The Secret Life of Us

The Secret LIfe of Us looks at the intertwining lives of a number twenty-something guys and girls all living in a block of flats in the trendy Melbourne Bayside suburb of St Kilda. I liked the concept of TSLOU and the story plots and acting were very engaging early on. However, by the time Joel Edgerton's character Wil left in series 2, certain weak elements had entered the show and it appeared the writing was on the wall. However, series 3 held its own and the introduction of new characters in series 4 gave the series a freshness that it needed. Alexandra Schepisi Anna Torv , Stephen Curry and Brooke Harmon were just right for the final series.

I agree with a previous reviewer that Deborah Mailman's character Kelly failed to evolve and in my opinion her ingratiating busybody persona was irritating. The acting of Deborah Mailman was good, it was just that the character was not convincing and it was hard to believe that someone battling obesity could be central to the unfolding events of life in a block of flats peopled by cool young adults and the romantic focus of so many young males. Also, Sybilla Budd's character Gabrielle was rewarded with too much screen time and not enough interesting character development. Her acting grated a little and scenes with Claudia Karvan confirmed how good an actor Claudia is.

By comparison, characters played by Claudia Karvan, Abi Tucker, Joel Edgerton and Damien de Montemas grew and enriched each scenario. The character Evan Wylde was probably the one with the most potential and was indeed beautifully played by the terrific actor Samuel Johnson. But I just think the writers didn't quite know how he should relate to Claudia Karvin's Alex, and their relationship as flatmates and possible lovers never quite found its basis in believable exchanges and by the end was flagging. And when Spencer McClaren's character Ritchie made it through a life-changing crisis, it became difficult to give him much to work on after that. Even Abi Tucker's Miranda ran out of puff.

I know the show tried to cover many issues and this aspect has been criticised, but without issues in a drama, what's left? Just the minutiae of life - and we all know how interesting that is! 8/10

I started watching this series when I lived in Sydney and enjoyed it for it's perky yet unsweetened style. I enjoyed the characters played by Claudia Karvan, Samuel Johnson, Deborah Mailman and Abi Tucker and the clever "diary reading" story telling style but most of all I enjoyed the way it portrayed the environment. :-)

Everyone knows it's never that hot in Melbourne ;-) but apart from that the series still captures the 'essence' of life as a 20-30-something in Australia's main cities.

I missed the series so much when I moved back to Sweden that I had to buy it on DVD, and whenever I miss my home away from home too much I watch an episode to get a hit of "stralianisms".

Enjoy!

This is a TV show that will speak for a generation for generations. The cast for the entire series was the most dynamic ensemble cast on Australian TV in recent times along with "Seachange". There have been negative comments about the fourth series because it had a rather different feel to the other series. Especially since Sam Johnson left the program. However the characters in this series were just as strong. Stephen Curry and Brooke Harman especially created most intriguing characters. In previous series Dan Spielman, Gigi Edgley, Vince Colossimo and Jessica Gower brought exceptional performances. And of course Deb Mailman, Sam Johnson and Claudia Karvan were the real appeal of the show. It is a pity that this show was axed in such an understated way in such a late time-slot. We have not since seen anything that matches this program come out of Australia but hopefully in the near future there will be something on the horizon.

Much of my review will touch on points that have already been stated. The first two seasons are good, but by the end of the third season much of the key cast were absent or only turning up for minor appearances. The formula that made the first two season enjoyable were lost in part by this.

Season Four introduces a whole new set of characters that seem so far removed from the first season and feels like Home and Away or Neighbours cast. I had this recollection again after watching this on Netflix recently as to why I stopped watching the show originally.

I really used to enjoy 'The Secret Life of Us', it was realistic. and the characters, were interesting, complex and likable, ( with the exception of 'Ritchie'). I loved the first series, but it slowly went down hill. When it came back at the beginning of 2004, I was devastated to discover that some of my favourite characters had disappeared. I felt ripped off. I stopped watching the show after that first night, these new characters were boring and annoying. Especially the young

character 'Brooke'. I wasn't at all surprised the show was axed, in fact I was pleased, I was irritated that they expected me to just forget and dismiss all the old characters, with no explanation of where they went, or at least what

happened to them...