Funny and Moving (The Book Group)

Member Name: MisterReview

Product:	The Book Group
Date:	03/08/09 (30 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A tonic for those who like a good laugh and a cry

Disadvantages: none

The theme tune is absolutely adoreable!

This is the funniest and moving thing I have ever seen on Television. This so deserves another series, yet I understand it just isn't going to happen.

Clare Pettengill (Anne Dudek) has landed! From America as it happens. Bang into the heart of West End tenement life. She needs some buddies (well to be honest, a man), so decides to set up a book group. And it would be easy to imagine she is going to end up with a housefull of Byres Road trendys, eating daintily prepared nibbles, while quaffing Chianti and discussing the finer points of Lanark! Right?

What she gets is:

Kenny, a wheelchair bound ordinary guy, a bit of a hunk with aspirations to be a writer. Played by Rory McCann, you'll recognise from the Scotts Porage Oats advert.
Janice, Fist and Dirka, three footballers' wives, played by Michelle Gomez, Saskia Mulder and Bonnie Engstrom respectively. These ladies show similarites and differences that are key to the group.
Rab, a 'wee jakie' type character (Derek Riddell), he wants to be close to Janice as he fancies her husband, Jackie, a professional footballer.
Barney (James Lance), is probably the nearest Claire is going to get amongst her group to the 'bookish' type, but just goes to show that 'your' type is never perfect.

In series two we also get additions to the group:

Carol Ann played by Kerry McGregor who later became better known as a contestant in the X-factor. She too (as in real life) is wheelchair bound, like Kenny and the too obvious connections are put across to us by the writers.

The wonderful character of Lachlan Glendinning also features in series 2. I won't say too much about the how or why this character appears, but it is the funniest character I have ever seen in my life. All is made the worse by the fact that I have known not just a person like this, but people like this. He is a lovestruck artist, and I really do use the term artist, with some artistic licence. He is clumsy and bumbling and it would seem that Claire might like him, perhaps for very sad reasons.

Now as you may well imagine, this collection of rather un-bookish people, with all their differences. brings out the best and worst in their characters. There are clashes in cultures, which spouts forth comedy classic moments, but also makes us aware of the stupid awkwardnesses involved.

The dream sequences portraying Claire and Kenny's fantasy world are delightful. The bang back to reality can be sadly moving.

What we have here is a group of people meeting up not through a love of books, but a desire to change their lives, perhaps by broadening their horizons. The Book Group is their funny and moving journey through life.

A third series is sorely needed.

Summary: Sheer television brilliance