Red Oaks

Every moment of this excellent series makes me grin from ear to ear. All the characters are perfect and the writing is an awesome mixture of sweetness and hilarity. I discovered this purely by chance in the IMDb recommendations and I'm so glad I did. I can't help that feel that Red Oaks deserves more recognition and praise then it has already received. For me this is up there as one of the greats in the sitcom genre. If your on here looking for a new series to get into than I couldn't recommend Red Oaks enough!

Set in a country club in the 80's, Red Oaks is a story of the staff and members alike as they work their way through a summer of transition.

It's a feel-good show with likable characters and consistently engaging plot-lines that drag you in until your emotions are undoubtedly invested.

Notable mentions go to Oliver Cooper, who plays drug-dealing valet and lovable rogue 'Wheeler', and 'Nash', a tennis-pro and ace with the ladies, hilariously played by Ennis Esmer.

The cast was flawless with many names worthy of praise, however the stand-out is unquestionably Craig Roberts. Known widely for Richard Ayoade's Submarine, Roberts provides us with a neutral perspective of the chaos unfolding around him.

Ultimately, this is a show that Amazon can be thoroughly proud of, with overwhelmingly positive reviews and an equal number of cliff- hangers in the final episode of the season that I'm sure will leave many fans eagerly awaiting a season 2.

Strong first season and a definite must-watch. 8/10.

P.s - Craig Roberts bears an almost uncanny resemblance to Rob Schneider at times...or maybe it's just me.

I started this with no expectations, actually all other Amazon Prime Video series did not get into me that much... OK, we are in the '80, so if you are born exactly in 1980 like me you are going to have a lot of revival moments, this is not sweating '80 like some other piece of TV streaming show (cough... stranger, cough... things, cough...), but there is a lot of quotes and reference everywhere. Then the whole plot is pivoting around niceness, and this is heart- warming, too many series are around just bad and evil characters, here you will find comfort after a hard work day. But the most important thing is: Time Travel. When I watch this show, time goes faster than ever! It is unbelievable how an episode slides smoothly to the end, while you think you are actually in the middle of it. This is actually the most sophisticated magic entertainment can do, and it must mean something if this happens.

I think what most people don't really get from this show is that fact regarding the thought process of the 80's kid. They wanted more than the war generation. They not only wanted dreams but wanted to go after them while their parents just sighed.

David represents the common problem kids had back then, big dreams with no wisdom or support from the disillusioned parent. The parent in effect wishes to pass on the disillusionment and almost demands that their child accept it as their dreams are simply foolish in their undertaking.

Having a dream is one thing, having an understanding of how to get there is another. David simply had no understanding of how the world worked because his parents had no idea. This is why the writers were using his boss for those moments of wisdom. Ultimately it was those scenes is what the show was really about. Understanding how you get to where you want to go, and not just be some sap like all these characters represented, destined for disillusionment.

Great acting, characters were played out well enough to understand and feel for them, but it did lack a sense of progression. Even if you have characters who suffer a static life, the story needs progression, and I think the writers ran out of gas.

David is Ferris Bueller with a job. He definitely defies society at the same time embracing it. His awareness of himself was his weakness, allowing himself and people to walk all over him.

Would have loved to see more.

Great show, especially if you were in your teens and early 20's inTe 70's and early 80's. Spot on with the mood, the culture and the setting as well. A nice walk back in time. Raegardless of which side of the court your from its very good... and the characters are as well.. from the dreamy rich artsy girl to the beautiful girl to your nerdy friends.. it just hits home. Everybody is represented... as shallow as we, I mean they all were, it's fun.