Red Rose

It started so good, the first 3-4 episodes with Rochelle were great, then it was becoming just an average teenage drama, lazier and lazier writing and not believable. New, shallow characters appeared, too many unbelievable coincidences, like Roch's father having a picnic on his own in the same spot as the teenagers and by coincident he also has Roch's letter about her results in his hands. What is the chance of that happening? Teenagers dying and no one is willing to turn their phone or WiFi off. The last episode is probably the worst. I was expecting a much more twisted ending. The series had a potential but it feels like a different person wrote the beginning and end episodes.

Because this is a horror series. If they did all the smart things, there would be two episodes, not eight. And people in horror movies rarely do the smart thing. That's how horror works. Ignore things like the group not paying attention to warnings, going out alone, walking in the dark, defying parents at every turn and never bothering to involve police. Just enjoy the ride. Great acting by young folks, believable characters, exciting plot, and dynamite music.. It isn't perfect but it is fun and certainly entertaining. Like any other series, some episodes are better than others. Episode 4 dragged a bit, 5 revived things. Satisfying ending. No need for a sequel.

My husband and I enjoyed this. There was a fairly interesting premise and some good characters however like with a lot of series nowadays are stretched into too many episodes. The 8 could have been condensed to 5 or 6 and then it would have been greatly improved. The episode which seems to just be about getting their exam results was not great.

The first two and last two were decent. The others dragged a bit.

We did feel that the acting was good and they did feel like genuine teenagers and it felt authentic that they were from Bolton and wasn't just like every other teen drama that seems to be based in london.

The characters also had a great bond and each one was distinct and interesting.

An ok way to pass the time, not life changing but also doesn't deserve the incredibly harsh reviews. Could 2 hours have been cut out of it though? Yes absolutely.

Made by the same company as 'Sex Education' this is a very different beast and no comedy. Yes its a bunch of teens at odds with the world and themselves - but this is a coming of age horror story set in Bolton. For once its not a bunch of rich kids at a posh Academy down south.

Made for BBC3 its now also going out on BBC1 which shows its well thought of. The budget is obviously tight but it was well made and it was generally well cast. Best friends and principals Wren and Rochelle played by Amelia Clarkson and Isis Hainsworth are both excellent actors.

The storyline is interesting and grabbed me. Rochelle downloads the 'red rose app' hoping to boost her confidence with it, but it soon begins to become controlling and events start to take a much darker turn.

This is one to enjoy and safely roll with if you like the first episode. I'm in.

Really good teen drama with a tragic twist. It has got a feel of Black Mirror combined with a ghost story so if that's up your street you might like it.

Reviewed at 2 episodes in.