Single Father Reviews

The blandest thing about about this series is the name. The overall storyline is basic, a family dealing with the loss of the mother/wife and the first episode covers the basic ground pretty well. Starting with the second episode, it becomes abundantly clear that this is the BBC, not Hallmark.

The writers introduce a number of twists - secrets tumble out, grief and doubt make the characters do some uncharacteristic things and the family dynamics undergo plenty of strain. So much so, that they almost threaten to overdo it by the last episode and slip into soap opera territory. Fortunately, since there's only 4 episodes, the craziness has a limited shelf life.

The disappointing thing is that with all the great buildup in the first three episodes, they could have come turned it into something special but the writers ran out of ideas by then. The acting is really good all around, which is impressive considering the large number of children in the cast. The characters are well drawn out with shades of grey, and that is largely what keeps things interesting till the end.