Love My Way

My wife and I chanced on this. I don't watch "chick" shows and we both think this is "chick series" but out of desperation we picked it up as a. Next to "Keeping Faith" and "New Tricks," both on Acorn TV this is the most riveting series we have watched on any network in years.

Talk about "Dysfunction." Rarely is anyone in this series actually balanced and happy. There are a few characters who manage sanity and happiness. Two women cannot avoid chasing horrible relationships. Several men cannot keep their zippers up and, again, rarely is anyone really happy. Frankly, there are moments of true misery including a genuinely miserable teenager who cannot cope with anything at all. Makes this series bad? On the contrary, as I already wrote, "riveting." We only watch 2 or 3 episodes a day because it is exhausting.

Superior acting; diverse cast (no, not as in "racially diverse") all with very different characters. Beautiful scenery in places. A horrible tragedy which I will not disclose here, draws on the depth of the characters.

Three features of this series that surprised me though I have no judgment about them: The drinking (whisky) is non-stop. That does run through many of the UK/NZ/AU productions. Are "these people" really like that? The gratuitous swearing? Huh? (I live in the U. S.)

The disrespect even the "committed" couples show each other is nothing either my wife or I would tolerate in our marriage.

Pardon the rambling; to sum it up. We both believe this is a "must watch" but make sure to take your Xanax before you sit down; you are going to need it.

'Love My Way' is, by far, Australia's most distinguished and outstanding drama ever to hit our screens. I cant think of any other time I have watched an Australian series, that has left me in awe and feel so many emotions. The scenery is impressive,the background in each scene is astonishing. The acting is phenomenal. The issues raised are real, absolute and heartfelt. Each character you will learn to either love or hate, but ultimately, you will care for them. When I think of 'THAT' episode, (for those of you who have seen it, you will know which one Im referring to), the last twenty minutes of that episode is arguably the finest and most convincing acting I've ever seen on an TV series or film. The reactions of the characters to the incident will forever be embittered in my memory. I don't think we'll ever see such a perfectly written drama ever again from Australia.

I began watching this show from the start of the first series. I was immediately hooked. The cast are so talented and they really do become their characters. I have always watched anything that Claudia Karvan has starred in, I loved Secret Life of Us and when i saw that John Edwards was involved i knew this was again the special magic that both him and Karvan create. The scripts aren't soapy, this drama is written with such passion and talent, it is extremely clever, heart warming and sometimes tragic. I honestly cant remember watching a show and really feeling like you are intruding on peoples everyday lives. I have laughed and cried watching this show and i truly believe this is the best Australian Drama ever produced.

Love My Way made getting cable totally worthwhile. When I first heard of yet another Australian TV drama, I expected a very ordinary predictable show which I'm sorry to say, so many Australian dramas can be. There is nothing ordinary or predictable about this show. It just came out of the blue. I'm so glad I gave it a chance. I place it in the same class as "The Sopranos" and "Six Feet Under".

It is truly an emotional roller-coaster which takes you into the lives of some very ordinary and some very damaged individuals. Its keeps its Australian flavour without shoving it on the viewer which can sometimes happen in Australian dramas. The direction is fantastic. Its almost European in some of its scenes as they don't overuse dialogue or spell everything out.

Claudia Karvan and Asher Keddie are particularly fantastic but the whole cast is an incredible ensemble. I hope to see more wonderful drama series like this in the future.

I look forward to seeing more of Love My Way in 2007.

Love my way should really have been titled "Life As It Really Is". Southern Star's John Edwards and his writers have somehow managed to depict the lives of 30-somethings living in Sydney with realism, humour and life situations that many of us can relate to.

Claudia Karvan is outstanding as Frankie, a single mother whose honesty and intelligence don't keep her safe from the emotional roller coaster ride that life can sometimes be. Asher Keddie, Ben Mendelsohn, Dany Wyllie and Brendan Cowell share Frankie's life, loves and disasters while steering their own lives down some pretty rocky roads.

I know television is saturated with barely watchable soap operas, but Southern Star's entries such as Love My Way, Tangle and Secret Life of Us, are a cut above the mainstream and tremendously entertaining. This is addictive television at its best. 9/10