Detectorists

?..........But I love this new series. It's not a laugh out loud comedy, but it makes me smile throughout and the half hour episode is finished far too quickly. It's a gentle comedy based on the lives of a metal detectorist club and the characters in that club. There is a mad farmer with imaginary dogs who gives the two main characters permission to scan his fields, except the paddock. No one is ever to go near the paddock! I wonder why? His wife did disappear many years ago, but I have a feeling that will have nothing to do with his aversion to paddock diggers. The characters have been written so well and the direction, also by McKenzie Crook, are intriguingly watchable. Mr Crook is a talented man and after only two episodes I know this will be a favourite with me.

Congratulations to Mr. Crook to have created something that I can only describe as love at first sight. The series takes a look at key situations that most adults have been through while putting them in a context that feels fresh. Mr. Crook may be guilty of a bit of viewer manipulation by depicting the main characters as meek and sometimes naive who face bullies and mocking. This is easily forgiven, though, because of the stellar cast that makes each and every persona feel real, believable and truly likable. Apart from that each character down to the smallest role has something unique that sets them apart. There is wisdom to be found here, and peace, if you have the patience. Sometimes life tosses you a gold coin and sometimes a ring pull - just go with it, it will balance out it in the end. A true dramedy gem. 9/10.

Mackenzie Crook's Detectorist's is not your average Sitcom, over the six episodes of the first series it delivers central characters who are desperately melancholy, yet intelligent. There are very few cliché's in this series. The story evolves, as do the characters with warmth and depth. The humour is dry and the belly laughs are few and far between, but what I found was a comedy of great sensitivity, with emotional depth and was ultimately deeply rewarding.I hope that if a second series is developed that it doesn't deviate from it's path because Detectorists (there's no apostrophe in Detectorists) really is gold. Detectorists is probably the most complete comedy sit com of all time, it's gentle humour really shines.

Andy and Lance live in a rural English backwater that on the surface seems boring and uneventful. Mackenzie Crook's genius is to show us the comic gold that lies beneath. I'm not talking of the Saxon gold that our two heroes are searching for, but the ups and downs they face on their journey through life.

While gently making fun of our two under-achievers, the humour never belittles them. Their male obsessions are given a dry, melancholic and often wistful comic voice. Andy and Lance are well meaning, but they can also be naive and boring, loyal and selfish or just total dick heads. However, they are also strangely endearing.They are like us and we learn to love them despite their faults and eccentricities. Loved it!

My faith is restored that there is still at least one person out there who can not only write but direct such an intelligent, unique, and endearing piece of work

I don't know why but I was captured by the very first trailer that I saw and with much anticipation waited for the series to start...... and I was not disappointed.

It has been such a long time since I have felt so totally engaged with a television series on British TV. The fact that it was tucked away on BBC4 is likely to mean that it will be missed by many, but then again if it was shown on the more mainstream channels then many may miss the point.

Previous reviews have already mentioned the warmth and depth of the characters, the excellent writing and how you feel drawn into, and become part of, the world that has been created. But I want to add how stunning the filming has been throughout this series, with some of the shots being absolutely beautiful.

It feels like something very special happened in the production of this series and I feel privileged that I caught it on its first showing.

I only hope it gets the recognition it deserves........