Fat Friends

I only recently found this show, almost a quarter of a century after it first aired.

Whilst the show is vey much a product of its time, a lot of the comedy is still relatable and there are some fantastic characters.

It is a window on how much society has changed... Carol, the spiky slimming club leader, is nasty and spiteful towards her members, behaviour which wouldn't wash nowadays.

The show starts off almost as an anthology series, with each episode focusing on the life of one of the main characters on the show, with the other characters playing supporting roles.

As the show progresses, the format changes into a more regular drama with Betty (Alison Steadman) and Kelly (Ruth Jones) and their respective families becoming the main focus of the show.

Series 1 and 2 are very strong, for the final 2 series, the character development goes a little off course and they resort to stunt plot lines to keep the show going. Some of the character behaviour seems a little off, sacrificing the character for the sake of story.

One of the annoying things is how the show loses characters, in most cases, with no or little explanation, through the run of the series. Many of the new characters that were introduced later on didn't feel as well developed as the originals.

Overall, it's a fun, enjoyable comedy drama set at the beginning of the 2000s with a window to that era.

Great cast make this very funny satire on the obsession to lose weight. The great thing about this series is that it does not present fat people as pathetic trying to mock them but as normal people which one can identify with. If you like good comedies, Don't miss!

I've never actually watched it until now! Even though I love Gavin and Stacy, I never knew some of the cast were in this, too. Now, the first 2 series were perfect. Heartfelt. Beautifully written. However, I have to agree with the other reviewer that the 3rd and particularly the 4th series just missed this spark. That being said, they were both very enjoyable to watch and I would happily watch them again. I love this kind of UK drama and Kay Mellow shows here that she is one of the best writers of this genre around!

I watched this with my mum who is going through slimming world at the moment and we both agreed that it is so relatable. The show markets itself as a comedy about a group of people going through a weight loss group.

The one thing I liked about the show the most is that it really feels like an ensemble piece; each main character gets their own episode so we were really able to see the personal issues they were all facing. No character felt like they were 'more important' than the others. Not only this, but in these episodes we were able to see how they struggled not only with weight but also with other things. We saw issues with relationships, religion, financial stress as well as a variety of eating disorders too.

The show did well at humanising all of the characters and not making them seem like greedy monsters which a lot of other shows about fat people seem to do. Furthermore, the show managed to exaggerate things and add comedic value in all the right places and overall, it's just a really great dramatic comedy that hits all the right places.

I watched this when it was first aired on the TV and really enjoyed it, and i recently just bought the series 1,2 and 3 and i love it just as much! It can make you laugh and cry within the same episode, i like the fact that they all have their own problems to deal with but they still manage come together as they have one thing in common, dieting!! Its so refreshing to watch and i would definitely recommend it. Through out the series' you see all the characters evolve and allows you to see further into their characters, some which may come as a surprise some slightly predictable, but nether the less they are all enjoyable in their own way.