Rupert17

Much of what happens in Under the Vines is entertaining and refreshing. I just found Rebecca Gibney's character Daisy a somewhat irritating 60-year-old flighty teenager less interesting than the rest of the cast. Her constant oohs, aahs and ows during conversations spoiled the verbal exchanges, downgraded the dramatic moods and failed to enhance the humourous side of the various interactions.

I very much enjoyed Rebecca Gibeny's role in Packed to the Rafters years ago, but I found her peformance here nowhere near as convincing and it was left to the strong supporting cast and the fabulous New Zealand locations to lift the production values to a high standard.

George Turner (Erik Thomson) lost his wife when she was hit by a car while crossing a road in Sydney in full view of her husband. George and his two teenage kids are devastated by the loss of a wife and mother and George sees a redeeming solution in moving to New Zealand to the small town of Weld, where he holidayed as a child with his parents and for which he still has fond memories. He continues to write a regular column called 800 Words for a Sydney magazine for income and a cathartic outlet.

George's daughter Shay and son Arlo are faced with the usual problems of assimilation and acceptance in a new environment. They are at an age where their decisions need to be vetted by their father, but his connection with the teenage culture is not his strong point and much of the narrative is George trying to navigate the difficult road of a single parent.

George also is in the market for love and the town of Weld seems to have more than its share of available women. George has been out of the dating game and its romantic nuances for over twenty years and his journey to finding true love for the second time in his life has its pitfalls. The women and their portrayals in this show are very convincing and more than compensate for George's somewhat awkward approach.

Although Erik Thomson is a talented and much-respected actor, I found his central character wishy-washy and slightly irritating, but not in a way that detracts from the story. The supporting cast is a strong, believable and an entertaining factor for the 40 episodes and prove Erik Thomson could not have made the series work purely on his own ability.

When George is writing and simultaneously narrating his column on his computer he seems to waffle his way along the complicated path to find the right answers to life's problems. However, in his face-to-face contacts with family, friends and others, he seems to miss the point at times, particularly when it's obvious his son and daughter are seriously finding the move to New Zealand a challenge and need their father to rise to the occasion.

That aside, it is an enjoyable series with plenty of humour accompanying the serious side of life. The setting in New Zealand is delightful and the plot machinations work very well.

If you wish to steer clear of the many violent and distasteful productions dominating the streaming platforms, 800 Words meets those requirements and adds its own voice and quality.

Saw this years ago and remember how deeply affected I was by Maeve's death.

She was apparently a very intelligent and gifted young girl and what lie ahead of her in life would have almost been beyond imagination - and her imagination was an important part of her intellectual functioning at only ten years of age.

I know her parents suffered greatly at the time and I'm sure they still pine for their daughter.

I wrote a letter of sympathy to Maeve's father and he kindly replied, even though he was obviously in the process of a grief that probably still continues today.

I have this dvd and I occasionally watch it because rather than leave me gutted, Maeve inspires me and makes me realise how important every day of your life is.

RIP Maeve! Gone but never forgotten!