RachelMary2

I do love a bit of crap reality TV. Something to have on in the background and doesn't require many brain cells to follow.

This definitely didn't require many brain cells but entertainment it was not. With a lot of these shows - Celebs Go Dating, MAFS, Love is Blind, etc, the participants know what they're getting into. It's not clear that these guys did- though if you're applying to a show called Love Triangle UK that might have rung alarm bells? It just felt like a set up so that people would argue and then viewers would enjoy watching. I did not enjoy watching. Thankfully it wasn't many episodes or I'd have given up on it.

It didn't help that it seemed to be all about the conflict and the tension and setting people up for a fall. It felt almost cruel. As a viewer I didn't end up caring how they got on. Not all of them were annoying but some of them really didn't need the extra ego boost the show provided. But there was no emotional investment, no rooting for particular participants or couples. I just wanted them all to hurry up so I could switch it off.

As a viewer, it all felt manipulative and desperate. Some of the participants genuinely wanted to find love and that was never the intention or expectation the creators had for this show. It felt tragic and sad.

The cast for this was really strong, but it was a really disappointing watch.

The "story" was just silly, certainly nowhere near 6 episodes worth; it could have been much more interesting if the neighbours and family characters and stories had been better developed rather than half-concocted and thrown in for filler.

The reason I've given it 4 stars is because of the amazing imagination that went into depicting Leeds. Amazing houses that looked like they belonged in Australia, along with a climate where it only rained once and shorts were out in force. I don't know how a journalist and a teacher were able to afford the fancy Australian/ Leeds house but it was often more interesting to consider this question than actually concentrate on the silliness on screen.

If they'd forgotten about the main four characters (I know I soon will), and made a series focused on the entwining lives of the neighbours and families connected by the street that would have been much more entertaining.

Idris Elba and Kate Winslet leading in a survival movie?! I was well up for that but quickly lost enthusiasm.

I didn't actually make it to the end of the film. I kept trying but I became less and less interested in what was going on and then realised I really didn't want to bother with the ending.

Even suspending reality, a survival movie needs a bit of grit. It was all just very bland and there was zero chemistry between the leads. I genuinely felt the dog was more interesting to watch. Two outstanding acting talents and it just wasn't happening.

The scenery was lovely, so that was a positive.