The Cafe

Perhaps it is that US programming spends its dollars chasing the spending powers of 20 to 35 year-olds that we miss the excellence of actors over a certain age. These young writers understand that older actors have impact. The program explores the subtleties of everyday life, examining character rather than product placement. The young writers are wise beyond their age. Having been raised in a small town, where everyone knew everyone's business, i can relate to the "smallneaa" of the milieu. It may be my age, 58, which draws me into the program, but my own child finds the program compelling without being able to articulate the reason, other than it makes him smile. I cannot think of a better recommendation.

This is a great show to watch after spending 18+ months dealing with COVID and the stress it has created. I love the gentleness of the story and the characters. I love the sweet nature of the people, how considerate they are to each other and what makes this show work so well is because all of these people are quirky. Normally there might be one or two characters who could be called quirky, but in this show all the characters are quirky, it's just some have a higher degree of it. The real beauty is that they know it and they all accept each other for who they are. They live their everyday lives being kind.

So even though it is a television show it helps me to believe that the world is just going through a tough time right now but one day soon I will be sitting in a seaside cafe, drinking a cup of tea and laughing with a group of gentle, quirky people who care, a lot, about each other.

Having read the present reviews beforehand I must admit that I had mixed feelings when I started to watch the show. I think the viewer will be pleasantly entertained instead. I've watched the characters unfold in the first two episodes and could appreciate the 'underbelly' humour that is continuously present in the lines and performances of the well-cast actresses and actors. This is not meant as hilarious entertainment; rather, it is the subtle dynamics of close acting that does the trick. The environment is set up very nicely. This is not a decor. Not at all, this is almost a reality show in its set up. So, let's see how this series develops in time.

This show is a very understated comedy gem. Brilliant writing and acting make the ordinary seem hillarious as only the British can do.

The more episodes I watched, the more I enjoyed this series in a quaint seaside resort. There were an unbelievable number of quirky characters wandering around, but the real local characters shone through. It's not for everyone, but if you're the type that likes to sit back and people watch, this is for you. Simply lovely.