Flesh and Blood

If you are a sucker for British tv-series like me, "Flesh and Blood" is highly recommendable. It has all the right ingredients: Interesting and psychological complex characters, an intriguing plot, and last but not least great acting.

The plot centers on Vivien, a recently widowed mother of three adult children,. Vivien longs for love and affection, and she is ready for new adventures.. When Mark, a retired surgeon and widower, comes along, she decides to marry him. Her children are not happy about it, and when Vivien also plans to sell their childhood home, a lovely house by the sea, the siblings decide to investigate Mark's past life. Was his first wife's death really an act of suicide, and what if their new stepfather only is after their mother's money?

In contrast to Vivien's sudden happiness the three siblings are going through a bad patch. The oldest sister has neglected her marriage for her new job as a hospital manager, and her husband has left her. Jake, the brother, is deep in debt due to gambling problems, and is fighting hard to get his family back. The youngest sister has a long term affair with her boss, who has promised to leave his wife, and marry her, but will he ever do that?

The main character of the drama, however, is not a member of the family. It is Mary, the loveable, but prying next door neighbour, played by the excellent Imelda Staunton. She is an old friend of Vivien, and perhaps her feelings for Vivien are more than just friendly? Anyway, Mary is not happy to lose her old friend either. Will things work out in the end? My lips are sealed.

Like a lot of serialised dramas, although this was a good watch with a well-known cast, it ended with more questions than it did answers. I almost always try not to build up to some catastrophic ending because rarely is there one and this was by no means an exception but I still enjoyed the tension. It's just a shame the ending didn't honour all of the lead up.

Watching a great show. Every character in it is someone I know or lives down the street from me. The writers deserve an AA++. Actors are superb and the story moves along at an comfortable pace. Why can't more TV be like this. I really like the adult children. Two of them in different bodies and names used to work with me. I have a good idea how this will end but I'm slowly enjoying it like glass of good wine. Thank you PBS. You put commercial TV to shame even though they have billions to throw around.

By the end of the third episode, almost everyone has got motive, and they are all warped humans as well, except the pot-someking falsely accused of being a philandering spouse and dad. He's the only one on an even keel, so am thinking, since the others are kinda obvious suspects, plus there is no butler, it would be a real kick in the nads if it turns out Mr. Goody-goody is in fact SOB who did the deed. But then that would be kinda over-egging the story. Well, what am saying, this show has a good pace, which is naff, but it sure keeps ya guessing. And with all the lead characters well-drawn and great performances all around, my spider sense says 8 stars.

What better way to warm you up on a cold winters night than a murder mystery set on the Sussex coast in the height of summer. Francesca Annis is a recently widowed mother of a dysfunctional family who seem more worried about there inheritance when the mother meets and falls in love with retired surgeon played by Stephen Rea. All the children have relationship problems of there own, and throw in to the pot a nosey neighbour from hell played superbly by Imelda Staunton and we have a delicious mix of mystery and mayhem spread over four nights. 8/10