider this one very funny. Other than the two leads, everyone else is just annoying....either dumb as a box of rocks or self-centered and egotistic. Another problem is that it's nearly impossible to know who is related to whom and who is just a friend of the family. In addition, some of the actors are hard to understand (though that may be because I'm American and they are British). All that said, I still find the show watchable, even somewhat obsessive, mostly due to the two leads, who are simply marvelous.

Watched or should l say' endured' the first 2 episodes going it would improve. How anyone could be entertained by watching what seems to be s nice lady totally surrounded by idiots being endlessly rude to her is beyond me.

I watched this, after finding it on the recommendations list on this site (i.e. "other people that liked this, also liked THIS").

Not knowing what to expect (but encouraged by the rating), I binged- watched all 6 episodes and found myself genuinely dismayed that it was over!

As for some of the characters--well...the actors play their parts so well and it is written SO WELL that I cry every time someone is mean to Kelly (She's just dumb, and doesn't know any better. Last I checked that wasn't a crime, or a reason to be mean to someone), and frankly, the character of her mother, and the way she treated Kelly (who isn't SO dumb that she doesn't realize her mom is a mean snake), just makes me want to four-five her. I guess that's because I've known real people like that. Mean people suck. The fact that Cathy (the Mum) puts up with Kelly's numerous verbal faux pas is really endearing. She seems to understand, and empathizes with her. Just what a Mum ought to do! I know a lot of people that lack the internal "filter," so I guess I'm used to this, too!

Anytime something makes the viewer "feel" something (besides disgust!), it's a GOOD thing. Some of the characters are awkward with each other, but I think this would happen in real life, too.

I sincerely hope they do a second season. I know that BBC sometimes does these little half-shows like this (Fleabag was another), but I hope there is a chance to develop this into something long term.

This a poignant comedy about reforming relationships following a loss .. it is gentle and unassuming.. and absolutely brilliant.. a real gem ..

I have recently started watching this series (1) again after having lost the thread when the series was originally broadcast on the BBC.

This is a TV sitcom / drama that is a joy to behold. The exquisite and nuanced characterisation, mellow pace across differing sinusoidal melancholic - comedic storylines and superb acting (Lesley Manville is derserving of all nominations!) makes for very special television.

The plot revolves around the death of the husband of the central character (i.e 'Mum') and in the aftermath of that awful event the personalities that inhabit her house and life.

In short (and having only watched the first 3 episodes of Series 1) I would recommend this if you like intelligent, nuanced screenplay, great acting and an all round wry look at the everyday lives of us.

Mum is a beautiful slice-of-life dramedy. It's deceptively nuanced, as the premise is strikingly simple. Each season spans an entire year; however, each episode takes place on only one day, and all episodes are at Cathy's (Mum) house. In other words, an entire year's worth of narrative is revealed in only six days over the course of the year, all in the same physical location. Each episode is like a self-contained one-act play but it builds upon what came before it. There could be two or three months in between episodes - "May" and "August", for instance - and the viewer can infer what has or has not happened or how certain events were processed or disregarded by the manner in which the characters relate in the following episode. There is much that "happens" off-camera; much is unspoken. I don't think I've ever seen anything like it. It allows for a rich and nuanced narrative despite that an entire season is literally only six days out of a year. With such a set-up, the viewer learns to appreciate the characters, their personalities, their motivations, their strengths and their frailties, as the narrative simmers beneath the surface and in the time in between each interlude. The writing is phenomenal. Bravo to Stefan Golaszewski, the show's creator, writer, and oft-director.

Lesley Manville is perfectly cast as Mum. She portrays Cathy delicately, as in many ways, Cathy is the straight-person to the other characters' peculiarities. The rest of the cast is excellent too. Cathy's son, Jason, his sweet and often (but unintentionally) insulting girlfriend, Kelly, Cathy's in-laws, her brother (Derek) and his uptight, status-conscious girlfriend (Pauline), and a family friend Michael round out the core cast. I love the characters; I love how they interrelate. There is something realistic about this show even though no one in the world has the presence of mind to be like Cathy, have her patience, and accept everyone and their eccentricities in the manner Lesley Manville portrays. Still, it's beautiful to watch. All of its brilliance would likely be lost were this to be a Hollywood production. In most American productions, characters are largely caricatures, which makes the shows fundamentally uninteresting, as they are plot-driven rather than character-driven. In Mum, the characters are what drives the show - their perceptions, their wants, their insecurities, their personalities. Again, each episode occurs only on one day and always at Cathy's home. In a sense, "nothing" happens. There is no forced narrative device to manipulate the characters to do something; there doesn't need to be.

There are presently two seasons; the third and final season has completed filming and is supposed to air sometime in 2019. I understand narratively why the third season will be the last, but I am sorry to see it go. Mum is a near-perfect character-driven show with outstanding writing.

I love this show. I wish there were more like it.

Highly Recommened.

Every person I recommend this to - and make no mistake, I recommend it to everyone - absolutely adores it. The writing is so brilliant that even though the characters begin to get marginally too zany as though they will go the route of caricature, they are brought right back and grounded. Each episode brings small little nuances that reminds us they are all human and a product of their upbringing/past that has made them who they are.

Lesley Manville and Peter Mullen are out of this world brilliant. The slow-burn romance between them is the thread that keeps the show moving forward, month by month and giving us all larger and larger glimpses into their story. You will not be disappointed.

This original comedy drama is at times sad and touching and at other times hilarious and life affirming. Lesley Manville and Peter Mullan are perfect in the two lead roles at the head of a uniformly strong cast. Lisa McGrillis and Karl Johnson in particular provide laugh out loud moments along the way.

Loved series 1 and series 2 is proving to be just as brilliant. I rarely laugh out loud at sitcoms but the relationship between Derek and Pauline in the episode April was just played to perfection and with sublime comic timing. Yes, some people are annoying, or too nice, or slightly stupid, or emotionally armored. or weak ... but this is real life. Well done BBC for this life affirming piece of work.

Having watched the first series I could only hope for an improvement. This would put anyone of parenthood if they saw this unfortunate woman unable to escape her lame brained son and his even stupider girlfriend, her foul mouthed aggressive parents and her insufferable snob of a sister in law. There is a difference between laughing at someone playing the fool and laughing at someone who is mentally challenged. And we have the f word. Does anyone over ten years old still find this funny? It now seems to be a staple of BBC sitcoms.Once it would have been called brave, now it is just lazy writing. And Patricia Routledge has already done the snob part to death as Hyacinth Bucket. Following on the awful Two Doors Down I despair of seeing a new genuinely funny comedy. How about a show with quirky and amusing characters rather than dimwits and grotesques.

It was painful to watch. I saw 3 episodes because I was waiting for it to get better. Well, it didn't. I could't stand watching more. Very awkward conversations and scenes and nonsense storyline. It wasn't funny at all. Very disappointing.

After finding the writer's previous series Him & Her very funny we (both me and my wife) had high hopes for this and were not disappointed.

Well written, not a single wasted word in the script, brilliantly observed and all the parts played to perfection by the cast.

Brilliant.