hyped garbage

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

Unshakable, witty and deeply felt, the film will be paying emotional dividends for a long, long time.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

It's no longer true, if it ever was, that British TV is better than American. But this show would be ruined in America because we just wouldn't tolerate all the ugly people. Of course, we have just as many ugly people, but we do not let them on TV. This show celebrates the British right to be unattractive yet still have an active romantic life. No one in this show is attractive, not the women, the men, not even the scenery (making London as ugly as The Shield made LA ugly. Great! It IS ugly!). The men, the men are all trolls, I'm sure meant to be horrible in every way and a typical depiction is the fiancé washing his privates in the first episode. But the women. My goodness, it's wonderful how unpleasant they not only behave, but look as well. Real life low, low standards. Brilliant, unrelenting ugliness.

Splendidly black and acerbic, 'Pulling' is like a middle-class 'Shameless', which means that equally bad behaviour is accompanied by lashings of shame and self-loathing. After a slow-ish first episode, the series really gets going, full of outrageously brilliant lines and painful situations. The acting is good, and the characters superbly created - they're close to cliché, but one key step removed - you always believe they're really living this life. And that it's a life not so dissimilar from that lived by many real people is what gives the comedy its savage edge; it's certainly the funniest thing I've seen this year.

I finally got to see the first two episodes, having seen the buzz in the press and heard about it for ages. It did not disappoint. There were times in each episode when I roared with laughter. The break-up scene in episode one is so funny, and when Donna (played brilliantly by Sharon Horgan) is trying to bluff her way through a meeting in her new job in episode two I felt like my sides were literally splitting. So dark at times it's harrowing, yet flat out outrageous and subtly nuanced at times too. This series is definitely cult classic material. I know I'll watch the DVD over and over.

The true measure of a great comedy is it's ability to stay in your mind long after the it has finished. Pulling has done just that. The wonderful characterizations of the 3 main female roles were beautifully written and acted and the comedy situations were nicely original. The acting in Pulling is never over-played and the scenes retain a hint of realism which pulls the viewer closer to the show and makes the cringing quality of the comedy much funnier. Along with Lead Balloon and Man Stroke Woman, BBC Three's current comedy output has been exceptional considering some of the other offerings (Titty Titty Bang Bang). I'd give pulling 10/10 and hopefully there'll be a second series well on the way.