This Town

It's music it's racism, it's immigration, it's political, it's oppression, it's religion, it's addiction, it's neurodivergence, it's coming of age, it's family obligations and independence, it's heartbreak and redemption... Everything! And it's done superbly. This show sucked me in and still hasn't spit me out. This was nothing like I expected and I just might re-watch it immediately after I finish it. The acting was on point with only a few moments that were awkward but every show has that. Nicholas Pinnock and Michelle Dockery shine. Watch this. You won't regret it. I laughed, I cried, I cheered and I loved.

This 'ode to 2 tone' missed the mark for me unfortunately as a viewer.

It set out with good intentions but was not executed properly. It was trying to do too many things at once which can be done effectively however this is not an example of this being done.

It touches touches on a myriad of issues and themes such as youth subculture, racism, ira, police brutality, concrete jungle in the Midlands in the late 70s and early 80s

But this was not done effectively with lukewarm story which is a bit murky in places and jumpy with no real grit nor proper emotion in conveying such themes.

It does resemble some of the hallmarks of this period with the fashion and bleakness - true - but they do not convey this properly - felt like dress up of a thing trying to be impactful which it wasn't...

It is a real shame as it looked like it had a good budget. I liked the clothing although they could have done a little better with the music tracks. The only real redeeming feature of this is David Dawson's performance which is commendable.

From the creator of Peaky Blinders Steven Knight.

There are moments when it has a similar feel with some of the dialogue.

Like Peaky Blinders it has a great soundtrack. Once I got into the second and third episodes I started to really like it, and invested into the characters a lot more. Felt like I was waiting a long time for the development of the band, but plenty of other stories to keep you going until that point. Felt like The Commitments at one point as the band were coming together. A few very good performances from the lead characters, especially Levi Brown & Michelle Dockery, who couldn't have been any further away from the character she played in Downton Abbey.

I just had to bingewatch this. The 80s was my era, I lived in Brum as a kid and I have always been a bluenose (Birmingham City fan. The Zulu Warriors was the name given to the hooligans associated with the club not all the fans despite the terrace being known as the Spion Kop).

The fusion of the people, the music, vehicles, buildings and cars is all spot on. The only downside wee the ropey Brummie accents and the BCFC logo which the club did away with in 1976, 5 years before this was set.

It would be great to see more but this will probably be the end of the fantastic series The second city rarely makes tv but great when it is.

Before watching This Town I hadn't listened properly to the synopsis and thought this was a fictional depiction of the rise of two-tone, which was originally what peaked my interest in the show. To find that this was more of an ode to that time in the midlands, I wasn't disappointed however. Especially to find such well acted and deep characters that took the story to a much more enjoyable level. There's a few different stories within the overall story here but all are explored properly and the show is the better for it. I don't understand another review I've seen here saying it wasn't about music. An excellent soundtrack and the central theme of getting a band together should really appeal to any muso. Especially fans of Ska, Two-Tone and Reggae. Can't wait for series two having binged this start to finish. Just a thought - why does anyone who gives a TV series a poor review actually sit through all the episodes? Things that make you go mmm????