The reality-TV-reunion premise was a bit corny, but it was well-written and compelling enough for the most part. They were all unpleasant pieces of work - ah well...
Nice soundtracking, too - a mix of bands they'd probably make themselves listen to now, mixed in with evocative Portishead, "Everything Must Go"-era Manics...
Could have perhaps done with being two one-hour episodes, though, rather than one 80-minute one-off - kept feeling like scenes had gone missing, in between what we were being shown...
The Iraq war discussion felt a little ham-fisted too, saved by Warren saying this was "so last year"...
Daniela Nardini's not aged too well. Looked slightly better naked in the otherwise-so-so film "Festival".
As a big fan of the original show, I watched the first half hour tonight and though it was pretty dreadful, unless it was making the subtle point that thirtysomethings are just more boring than twentysomethings, which is probably true. But I guess I'll watch the rest of it and see if there was actually any point to it.
Yes, Nardini did look borderline ugly but oddly enough that is how you would expect her character to age, perhaps the one bit of vaguely truthful characterisation I saw in the show!
Writer Amy Jenkins and the original actors managed to retain the essentials of the characters after ten years, which is no mean feat; Millie moping around with a face like a smacked arse; Anna effortlessly managing to start a fight in an empty room; Miles still a half-heartedly Tory boy with a crap haircut ; Egg vacant and soppy as ever, and Warren the same old drama queen.
The plot was hugely contrived - as it had to be in a one-off - and the minor characters two-dimensional. But the self-obsession of the original players was undiminished. Utterly watchable.
I hadn't seen the original but because of the rave reviews it had got I watched this one. Andrew Lincoln was also an attraction. It was ok but I expected more from it somehow, but maybe that was because I dozed off in the middle!!