The Street

The Street is gripping, dark, emotional, heart-wrenching, and humorous - all things great television should be. With its revolving cast of characters all intertwined with each other, you feel for each one - either sympathizing, hating or loving them - and you will not be able to pull yourself away from watching them no matter how painful, humiliating, or disastrous the situation becomes. This is a must series for anyone who appreciates great drama. But beware, the subject matter does not pull any punches. The in-your-face storytelling will almost always leave you with lump in your throat and stifling a tear. Buy this, rent it, do what you have to to watch one of the best series that has come around in ages.

This is without doubt deep & dark at times, but such a joy to watch with brilliant portrayals from everyone. Jimmy McGovern hits home with strong, gritty writing as usual, and the sheer class of the whole production is superb.Episode 3 has been the standout for me (I'm still watching the series in NZ). The story based around a teacher caught short in the park, and accused of "flashing" was performed with such intensity by Neil Dudgeon and Lindesay Coulson. It threw every emotion at you. The final scenes where he was finally vindicated, made you realize just how easy mistakes can be made, and how traumatic that can be for so many people-simply brilliant! No doubt our "astvshouldbe" is still happily watching reruns of Friends, along with the other myriad of American trash, that passes for entertainment in USA

There isn't a single episode of the Street that doesn't ring true. From brutal to heart rendering, we are treated to a feast of raw, completely believable emotions. The actors (who are a who's who of British theatrical royalty) step up to the plate and knock each role (no matter how large or small) out of the park.

Oftentimes, the episodes are rough and filled with violence but they never fell like they are pandering or gratuitous. Kudos for the directors who perfectly walked this fine line.

While I have no idea of the lives of the British middle class, I feel like a have been given a front seat to the daily lives of folks just trying to get by from day to day.

If your sensibilities tend toward the Hallmark Channel, this show may be unsettling to you, but, I guarantee that no matter what the ending (happy, sad or in-between) you will never walk away dis-appointed.

Nobody does drama like the British. Their use of "real people" like Timothy Spall and other character actors make the stories more believable and plausible. Not all actors look like they've stepped out of the pages of a prominent fashion magazine. I would imagine that many of those offering negative criticism were brought up on mass-produced, pasteurised, plasticised, sanitised, computerised and irradiated drivel, and were shocked at being exposed to real life. Real life, ad-lib, spontaneity, remember that? Not everything comes with a step-by-step instruction manual, so try not to get too disappointed when you can't guess the end 5 minutes into the show. That's what story telling is all about. Dud? I don't think so mate.

Just when it seems that almost the entire world is churning out small-screen drama the televisual equivalent of Danielle Steel's finest, or buying in formulaic, standardised American drivel, thank God for the likes of Jimmy McGovern and the BBC for producing something so classy and original as 'The Street'.

Beautifully written, superbly acted and tightly directed - a glimpse into a real world, populated by real people, that just about any cogent Brit will empathise with.

Yes it aims high, but that is no bad thing: real quality, in anything, is never destined for either mass consumption, or appreciation.

The bar has been raised again; by the only ones who seem to know how.