William and Mary

I just watched all episodes of Series 1, 2 and 3 on Acorn TV in the USA. While this series is billed there as a comedy, I thought it to be more of a drama despite the occasional interruptions of humor. I got the feeling that it was a bit of a British soap opera for all of the cliff-hanger endings. Nonetheless, I really enjoyed the series. I thought the acting of the main characters was excellent and the chemistry between them seemed real. The direction was superb. The careers and history of the main characters is something I have not seen in American TV or movies. but I watch very little of that commercial driven drivel. It hooked me after the second episode and I am glad that I spent the time to see it all.

Came upon this series by accident. I purchase many British TV DVDs from Amazon.co.UK and this complete series was going cheap and being a great fan of men behaving badly, i thought lets give it a go.

We sat down one rainy afternoon and nine episodes later, said we must go to bed. This is a brilliant series, certainly not a comedy as some might think, there are many heart rendering moments. William (Martin Clunes) is an undertaker by default and Mary (Julie Graham) is a midwife so you can imagine death is around them but there is also so much joy. What a premise to a series, one partner brings new life in to the world and the other gently takes it away.

The writer and directors from the very first episode have built a tight and wonderful story based on the characters rather than the plot. Each character and there are many in each episode are acted perfectly. There are many twists and funny/sad moments especially in episode four.

I'm glad this show did not get under the radar, do yourself a favour and buy the entire series and then pass it on, but make sure you get it back , you will watch it again.

Thank goodness for British television - from Australia, we thank you.

1st series really good, second series not bad, third series Mary becomes insane an frankly impossible to live with. Any rasonable guy would have 'ejected' writing was abysmal, what a shame. Acting was good but what can you do with a script this bad,

Very well acted and moving at times, William And Mary is one of those TV mini-series that ITV1 is so good at turning out these days. Martin Clunes as a dissatisfied undertaker is particularly good, acting his way through so many emotional troughs and peaks that you're surprised his character doesn't end up in an asylum. The only let-down is the ending, which is rather too neat and unrealistic for my taste.

The series is interesting and entertaining with many wonderful characters, but unfortunately Mary is an impossible b---ch. She's rude, and vulgar. She wants another child but never spends any time with her little boy. At a rare dinner with her husband she spends the whole time on her cellphone. She is more respectful of the panting women she attends than all the rest of her family. (And such a fuss over childbirth. Thank God I did not have these women pawing and patting me while I was giving birth.) She is riddled with class hatred. She thinks she knows better than anyone.

I find these kind of women are taking over television. Always ranting at others. I stopped watching Coronation St. because the women were all know-it-alls and always shouting at the men. Who is writing these characters and why?