Last Tango in Halifax

A Charming Second Chance Romance Develops Into A More Eccentric Family Drama As It Progresses
When I heard the initial concept of the new BBC series "Last Tango in Halifax," I thought that it might be a cute romantic trifle. What's not to like about a sweet late period romance with two senior citizens of the over seventy set finding love? Despite the presence of the great Derek Jacobi and Anne Reid, I was afraid that the series might be too safe and too saccharine. Somehow, I just feel like older characters receive very little respect in mainstream entertainment. They are either cutesy or curmudgeonly (but still lovable) with little real world nuance or dimension. A lot of recent movie hits featuring an older cast (Quartet, Best Exotic Marigold Hotel) have been pleasant escapism, but didn't really hold any surprises. And as this six part series began, I still wasn't convinced. Early episodes are indeed amusing and romantic. But as the six episodes progress, the scope of the show expands to include a larger cast. What's funny is that Jacobi and Reid might be the sanest...
Wow!
I just saw the first episode on PBS affiliate GPB Georgia. It was fantastic! I became a fan of Derek Jacobi during the Brother Cadfael series years ago. He's every bit as good now in a totally different role. The other cast members are excellent and the multiple plot lines interesting, to say the least. This new series should be thoroughly engaging, judging by the first episode. I can hardly wait a week to see the next one. I will definitely buy the DVD if my expectations are realized.
Hedonism in Halifax!
A good television series leaves you longing for the next episode - that is the test. Unfortunately, Last Tango in Halifax does not leave you longing for the next installment. Based on an interesting premise, the plot revolves around two widowed seventy somethings who reconnect after sixty years. Anne Reid and Derek Jacobi - great actors, who, in my opinion are out of their element, play the two. The characters never sparkle, never shine. That, I believe is the death knell; if an audience can't empathize with the leading characters, all is lost.

The proceedings are so sour, so dreary, that after the episode ends one feels as if one has been slimed. A dirty, grimy feeling pervades the whole thing. To give the reader an example, the Anne Reid character gleefully tells her daughter that her friend Derek Jacobi has spent the night with her and that they engaged in sex. The daughter is very uncomfortable, but the mother (Reid) proceeds to tell her that she had forgotten...
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