फ़्लैक

The best thing on TV for a very long time. Funny, intelligent and very different. And what do they do? Cancel it! I am so annoyed I could spit!

Well written, fast and witty deliveries, complex main character...excellent and binge worthy!

So I will be the first to admit that this .at not be everyone's cup of tea. That said, I think it is one of the freshest, notable comedies on TV at the moment and worth digging out from your on demand.

The cast are fantastic, headed by the very talented Anna Paquin (who I feel is in a role that has really shown her versatility), which leads to a story so intertwined you will struggle to remember exactly who fits in to what part of which thing. This isn't a negative, moreso a slight intro to the whirlwind lifestyle portrayed on screen by the cast. Sophie Okonedo, playing Caroline the boss, is perfection (needless to say). Her ability to put over on screen such a fierce, intimidating, but actually quite complex character is a must see, only rivalled here by the lesser known but definite future household name Rebecca Benson, who plays Melody, the timid, wonderfully likeable intern with great comedy timing and the rare ability to make something funny without overdoing it.

At only 6 episodes, the first series does feel rather short and by the time you have gotten to grips with the amazing ability of Eve (Lydia Wilson) to insult everyone in less than 3 seconds, you will be wanting more.

The writers daring to include the names of many real celebrities is what really adds to the credibility of the script and daring to touch on issues that are so relevant right now (#metoo) is handled well, finding humour in the parts it's ok to poke fun at, whilst reminding us through the characters that actually, it really isn't regardless of who you are.

It's definitely a series to keep an eye on, I wouldn't be surprised to see it picked up by a bigger channel, both here and in the UK, but only if season 2 is longer though.

I need to see just what happens next to the characters, I'm already invested.

Just finished watching season 2 of Flack and while the very very end was a bit of a tired tv trope(and with the show cancelled, an unresolved minor cliffhanger) this second season showed a much more complex and darker edge than the first. Robyn herself is going down the addition route and it's a gift for an actress of Anna Paquin's class. She does a great job of basically screwing over everything in her increasing desperation. However, the show balances this darkness and other topics like bulimia, death, terminal cancer and the deep emptiness of some people's lives with wit and gallows humour, a lot of this from the outstanding Lydia Wilson as Eve, who channels a sort of young Patsy from AbFab! Considering the low profile of this shows the talent attached is surprising. Paquin of course and the sublime Sophie Okenado who is awesome. Then we have Sam Neill, Marc Warren, Amanda Abbingdon, Jane Horrocks, Doon Mackichan, Daniel Dae Kim and Paquin's hubby Stephen Moyer as director. (Moyer and Paquin are also listed as exec producers.) I'm not sure why this show hasn't taken off. No idea why some people here are talking about political correctness or MeToo either. Women playing characters who are complicated and aren't just set decoration is thankfully not that revolutionary. Let's face it, many tv shows have challenging men at their core. Yes, the women of Flack are pretty amoral but for me, it's a well made and entertaining show that hadn't been seen by enough people and some terrific guest cast.

My Review - Flack

My rating 7/10

Anna Paquin stars as Robyn, an American publicist working for a cutthroat London PR company headed by a boss that makes Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep) look like Polyanna. Her boss Caroline played by the wonderful Sophie Okonedo often steals the show with her vitriol and total disregard for any of her teams sensibilities. Caroline's Agency represents troubled celebrities, and its mission statement is to be adept at keeping her clients' lives appearing in perfect order so that when scandal hits the women of her Agency go into troubleshooting mode. Ever wonder what the real story is behind those celebrity gossip columns? Flack has all the dirt. Four quick-witted and relentless flackers are tasked to make the best of their celebrity clients' terrible decisions. Robyn (Anna Paquin) is the prime trouble shooter who with assistance from a great cast of women including Meghan Treadway as Belle and Rebecca Benson as Melody covers up and protects her clients from scandals. The first six episodes of Series One introduce us to these powerful witty and sarcastic women and a few dopey men that unusually these days keep the balance of the series very much on the emphasis of powerful women. The second series however I found much darker as Robyn's life unravels as she hits the skids due to her personality change as a consequence of her addiction to drugs and alcohol that threatens her career and her family life. This sudden change took me by surprise but kept my interest so I was pleased when the announcement was made that Amazon has taken up the option for a 3rd series of Flack. There now seems to be some doubt about a third series of Flack and I'll be disappointed if it doesn't eventuate . I admire the way British Comedy Drama series tell it like it is no beating around the bush in this series with no sexual innuendos it's all out there to see. Flack is full of purple language so if swearing bothers you it's not for you. It's a colourful well written and well performed series with a different client story in each episode, Its a delight to see so many talented women in this humorous and dramatic expose into the world of Celebrity shenanigans.