Ballykissangel

Now being re-run on ITV3, I am really enjoying BallyK all over again. For me, the acting of the whole ensemble cast is wonderful and particularly Stephen Tompkinson as Father Peter Clifford. His relationship with Assumpta is fascinating, even when I know what happened, because it shows them actually relating to each other as people and not in the roles that they play in the village. Peter goes beyond the traditional remit of the priest, while executing it faithfully, and his kindness and good judgement are an inspiration to all. He is an example of a really good man, although he has his own inner conflicts which are played convincingly. Most of all, I feel that all the characters in BallyK are friends who I want to visit - I feel as if I know them. It also hasn't dated too much and I think new viewers would enjoy it as much as those of us who remember it warmly from the first time around.

If you've ever the chance to watch this program, do give it a chance. It's brilliant and even though some characters have left it is still just as great! The new characters are very exciting and as always it is very well written. I answer to those who watch on PBS in the states, I've heard they are starting to play new episodes now.

This is a great series. As you watch you get pulled into the lives of the various characters living in a small village. While there is a tendency to romanticize the rural life in many films (and in part here), there is a greater depth than the average show. There is much humor in this series and also much heat break. As much as the viewer yearns for things to go right in the characters lives, things tend to go wrong and the characters must deal with personal loss, death, divorce, and financial ruin. For a show billed as a comedy, it is more drama with an overlay of humor. I am being somewhat vague in this review because this is a series to be dipped into for episodes that are uplifting and heart warming but ultimately overshadowed by reality. If you watch it once you will find find that after the passage of a few years you are longing to revisit Ballykissangel and share in the lives of what almost become real people.

In 1998, I toured Ireland with a group of Aussies. We stopped in Avoca only because Ballykissangel was filmed there. All the Aussies were excited to see the church, the store, and Fitzgerald's just as seen on their BBC back home. I remembered the cute name for the town (Ballykissangel) when I joined Netflix. The characters are so well developed. No U.S. TV series is ever this good. Only when PBS shows a series of BBC programs is there any quality, and this has never been shown where I have been. The quirky people of BallyK just keep on coming. Some better than others, but each disc always leaves me wanting more. This show could have continued longer that six seasons with Kieran Prendiville back in the helm, but alas, it didn't. I will be sorry when I watch the last disc. Should it ever appear on PBS, I will become an avid watcher again. It is worth seeing again and looking forward to each episode. Ballykissangel wins my highest praise as quality storytelling.

This is one of the best shows that I watch. It is part of my Thursday night line up. My mother loves it too. We watch it regularly. It has all the makings of a soap opera but a much better story line!! You could actually believe that it is something that would happen to anyone. If you haven't seen it before, watch it!!