My wife and I are zipping through this BBC Scotland comedy series on catch-up and are now up to the end of series three. There are a couple of changes in the cast for this run, as we lose Beth and Eric's son Ian's meek-mannered Asian boyfriend Jaz and also grasping, caustic battle-axe Christine's "big-lump-ae-a-lassie" daughter disappears down to Wales to have her baby. There is a new boy-friend though for Ian, the aptly named, mildly moronic Gordon, a tall English lad who catches the attention of Cathy who no doubt thinks she can "turn" him. Also, in the final episode, we're introduced to new neighbours Alan and Michelle, he a hulking, Neanderthal type, she a bright young glamour-puss who Cathy immediately sees as a rival to her self-imagined glam star status. I wonder if they'll join the regular cast in the next series.
As before, the quality of the material held up well over the six episodes, even if you know well in advance that Beth is going to be put-upon again to provide food and drink for everyone while Eric helplessly goes with the flow. The insufferable Christine irritates even more, passed-over Yuppies Colin and Cathy try to lord it over everyone they think is beneath them while Ian and Gordon get caught in the slipstream.
The humour, as always, is very Scottish, very broad and will frequently make you wince as the material goes as close to the bone as it can get without chipping. Never shy of stooping to conquer with an inserted swear word or off-colour remark but there are plenty of laughs as the writers concoct some more amusing situations for these neighbours from hell to get together and chew the fat.
As before, the quality of the material held up well over the six episodes, even if you know well in advance that Beth is going to be put-upon again to provide food and drink for everyone while Eric helplessly goes with the flow. The insufferable Christine irritates even more, passed-over Yuppies Colin and Cathy try to lord it over everyone they think is beneath them while Ian and Gordon get caught in the slipstream.
The humour, as always, is very Scottish, very broad and will frequently make you wince as the material goes as close to the bone as it can get without chipping. Never shy of stooping to conquer with an inserted swear word or off-colour remark but there are plenty of laughs as the writers concoct some more amusing situations for these neighbours from hell to get together and chew the fat.
