The Age of Commercialism

Excellent but underrated film

Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

One of British TV's finest shows ever televised in South Africa, "Bad Girls" had me hooked from the word go! It was well written and brilliantly executed with some of the most memorable characters ever seen on a television screen. Who can ever forget Jim Fenner? Bodybag? 'Shell Dockley? Shazza? Zandra? The Two Julies? At times the line between inmate and screw was blurred and it was hard to tell who were worse. The story-lines were at times a bit implausible and heavy-handed and the accents were at times difficult to follow, the character Al being a case in point. I almost never knew what she on about! Minor quibbles aside, I shall miss "Bad Girls" as nothing on TV will ever compare to it.

I first started watching Bad Girls when i was 12, a little young perhaps, but i was hooked on it, and wanted to continue seeing it. That was when the 3rd series was drawing to a close in 2001, and ever since then, i have become an ardent fan. It has shocked me, made me laugh with some genuinely funny moments, and some very moving story lines. b Having also seen the first two series that made the show the huge hit it once was, i feel that it has lost its way over Series 5 and 6 (WHY did they do the Tanya Turner episodes??) However come 2005, and Series 7 hit our screens, and has shown us once again why Bad Girls won all its awards - it has returned to the dark, gritty roots and brought us a genuinely chilling and moving episode when 18 year old Laura Canning killed herself, action-packed drama where the amazing Pat Kerrigan (Liz May Brice) arrives. She is the best thing to have happened to the show since Eva Pope was brought in, and is also one of the sexiest women i have ever seen on TV! However ever since the introduction of Footballers Wives, people seem to think that this show is OTT camp like FW. Although FW is also a great show (it was set out to be OTT), it cannot compare with Bad Girls.The writing, acting and direction of Bad Girls is almost always great, and i think Shed Productions should do more to improve it so it can win more awards again, as the current series has shown that there still is life in it, and that although it is made by the same people that made FW, its a very different show.

Bad Girls is fantastic viewing with it's compelling story lines. The sensationalism can often be very off putting but the show doesn't claim not to be sensational and the whole show is based on it's well known sensationalism. With the great character of Jim Fenner no longer being there though I worry that the next series might not be as good to watch. I won't be giving up on such a powerful drama yet though, all Bad Girls does is provide a form of escapism and it does it so wonderfully like the other regular "Shed" production - "Footballers Wives". Here's to series 7 and beyond, let's hope they're just as compelling without Jim Fenner in it.

Recently moved over to Australia and couldn't believe my luck when I saw Bad Girls being advertised on national TV.A thoroughly enjoyable series which keeps you engrossed. Some great characters, namely Dockley and Fenner, and excellent story lines. The series keeps getting better and better and only hope that we get to see Series 3 also in Australia!