Not many Americans have seen this show (and with only twenty episodes, that's not likely to change) so I thought I throw a word in. I bought the first season because I buy lots of DVDs in PAL format since they have higher resolution and cost just a few dollars more to ship overseas. I stumbled upon this show which sounded like a lesbian My So-Called Life, one of the most celebrated shows about teenage life that barely survived one season on ABC.
The first few episodes are not all that good. Kim is manipulative and kind of despicable but at least is honest to herself about it (thanks to the voice overs, another thing that made My So-Called Life wonderful). It's easy to root for her because she's pretty and surrounded by awful people. Sugar and her mom are sluts, her father is clueless and spineless, and her younger brother is suffering from mental problems so severe I can't believe I'm supposed to laugh at them. Kim apparently had a lot of friends recently (look at the numbers on her cell phone) but dropped them once Sugar arrived and getting her seems to be the only focus of her life. She has no interest in checking out the gay clubs in Brighton where even a closeted minor can socialize and find friends.
There are some good attempts at light humor as Kim manipulates her mom and Sugar or have events unexpectedly go her way (in the clever "crabs" episode for example) but a lot of jokes go flat (like the "date rape" episode). At that point it's not much more than a funny soap opera and I'm wondering if this show is ever going to take itself seriously. If the DVD set hadn't traveled thousands of miles to me, I probably would have lost interest in it.
Then, in a swirling scene, one of Kim's clever tricks pays off big time! The light humorous tone disappears and the show suddenly and completely comes alive. Finally, the drama I've been waiting for arrives and it's intense and believable. Kim's relationship with Sugar becomes dramatically real and we see just how much she's put her heart on the line for her. The motivations behind her mother's cheating come out and a real mother-daughter relationship develops. Her father becomes a stronger, more sympathetic character and less of a running joke. Even the humor improves. I've never seen a show take off like this.
Also, I'm glad to see a series that shows that color EXISTS in Britain. We Americans see so many drab-looking British shows, we all think every day must be gray and cloudy there (well, every day I've been there was). Nearly every scene is full of blazingly saturated colors (much like our Veronica Mars) and the outdoor scenes on the Brighton Pier are wonderfully colorful and beautiful.
The first few episodes are not all that good. Kim is manipulative and kind of despicable but at least is honest to herself about it (thanks to the voice overs, another thing that made My So-Called Life wonderful). It's easy to root for her because she's pretty and surrounded by awful people. Sugar and her mom are sluts, her father is clueless and spineless, and her younger brother is suffering from mental problems so severe I can't believe I'm supposed to laugh at them. Kim apparently had a lot of friends recently (look at the numbers on her cell phone) but dropped them once Sugar arrived and getting her seems to be the only focus of her life. She has no interest in checking out the gay clubs in Brighton where even a closeted minor can socialize and find friends.
There are some good attempts at light humor as Kim manipulates her mom and Sugar or have events unexpectedly go her way (in the clever "crabs" episode for example) but a lot of jokes go flat (like the "date rape" episode). At that point it's not much more than a funny soap opera and I'm wondering if this show is ever going to take itself seriously. If the DVD set hadn't traveled thousands of miles to me, I probably would have lost interest in it.
Then, in a swirling scene, one of Kim's clever tricks pays off big time! The light humorous tone disappears and the show suddenly and completely comes alive. Finally, the drama I've been waiting for arrives and it's intense and believable. Kim's relationship with Sugar becomes dramatically real and we see just how much she's put her heart on the line for her. The motivations behind her mother's cheating come out and a real mother-daughter relationship develops. Her father becomes a stronger, more sympathetic character and less of a running joke. Even the humor improves. I've never seen a show take off like this.
Also, I'm glad to see a series that shows that color EXISTS in Britain. We Americans see so many drab-looking British shows, we all think every day must be gray and cloudy there (well, every day I've been there was). Nearly every scene is full of blazingly saturated colors (much like our Veronica Mars) and the outdoor scenes on the Brighton Pier are wonderfully colorful and beautiful.