Jam & Jerusalem

I think it well represents English village life - and indeed family life, well known to us middle-aged women. I grew up in a village like this, where the Village flower show, for my grandparents who lived in the same road as us, was the highlight of the year and the stage for great rivalries.

I think it's not so much instant comedy as a comic look at the lives of a cross-section of women in a small community, who each have their problems. It feels as if it written from experience.

It is affectionate and not driven by sensational story lines. Most of the characters are ones that you recognise - and they are all concerned with looking out for each other, even if sometimes their help is misdirected.

It is more mature than Absolutely Fabulous, and nearly as enjoyable.

This is a lovely program about life in a small village. Having grown up in a small town I can identify with the different personalities you find in small villages and towns everywhere. It's not supposed to be side split-tingly funny but a gentle poke at the small town politics that occur in a "ladies guild" sort of organisation. We had them in my home town and I would imagine just about every small town has them still. If you have never encountered this sort of life I pity you and this program will bore you but if you have the luck to live in such a place you will see the funny side of things and maybe even see yourself in one of the characters. I look forward to series two!

.... and thank God for that!! I have heard nothing but bad things about Jam and Jerusalem but I think that it is excellent. It seems that anything that Jennifer Saunders does is compared against Absolutely Fabulous (which should have given up after the second series and was only kept alive for the lucrative BBC America audience) and I think it is a shame that many people do not seem to have given it a chance.

This is not a laugh a minute and I do not think that was the intention. The characters are excellently written and are subtle. Unlike Absolutely Fabulous where the viewer learned that (s)he was dealing with an old tart and an aging hippy and their 'hilarious antics' after 10 minutes of the first episode (or indeed after the two minutes of the sketch from French and Saunders from which Ab Fab sprang) the characters in Jam and Jerusalem are more complex and will need at least one more series to come into their own, in much the same way that the characters of 'dinnerladies' took time to develop.

People who want slap-stick, American, literal comedy should steer well clear of Jam and Jerusalem. Fans of French and Saunders and comedy that requires some thought on the part of the viewer will love it.

It's sharp and dry and very,very good. Tip and Tash are wonderful. Odd moments are brilliantly done, such as when Queenie receives applause and a bouquet for directing the panto, she says on stage 'I can't take all the credit', and Eileen, Maggie Steed, remarks to Sal '...but she will' while smiling and clapping with all the others.

Sue Johnston is a real professional and totally believable as a widow without being cloy.

And Kate...well done for playing such a wimpy do-gooder full of good intentions but without a real life of your own.

Jennifer Saunder's stiff upper lip is a perfect antidote for Rosie's loopy behaviour, which I thought was ridiculous at first, but now I've got used to it and it is nice to see how she is protected by the other Guild members.

The vicar is a bit cardboardy and OTT as a character, but that is my only criticism and he became more believable when apologizing to Rosie.

The episode with the Doctor unable to examine his old headmistress was priceless.

This is a wonderful show that needs to be allowed to mature as the characters develop, but I love them all already.

When this appears on U.S. TV, it will be compared to "The Golden Girls." It is my fondest wish that NO ONE take such a comparison seriously. J&J is NOT a sitcom, thank Jennifer Saunders.

It is a sweet, charming, funny slice of life in a West Country village filled with eccentric, idiosyncratic folks. There is no one there I don't like and many I would love to know.

It has so far been a complete delight, filled with Jennifer's trademark wit, a delicious cast, beautiful locations and wonderful music. No laugh tracks, no dumbed-down humor here. It has an almost Robert Altman-like quality with overlapping dialogue and wonderful set pieces (episode five has several, my favorite being the pony trials). U.S. viewers might not get some of the references but for those of us who grew up in large towns and now live big cities, it is a temptation to chuck it all and move in with these people.

British TV is noteworthy for not padding episodes with exposition and back story which is a refreshing change. You'll pick everything up, trust me.

While Jennifer plays a small role as perpetually nettled Caroline Martin, it is Sue Johnston's show. I loved her work in "Waking the Dead" and am delighted that she gets to show off her comic side. The rest of the cast is really solid, particularly Sally Phillips as Tash, (you haven't lived until you've seen her UK Valley-girl/hippie/stoner routine), and Dawn French's Rosie takes turns making me laugh and breaking my heart. Pauline McLynn plays Sue's best mate and has totally won me over.

The only weak spot might be Joanna Lumley's Delilah Stagg. It's pretty clear that Delilah is a somewhat re-worked version of the aged Patsy Stone from "Ab Fab." She seems to turn up, do a bit of business each episode and disappear. Not sure where Jennifer's going with Delilah, but who knows maybe that's the point.

Really first class TV. Can't wait for Series 2. Get busy ladies.

(Each episode runs a full 30 minutes.)