Sugar Rush

I have to say, I've become addicted to Sugar Rush. It makes up for all those years I spent as a teenager where there was not a hint of lesbionic viewing was in site. Young lesbians of today should be pleased to have such a show. It's entertaining, funny and regularly shocking. Kim's life is messed up but you don't realize to what extent until she narrates it at the start of the next episode. Still, in Season 2 she's starts to pull it together when she meets Saint. At least she has the love sorted. Her family, are another matter. and of course there's the CC. Wicked! You find yourself wanting to be there or anywhere like it. Careful people, this one's addictive!

First thing's first. Perhaps at the grand ole' age of 21 I'm too old to have a valid opinion on teenage fiction but the book the TV show is based on is, as 15 year-olds round my way like to say, a pile of crud. The fact that Channel 4 even considered adapting such a waste of trees for prime-time TV amazes me. What amazes me even more, however, is what a great job they made of it throughout this 10-part series. Although the fast-paced narration and eye-assaulting camera-work give it a "yoof drama" feel that belies the 18-cert sex and swearing, the acting is of a consistently high standard (Olivia Hallinan could well be the next Charlotte Coleman) and the script pleasingly sharp. Some of the characters are impressively well-drawn. Go down to any shopping centre in the country on a Saturday afternoon and you'll find ten versions of the central character Sugar. Nathan the houseproud father and Dale the dim handyman are also convincing even though Stella and Matt are far-fetched. My only real gripe with the show is the characterisation of 15 year-old Kim. As someone whose life was made miserable by largely internalised sexuality issues a couple of years later than that, I felt that at times her wry, breezy narration of her adversity was not entirely realistic for somebody of that age (even someone of her supposed intelligence and maturity) in that big a situation. Then again, fiction is fiction and some of the lighter moments made me laugh out loud. I am very glad they released it on DVD, as it is something fit to be enjoyed again and again.

'Sugar Rush' is unlike anything I've ever seen on TV before. On the surface it's a teen drama but it's really incredibly adult, hence its late-night slot on Channel 4. Some bits are most definitely not suitable for children, although it's more what's said than what's shown, and there is a lot of clever innuendo which completely passed me by on the first viewing. It doesn't tiptoe around anything; Kim is in love with Sugar and it's cute, but she's also 'sexually obsessed' with her and the programme makes no secret of the fact that she'd love to get into her best friend's pants.

It sounds like a recipe for every man's lesbian fantasies and from the first couple of episodes it might look like that's how it's going to turn out, but this programme had me totally hooked by the 3rd or 4th instalment and once it passed the half way point, I would probably have done a serious injury to anyone who'd made me miss an episode. I was in floods of tears more than once, which wasn't something I'd expected from the quirky comedy-drama I'd seen advertised. Kim is such a compelling character, and I just wanted to reach out and give her a hug every time she got screwed over yet again. The sub-plot of her parents' marriage falling apart was probably what hit me the hardest, with Richard Lumsden giving an incredible, heart-breaking performance as Nathan the well-meaning house-husband. The whole thing was so well written that just a few words uttered by one of the characters could mean so much, and stir up unbelievable amounts of emotion in me. There's also a slightly surreal style to the way the whole series is shot, which makes it all that little bit more compelling. However, the music contributed a lot to the brilliance of the TV programme for me, which meant I wasn't too happy to find it had almost all been changed on the DVD for 'contractual reasons'.

Olivia Hallinan is a fantastic actress who is definitely going places. What makes her so brilliant and sets her apart from other young actresses is her ability to downplay the role and keep Kim introverted, saying so much with her face and her eyes while keeping her lines almost deadpan at times, so that when she does bring out the emotion in her voice you can really feel it pouring out of her. For me, Lenora Crichlow was the perfect counterpart to this, making me hate Sugar most of the time yet still letting me understand Kim's infatuation with her.

This programme is utterly compelling and while I would give anything for another series, part of me hopes there isn't one, because it was so beautifully crafted that it would be a shame to see it fall apart with any more added to it.

My god this series was ahead of its time... it has that skins/shameless kind of allure two it and sugar is the perfect object of interest with her effy stonem persona, a true British icon. Kim is a complex protagonist who is extremely difficult to get behind however, I think she embodies the angst and untamed frustration of many queer teens. Even though I didn't want to to relate to her I ultimately did. Together the two girls are a match made in hell.. the perfect gruesome twosome to carry such a fiesty/unrelenting show. The family are brilliantly performed and balance them well. Cancelling this was a big mistake by channel 4 and a definite indication of the times. I don't blame the lead actresses for condemning the decision so hard. A true tragedy.

I think it deals with the issues very well, and it does it in a comedic way without causing offence. i definitely recommend it even if u are not going through what Kim is. I definitely can relate to Kim in some of the issues and it has made me see the funny side of it. I think the actors who play Kim and Sugar are very talented. I hope it will be released on DVD as i think it is well worth getting it. The music used in the series is also very good. I give this programme 10/10 and highly recommend it to any teenager dealing with the issues or not. I also think the brother from another planet is very well used as most people with brothers feel they come from another planet but the brothers don't if you get me.