Where the Heart Is

I thought this show had promise until Jackie came along. That was start of a fast decline into moronic teenage sex and babies without real parents all over the place. Worthy of soap opera status but not much else. Once Peggy dies it gets even worse. Actually by season 4 it was so awful I was skipping through it at a fast pace. Vic was the best of a cast of characters. Everyone else is pretty boring and messed up. I particularly did not like characters just disappearing with no heads up. What happened to Chris? And good grief. All the main characters who can are flaming alcoholics. I believe it's a tie between Jess and Jackie for the worst characters.

'Coronation Street' is a good example of a long-running British drama that has been on United Kingdom TV's longer than any American soap. Other drama series like 'Heartbeat' and 'Ballykissangel' are right up there, and 'Where the Heart Is' is on its way to joining the ranks.

In only its fourth season, WTHI has quickly become one of the favorites. Now the show is popular in Canada, a few networks there have picked up last season to show. Unfortunately WTHI is not shown in the states, but I got my hands on a video taping of the second season. And there is no comparison.

WTHI is a great British dramatic series about real families, real problems, real people and real love in a small Yorkshire town. You can share the lives and loves of sisters-in-law Peggy Snow and Ruth Goddard. Some have called this series "sugar-coated" but don't knock it until you have seen it.

The British must know something we Americans do not, many programs they show are based on real life, not what the ideal kind of person is. Imperfections are not looked upon in the media. I think we should all take a cue. And watch this show if you can, I'd move over to England just to see it if I could.

Where The Heart Is has always been well written and a comfortable Sunday night drama. It's a shame that the wonderful Peggy Snow played by Pam Ferris is no longer there though, I did feel the programme had lost something after she left. The show focuses on the lives of the people living in Skelthwaite so it does have a soapy aspect to it, you could say that there's too many soap like programmes on TV today but this is just mixing the drama with a soap aspect to make it seem more real. I recommend this to anyone who wants a cosy Sunday evening infront of their tele and doesn't want to watch something that is going to tax their brain to a great extent.

I do like this feel good programme which is great for a Sunday night Prime time between 8pm and 9pm. Although it is a bit of a soap, every episode self contained. At 8.30pm everything is doom and gloom problems abound. However by 8.55pm. all problems have disappeared and everything is fine and dandy. The series is set in the small West Yorkshire fictional town of Skelthwaite. Almost all of the regular cast either work in the local health centre or a toilet roll factory. Almsot all of the regular adult male cast play for the towns rugby club. There has been a complete change of cast since the first series started. The theme song, heard over the opening titles is that this a a great little place to live in and that Home is where the heart is. Unfortunately as all of the original cast have left and regular cast leave all the while it would appear to be where the heart isn't !!

I live in the US and have been streaming this wonderful series through the Acorn channel. I'll be finishing Series 8 tonight. Unfortunately, Seasons 9 and 10 aren't available yet...but, something to look forward to.

WTHI is what I call a slice of life show--it's really about the daily lives of the people of Skelthwaite. They look and act like real people. This is so refreshing compared to the (too) high gloss of most American shows (which I almost never watch). I admit it's a little disconcerting when main characters go away (ta, Peg and Vic, Ruth and Simon), although I have to admit I don't miss a few who've gone (Karen, the male nurse whose name I can't even remember).

Try this, you'll like it. And, if you're from the US, you might want to consider watching with subtitles until you get the hang of the Yorkshire accent -- it's summat different from what we're used to hearing.

Other reviews also mentioned the fantastic show Ballykissangel -- I highly recommend that one as well. Also, although a period piece, From Lark Rise to Candleford is equally wonderful in its not-modern setting.