The Street

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.

Well thank goodness the reviewer "howTVshouldbe" doesn't have a say in how TV should be, quite frankly though an American calling this series "a dud" can only be a ringing endorsement for how good this show is.

Mcgovern has done it again, with a breathtakingly honest and sometimes brutal portrayal of the lives of ordinary people in an ordinary town. I found each episode absolutely compelling viewing. I did not find it overly depressing at all, many of the episodes are very heart warming with satisfying endings.

I especially like episode 2 & 3. Broadbent is excellent as a disillusioned man finding himself suddenly retired.

I thoroughly recommend this series to anyone that likes a well written, gritty, British drama.

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.

I loved the street it was brilliant drama i especially found episode 6 compelling viewing (even though it had me crying most of the time).The actors were great even the young ones.The little girl who played Leah O,Neil in episode 6 reminded me of my daughter and had me crying lots she was very believable.congratulations to the BBC for getting it right for once, any one i spoke to could identify with at least one of the characters they were so real to life if you go down to your local you could easily bump into a Sean or Yvonne.I've heard that there is going to be a second series (cant wait )it would be brilliant if they included some of the families from series 1 so we could find out what happened to the likes of yvonne and her children.

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.