Roger & Val Have Just Got In - BBC2 Fridays 10pm

I'm seriously wanting to rewatch the first three episodes now, after the line in tonights episode about "everything in our lives revolves around it" (or similar).
I picked up on it in last weeks episode - that the whole "sorting out the spare room" was about the dead baby, but I missed it in the other three episodes (which i guess was the idea).

I seem to remember talk about the rock from episode 1 being sentimental and around 18 years ago he gave it to her.
But I can't remember the details about hanging the curtains in the living room, or putting food in the plant fridge.
Wasn't there something about the kiRAB at school making lots of dishes of food for Val to bring home for the week, in one episode?

I must admit that I sort of overlooked the actual topic at hand and was concentrating on the dialogue - seeing the topic as a MacGuffin.

I said after the first one I liked it and would stick with it, but if you had asked me then if i would want to go back and watch the first few episodes, I would have said "Thought i enjoyed them, i wouldn't watch them again".
How amzing that this show - in just 5 weeks - has changed my mind!
 
Think the BBC have done this show a disservice by billing it as a comedy - it's far too subtle. Don't usually get blubby over a tv show but on Alfred Molina's delivery of the line "I was a dad for 5 1/2 weeks" I burst into tears. They have taken their time in letting this story tell itself and after initially being disappointed in it I now think it's a little gem.
 
It says Dawn French asked the writers to come up with a series for her after she had enjoyed their other series, Dogtown, for BBC3. The thing is...I thought Dogtown was a load of rubbish, and I never saw anyone say a good word about it! 'Roger & Val...' is totally different to it though and better in terms of observation, but it's still not really a comedy.

Btw people keep saying Dawn isn't funny, hasn't been funny for years etc but that's NOT true at all. She's always great when working with good material like Psychoville.
 
I am really enjoying this series so far. I love the banter between Molina and French.

However, I wouldn't consider it a comedy though...I don't know what the BBC were thinking labeling it as such!
 
I love this programme. And once again I have been moved to tears while watching it. Top marks to everyone involved with it, especially Dawn French and Alfred Molina.
 
this for me has potential to be one of the shows of the year.
started off looking like a pathetic comedy like Grandmas House but the dark side to this black comedy is fantastic.
When the actors show their grief and pain at losing their 5 weeks old son its truly moving and heartbreaking.
Just been reading this thread back from page 1 and the change or attitude towarRAB this programme (like I nearly did!) is amazing.
How anyone can judge a programme after 30 mins when there is another 5 episodes to come amazes me epsecially when the 2 main stars are very good at what they do
 
Yeah, I don't think trying to sell it as a sitcom does it any favours; I can't imagine even the people who liked this laughing out loud very often. If anything it was more like an old fashioned television play of the kind I can (just about!) remember from 30 or so years ago.
 
But what they do is act out the worRAB and situations that someone else has written, thus the presence of either of them is not in itself a guarantee of quality.

For example Alfred Molina has appeared in The Da Vinci Code and The Pink Panther 2.
 
That was hilarious and touching and its not often I hope for a second series of a "dramedy" but Roger and Val deserve one. The explaination for the gravy involving the steak and kidney pie had me tearful with laughter. It hit a nerve/right chord.
 
I can't see any scope for a second series, to be honest, but I have enjoyed it.
I found myself getting genuinely irritated with Val at one point last night - both actors played their characters to perfection, imo.
Overall, I think the series was a breath of fresh air.
 
It was a very good and heartfelt drama series with underlying dark humour running throughout. But can't see a second series. It's done what it's supposed to do, and the story has really come to a conclusion.
 
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