Thanks for the memories!

Just perfect...

It's funny watching the elements come together in this complicated scam. On one hand, the set-up isn't quite as complex as it seems, but there's an easy sense of fun in every exchange.

The story-telling is good with flashbacks.The film is both funny and heartbreaking. You smile in a scene and get a soulcrushing revelation in the next.

I first watched this show years ago when it came out, a quiet little nothing comedy. I remember watching and wondering why such a minimalist comedy would be led by actors as great as Dawn French and Alfred Molina, who play the leads Roger and Val. Here I am now, around 5 years later and having given the show a second run through I understand why such a show required the superior acting talents of the two - the show works brilliantly not because it is funny, but because it is real. And French and Molina help push this reality and are truly the reason the show works so well.I'm a strong believer that subtlety is an effective tool in storytelling and it is used brilliantly throughout the show. In fact, simply put, the best aspect of the show is how it holds back. Throughout the six episodes of season 1 we get the hints of drama in this "real-life comedy-drama", overlayed by excellent comedy that varies from clever wit to believable silliness. It never gives in. There are few heavy-handed expositional segments (although there is a few disappointing bits of dialogue where Roger in particular will state what has already been made clear, just in case some of the audience haven't caught on). It's a careful balance of feeding the audience small snippets of the deeper issues and keeping them laughing and it works brilliantly until the payoff at the end of episode 5 and 6 where after all their talking, Roger and Val actually get to the heart of their relationship issues. It's a beautiful, delicate and heartbreaking moment for characters we've only been sat with for a few hours.The biggest issue with the show that I've heard a lot is the pacing. At points it can be slow and there are huge pauses of silence, and although I'm not going to lie and say that every moment of the show is engaging, but these moments are necessary. As I've said, this show is very much a slice of real life and in real life there is heartbreak but there is laughter, there is silence and then there is nonsense and conversations about nothing in particular. Roger and Val show us their lives of quiet desperation, and in little stories about curtains and emails we get to sit down with two of the better written characters in recent BBC history.

For me, this is the best Zbritish sitcom in years, unusually it's not aimed at 23 year old refusing to grow up (like almost everything on bbbc3) but at people with lives, loves, responsibilities, flaws, histories , dreams etc. What really stands out is the love between the principle characters. Despite or because of life's challenges, their warmth towards each other is uplifting...and no mean acting feat either! Alfred Molina is used to delivering in Hollywood these days, but this is the best character he's had for years, the most rounded and grounded. Dawn is as ever, real and sharp, funny and silly by turn. Lets hope there's a Season3.

Contrary to the review made by rduddridge I can honestly say that is one of the finest comedies ever to grace British television, and by 'finest' I also mean with regards to the delicately subtle attention to detail throughout. Human behaviour is difficult enough to nail down in one person, let alone in the dynamic and complex boundaries of a loving marriage, yet Roger & Val convinces us straight away that these two people have known each other for a very long time. Having watched both series (so far just the two) I would say that the first slightly betters the second mainly because of the slow reveal and revelation that became more apparent as the series went on, though, again, this was handled so cleverly and subtly that it genuinely creeped up on me. Aside from that both series maintained a consistently intriguing insight into this couple's lives. Dawn French has finally found the space to flex her real acting muscles, having been hidden beneath her masterful comedy work for so long, and Alfred Molina has been given this opportunity to explode, albeit quietly, into the world of TV comedy with his spot-on timing. A gem, and one of my new favourite comedies.

now if you know anything about Molina, then you know he has a terrific acting range. if you don't know his work then i won't waste my time listing it--just do a search.dawn French has an excellent comedic resume--in Brit comedy.the point being--when you put a dramatic actor of such acclaimed status as Molina with a comedic pro in the likes of French, then you most probably have a recipe for disaster. but not this time.Molina proves that not only does he have technique, but also timing. and this is proved by his impeccable comedic timing--the toughest of all to master.and in being so proficient, and so lauded, he pulls French into a lofty zone i doubt any have seen her achieve before.this is a mature comedy, and i hate to say it but, if you don't get it--then you are probably too young. it's the opposite of "if it's too loud, then you are too old." these two are able to manage long takes with seemingly little effort.this quality is what the BBC is famed for. and though often tried, is seldom achieved. and i know what pulled Molina from the big screen into a risky, short term BBC project: and that was the writing. it is supremely subtle comedy.these two have pulled each other into comic reality. and when it comes to couples--there is nothing funnier than everyday truth. and this team proves it. when i watch the tenderness they show each other, I'm glad to be aging.