Mum

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.