The Secret Life of Us

I dunno, everyone raves about this show but for me it is too self-conscious. It seems that the show was developed in order to appeal to a specific demographic and as a result picks up on what is required in order to "be cool". Perhaps I am being too critical of the show, perhaps Australia needs a twenty-something show, but for me it is just another run of the mill soap-opera. Now, I have has people try and convince me it is "deeper" and more "intellectual" than a soap-opera, but to me "Twin Peaks" was a soap-opera and more intellectually demanding than "The Secret Stylised Life of Us". Overall the show is competent,but nothing more...It just seems too calculated, but maybe I am just out of date.

Never before have I seen a drama series so realistic. Everything is done flawlessly - the plots, the acting, the scripts... FORGET Reality TV. NEVER FORGET the Secret Life of Us. This series revolves around the lives of 8 twenty-somethings in the inner-city Melbourne suburb of St. Kilda as they aim for (to quote Kelly) "a good work life, a good home life and a good love life". NOTHING in the plot is overdone and over dramaticised, unlike some US TV shows that I have seen (read this, Aaron Spelling!), and nothing as trivial as some of the stuff they put in soapies like Home and Away and Neighbours! This is definitely my type of show, and I follow it avidly, just short of religiously!

Unlike Mr Spedding I disagree that this is better than 'This Life', although very much in the same vein, and whilst 'The Secret Life of Us' is very entertaining, the first series of This Life was far and away superior to "The Secret Life of Us' The characters are well written and acted and the plot skips along well enough to keep you interested, but it lacks the element of surprise that 'This Life' had in every episode. Whilst Claudia Karvan is a very talented actress, the lack of Daniela Nardini is the main problem with comparing 'This Life' and 'The Secret Life of Us'.

Worth a visit if you have an hour free on a Monday night

I think that "The Secret Life of Us" is a brilliant show. I watched it from day one and was fascinated by the character dynamics. The storylines are fresh and interesting and I love the fact that it's set in Melbourne (not Sydney as one reviewer claimed). I particularly like Deborah Mailman as Kelly and think she deserves every award she gets. Behind the scenes, Christopher Pettifer is the composer and his music is just perfect for the show. I rate the show 11/10. Not a disappointing moment in any episode broadcast to date.

There are many things that can be said about this fantastic show however if you saw if for the first time in its last 2 years of production then you can be excused for thinking that it was awful.

Although the show suffered an incredible demise during series 3 and never recovered, original viewers will always remember how sensational it was in the first two years. (2001-2002) In fact it was so good that it was bound to become worse because no show could continue to be that good while being so original and creative. I suppose all good things must come to an end and if the show had ended after series 2 then it would have left us viewers dying for more. The way it really ended during series 4 left us viewers yelling "Get it off !!" I can honestly say that I have never seen a show go from being so good to being so bad !! But remembering the first series, it was a show that any person in their 20's could relate to. It was an extremely realistic show which also had some great acting. Combine the infectious storyline, the great scenery (around St. Kilda and some of Melbourne's other more attractive locations) and not to mention... great home grown music and you have a great show. If you love Aussie music then this was definitely a show for you. Secret Life had a contract with Mushroom so we got to hear the best in Oz rock, both past and present !! We also got to hear Abi Tucker's great singing and Oh my god !! Who could ever forget Evan singing "Howzat" at the Fu Bar Karaoke night !!! What made it so special to me was that most of us could identify with every character in the show and as the series went on, the characters just grow on you. I will never forget in series 2, when Will (Joel Edgerton) left the show. It wasn't the same anymore. There was something missing. He was part of the original cast that made such a big impression on us. His departure was definitely the beginning of the shows demise as every original character except for Kelly & Simon, would soon jump off what was to become a sinking ship.

With the exception of Will's departure, series 2 was almost as good as series one. It continued with so many realistic situations that we could all relate to. Personally my favorite character was Jason, played by Damian De Montemas. In series one we saw him as a very confused man who was making a lot of mistakes and learning the hard way. Series two saw him trying to become more responsible after getting a girl pregnant. He committed himself to fatherhood and was extremely overjoyed after the birth of his son. He persevered with his relationship with a woman who was very difficult to get along with simply because he wanted to do the right thing and be a responsible father. But in the end it all caved in around him and nothing went his way. His absence in series three was a major disappointment for myself.

There was also the on-going Evan & Alex saga. The couple who seemed so perfect for each other but who always seemed to be victims of bad timing. I am actually amazed that the writers of the show never gave us viewers what we all really wanted which was of course to see them together in a relationship. Alex was to marry Rex who was played by Vince Colosimo. Although Vince Colosimo is a great actor, he was not suited to the show and his introduction was another step in the shows decline.

Despite the show losing its popularity, its later years did have some highlights. The introduction of Dan Speilman as "Tidy" was very good for the show although he only lasted one series and then he simply vanished like most others did in 2004. Stephen Curry was a great asset to the show in series 4 however by then it was too late. If he had been in the show in its earlier years, even if he was just a regular guest, he would have been a huge hit !! Also in the later years we got to know Simon (likeable Gay barman from Fu Bar) a lot better and his character was sensational.

There was however one character in the show that I could never understand. The character of Kelly, (played by Deborah Mailman and the shows longest serving character)never made a lot of sense. I am not sure what the writers of the show were thinking when they invented her. I must say she was good in the first series but after that her character never progressed in the same way that all the others did. It was the same story every series. She would just meet new guys and form relationships that would never last. Another thing that also did not make sense is that she is not an attractive woman yet in the show she got more interest from guys than all the other girls when some of the other girl were in fact stunners !! But overall the Secret Life Of Us will remain as one of my favorite all time shows. The first three series are available on DVD and I strongly urge anyone who has never seen the show to get your hands on it although I would just stick to the first two series and not bother with series three.