dinnerladies

I have watched on DVD hundreds of times All the episodes of Dinner Ladies. Those who did not like or maybe not quite understood some of the humour, check it out again, there are a great many hidden gems as to the brilliant mind of Victoria woods writing. "He played my body like a pinball machine. I lit up, paid out, and no tilting" was the brilliant line of Bren (victoria wood) mother (Julie Walters) describing her relationship with her young man. It was everyday folk, talking about everyday issues. Hidden behind the charm and the humour the show showed its emotional side, with Bren giving up her holiday to help her mother financially, single mothers, and redundancy. The show lasted two series. I look with great hesitation Victoria Woods next project.

Brilliant stuff, I've always loved Victoria Wood and everything she's ever done. After watching her TV shows there's some of her repertory company, co-star Julie Walters, Celia Imrie, and Duncan Preston. I've never watched Coronation Street as I am not a fan of soaps, but I recognised two of its regulars (Anne Reed and Thelma Barlow) though I didn't know the actresses names. It was good to be introduced to actresses who were new to me, Shobna Gulati and Maxine Peake, as well as to Andrew Dunn.

I've since enjoyed seeing Anne Reed in several TV programmes. And Andrew Dunn in one or two occasional shows. I absolutely love Julie Walters in everything I've ever seen her in. She is a consummate actress who plays every part to perfection. I can't disagree more with the comments about her character. She is extremely eccentric but that's no bad thing, I think she is wonderfully weird. No one else could have possibly played that part, she is Petula.

This is one of my favourite comedy shows with a great selection of colourful characters, each brilliantly performed by an incredibly talented team of artists. They formed such a perfect partnership, that I could certainly imagine them working together. Anyone used to working in what I consider to be a normal environment, such as a factory will be able to to relate to the show. The natural badinage that exists between workmates used to each others company, is wonderfully encapsulated.

It might not sound like an amusing premise, but believe me, it's funny. This is a great show from Victoria Wood, with a wonderful ensemble cast, including Celia Imrie and Julie Walters, which has got to lead to some laughs. As well as humour it's got its more serious moments, making it all-round great entertainment. Definitely one to watch.

Dinnerladies ranks as one of the best comedies of all all time, it's as witty, hilarious and all out lovely as it was when it first aired.

It's consistent from beginning to end, the humour remains sharp and witty throughout, the characters are incredible, and such is the writing, and the acting, that you care for them. You will see this particularly so in the episode Christine.

Wood's writing was so brilliant, and so selfless, she could have saved the best lines for herself, but she didn't. The lines were generously spread around, however, Walters always seemed to steal the show, Petula Gordino became more and more extreme, and more funny.

Favourite episodes include Fog and the glorious finale Toast.

This was a wonderful, clever, funny comedy, I loved it 9/10.

A whimsical observational comedy from Victoria Wood. As another contributor said, not a million miles away from the works of Allan Bennett. It featured a mixture of Wood's 'repertory company', familiar from her other shows such as Duncan Preston and Celia Imrie and talented Northern English character actors such as Sue Devaney and Thelma Barlow (both veterans of the long-running soap 'Coronation Street') The main characters were richly detailed, the lesser ones caricatures, but very recognisable types. The one false note, I feel, was struck by the character of the heroine Bren's alcoholic, fantasist mother who made occasional raucous appearances. She was a grotesque figure, out of the wilder reaches of Charles Dickens, and seemed to have been included merely to give an opportunity for Wood's old pal Julie Walters to overact shamelessly. Victoria Wood bravely decided to end this popular show after only two series while it was still fresh (like the dinnerladies' bacon butties).