TV Footie Adaptation, More Raunchy Rutshire & A Big Deal of a Show! 😁📺

Hello world! Welcome back to another blog. This is another TV Review, where the shows I’ll be talking about today include a TV adaptation based on a play about the iconic England manager, part 1 of the second season of the show based off the book by the late Dane Jilly Cooper, and a romance show based on the book series by Elle Kennedy which was a very big deal. So without further ado, when is what I thought of these shows!

Dear England:

The first show I’m going to talk about is Dear England, the tv version of the play with the same name by James Graham, and starring Joseph Fiennes, Jodie Whittaker and Will Atenbring.

Based on the play with the same name, this TV adaption tells the story of former England Manager Gareth Southgate, who changed the mindset of the England team. Like with films or tv shows based on true events, I’m going to review this show as if it was a history lesson, which will be a lot, but I’ll separate it into different chunks, from the main characters, to the players and real life moments. 

After taking on this role in the original stage show back in 2023, Joseph Fiennes reprised his role as the legendary Gareth Southgate, and it’s safe to say that I’ve learnt a lot from him. There is a lot to unpack with him, but it’ll be worth the read! After his setback in the 1996 euros, he had a clear goal to get the mentality of the players back, explaining how the mental side is just as important than tactics. But he was still clearly haunted by his past we seen in episode 1 and convinced himself he was fine, and also had to convince others again in episode 2 during the pandemic. He was definitely methodical in his approach, as at one point he gave an overview of the past world cups since 1966 to tell a story and the pressure England must’ve felt to relive it. I’ve also learnt that one of his approaches was that he decided to look at penalties, explaining his experience in episode 1 to help the team open up. Another tactic he used was using the England flag to make sure what they’ll expect from the country and also asking about “what is your England”, which definitely inspired the team, but this in turn caused him to feel the strain, with articles about his work ethic not helping. But after opening up to Harry Kane (who I’ll get onto in a moment) on changing his work ethic, he soon changed his mind after Harry encouraged him to be himself, which worked in his favour when handling the topic of LGBTQ and giving the meeting about it. He was also one to find the smaller wins with one example being their Croatia defeat in episode 2, using what happened and how to improve on it. A big challenge he faced was working through the Coronavirus pandemic, as he definitely felt concerned about the teams mindset by bringing the Euros on home turf, but was soon developing a strategy to keep the team safe, but was forced to make a decision to change the team, and again in episode 4 before the Euros 2024, which was his final tournament. Now I’m not a manager, but I can’t imagine the decision to let go and take players on isn’t an easy challenge, and some of the players’ reactions are valid. Episode 3 sees a young Southgate (Kasper Hilton-Hille) 10 minutes after the penalties and fearing what would happen and how people would look at him, which showed when Gareth stepping up to the racist comments despite being targeted and being reminded of his miss. This then led to a full circle moment when he was comforting Harry on the penalty miss, soon begging to stay knowing that England had more in the tank as he believes in himself, which was something I quite like. The final episode showed how passionate he was to end his managing career in style, knowing it’s how you’ll be remembered that counts. But whilst trying to be positive, a flashback of his younger self getting too much. It’s also safe to say that the team will definitely miss him, as he gave them an inspiring speech to not give up and not spread hate like the ex players did, also opening up to Jude about his grandad. And after some encouragement by Pippa Grange (who I’ll get into shortly), he gave one final speech before the Euros 2024 final with Gareth’s closing speech really hitting home. Whilst he may not have won any games whilst under his management, how he built the team back to a positive mindset was an achievement in itself, and I hope the real Gareth Southgate watching this will also see that. As well as Gareth, we also got the appearance of Pippa Grange, played by Jodie Whittaker, who knew a lot about her work, and from performance coach to culture coach which Gareth admired. She soon went on to become the head of people and explained the reality of why England were not in a positive mindset, particularly when it comes to penalties. She also gave a good analysis following their defeat against Croatia in episode 2 and also made it clear about not wanting to be on the spotlight as seen when the paparazzi come to take the pictures, which led to her ultimately leaving her role to pursue other opportunities, and also wondering if Gareth was trapped in his penalty miss. I also got to learn through Pippa her background, as she opened up in episode 2 about her family whilst helping Dele (who I’ll get onto when I talk about the players) with his issues. Despite leaving Gareth’s team, Episode 3 saw her come back to check in on Southgate following the Wembley defeat in the Euros 2021, reminding him of the tools they got to change England’s team, also mentioning how to teach them how to lose, which I think was just as important as winning. We also saw her checking in with him on episode 4, where he was asking her advice on the final result of the game and the outcome. Throughout all of this, despite. But being by Southgate’s side during his whole career, I’ve learnt that she was definitely someone who helped him through his career, and I loved the on screen chemistry both Joseph and Jodie have, showing how much Gareth and Pippa respect each other. I’ll get onto the players shortly, but someone who really stood out to me and was my favourite throughout the whole series was Will Antenbring, who took on the role of England captain Harry Kane. What I learnt from him was that I could see why he was made captain in episode 1, encouraging Raheem and Marcus to talk about the racism from the team, suggesting to “take the knee” which may have caused some controversy, but he knew that it was the right thing to do. He also stood up for Rashford, Sancho and Saka after they got racist comments following the 2021 Euros (as it’s true when he says if you’re a true England fan, you wouldn’t be making these comments towards the players), and also showed concern for Gareth in episode 3, using an analogy of the queens reign to motivate Gareth to carry on until the end of his contract, and also showed disappointment for not wearing the armband at the Qatar World Cup. That moment in episode 3 in particular was my favourite, as I don’t know whether Harry actually went to Southgate’s house, but what I do know was that it’s scenes like that when you know that the chemistry they have is more than manager and captain, with Joseph and Will really bringing that chemistry on screen to the next level. I’ve also learnt that he was a good motivator, giving the team a good talk with him being the greatest goal scorer of all time, but also showed disappointment when he missed the penalty (which was understandable given the position as a captain). But he was also someone who dusted himself off and picked himself back up again, as he once again showed concern in episode 4 and also spoke out about the criticism he got, showing that he’s not afraid to speak his mind, and also gave the team one final pep talk during half time, knowing that it was Southgate’s final tournament as manager, so he wanted to make him proud and end his career in style. I don’t know if you’re reading this Will, but all I can say is you definitely made me feel like I got to know Harry on a deeper level, and how he was a crucial figure in Southgate’s career. 

Along with Will Atenbring as Harry Kane, the actors who played the many players of team England really did their homework, and they each told their story with excellence. What I’ve learnt throughout it was that they had very interesting views on Southgate’s tactics which include going to a Royal Marines training camp, which put them back in their mindset and inspired them after their Croatia defeat and got inspired by “what is your England”, and building themselves up following the Wembley defeat. Some of these iconic names of the England team featured goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, played by Josh Barrow, who got the job done every time and was always energetic for each game, Jack Grealish, played by Sam Baker Jones, and Phil Foden played by Alfie Middlemiss. There were also three iconic players all of which I got a deeper understanding of their personality and how their games under the management of Gareth Southgate affected their mentality. I learnt a lot from Marcus Rashford played by Edem-Ita Duke, showing snippets of his campaign away from the pitch and also opened up in episode 2 about superstitions before the game after Croatia, also seeing the disappointment after he missed the penalty at Euros 2021. We also saw two new players in the form of Jadon Sancho played by Riess Fennellwho, who also missed the penalty, and Bukayo Saka (who played Femi in Boarders), played by Abdul Sessay, who was one of the New England squad and got away with his love of chocolate and opened up about the bible. I could also sense his distraught when he missed the penalty during the Euros 2021 but got himself back to his feet at Qatar and got a penalty in Euros 2024. This tells me about him that he had the right mentality to dust himself off and come back stronger, and those three players didn’t deserve the abuse they did. In the last episode, we got to see 3 more new players, some of them are currently in the England squad now. They were in the form of Cole Parker, played by Don Rayner, who scored the winning goal in one match in the Euros 2024, Ollie Watkins, played by Daniel Quincey Annoh, and Jude Bellingham, played by Jacob Greenway. They definitely made an impression, but for Jude in particular, he had alot to say during the match against Slovakia, but after losing his temper and Gareth’s inspiring speech, he was the one who saved the match, showing that if you really listen and really focus on the objective, you can achieve anything. But also learnt that when off the pitch, he showed a hobby of playing cards, getting vulnerable with Gareth about how people see him and his home life, using a card analogy to go into the next step. After seeing snippets of the real Jude in the 2026 World Cup and the impact he had on the tournament, he definitely took a lot from Southgate, and without that, he wouldn’t be the player he is today. Sadly there were some of the players who sadly got dropped before the Euros 2021 and Euros 2024. One of them was Dele Alli, played by Lewis Shepherd. I could tell that he was gutted, despite convincing everyone that he was fine and after his news of not playing at Wembley as seen in episode 2, and he was also convinced that not talking about it won’t help. But he soon slowly opened up to Pippa about his issues on trust, also opening up about his life in the care system, showing me that he went through a lot as a child, and something like this would understandably knock his confidence. Another player that got dropped was Eric Dier, played by Hamish Frew, who talked about his family life, and was also heartbroken in episode 2 when he was told he wasn’t going to Wembley. But after doing some research, I’m glad they’re both doing well for themselves and continuing their football careers. There was also Harry McGuire, played by Adam Hugill, who was pleased to be on the team from Leicester, but understandably gutted on not getting the England squad for euros 2024 due to an injury he sustained, but what I learnt was that he took the negatives like a champion, and was quick on complimenting Gareth on his work ethic. There was also Raheem Sterling, played by Francis Lovehall (who you may recognise as Alec Monroe in A Thousand Blows), who faced prejudice in the euro 2021 qualifier in episode 2 against Columbia despite winning 5-1, and was also gutted to not be part of England euros but was praised by Gareth that it’s the start of his career. The final player who Gareth sadly had to let go of was Jordan Henderson, played by David shields, who opened up about his family’s cancer diagnosis, and also gutted not to be part of the England euros squad, but praised Gareth in what he learnt and how he’ll take it on board for the near future. 

Along with the players, there were different other people, both fictional and non fictional, who impacted Gareth’s career. Two of them were Emily, played by Crystal Condie, who was part of the team who was there assistant to help both Gareth and the players on the BTS of the games, and former manager Sam Allridge, played by Andrew Dunn, who made it clear on his opinion on being manager whilst being in a Scam that made big news. At the start of the series, we also got to see the appearance of Wayne Rooney, played by Bobby Schofield, who gave his honest opinion in episode 1 about the reality of the team and was even one who gave the current squad backlash during the Euros 2024. I don’t know if he saw the stage production, but I just hope the TV production had made him see the impact of how the current squad were affected by the mentality knowing that he was in their shoes, before needing to think before making a comment after a bad game. Jason Watkins and John Hodgkinson took on the roles of playing predecessor Greg dyke and chairman Greg Clarke. Whilst I only to got see Greg Dyke once, I could tell that he was excited for Gareth to take on this role, but for Clarke, it soon became a different story. Clarke was someone who was abit old fashioned, and he was also the one who suggested on giving plans of how the euros 2021 will happen on home turf due to the pandemic thinking it’s an advantage to bring it home. I could also tell he was old fashioned when it came to asking about Gareth’s methods on expressing themselves. But he decided to step down from his role after admitting in episode 3 that Southgate is the man for the job, and made a public statement. Then came the appearance of Mark Bullingham, played by Martin Fisher, the new FA CEO to replace Greg Clarke who read Gareth’s letter in episode 2 about being more modern, also backing Gareth when asking about the “One Love” armbands. This tells me that Mark was someone who was focusing on the world today and not the world of the past, which in turn would maybe help Englands mindset. Along with Emily, we also got a glimpse of the staff who assisted Gareth’s career. One of them was Steve Holland, played by Daniel Ryan, who did admired Gareth, and tried to push him to keep going, particularly in episode 3 and also asked about his tactics when selecting the new squad. He also encouraged Gareth to change some of the positioning when their campaign in the Euros 2024 was off to a rocky start, and he definitely made an impact on Gareth’s career. Another person on the team was Mike Webster, played by Sam Spurell, the performance coach of the England squad, giving facts about the amount of time between the whistle and penalties, giving an analysis in episode 2 also showed his disliking to Pippa. He also pointed out in episode 4 the lack of connection between the team following the dropouts and new players coming in, and used a Lord of the rings analogy in episode 4 when selecting the England squad for Euros 2024. There was also Physio Phil, played by Gerard Monaco, who gave his honest opinion on why England are at an all time low at the start of the series, but was also someone who added abit of light to this drama, but equally also had a great care for the squad. There was also John Major, played by Steven Mackintosh, UK prime minister from 1990-1997 who in episode 3 comforted a young Southgate after the penalty miss, and gave his view on leadership to help inspire him in his career as manager. We also got to see the manager of the Lionesses, Serena Wiegman, played by Anniek Pheifer, who Gareth admired managing the lionesses to do well, and was also someone to not take things too seriously after making a joke about the trophy. She also gave him the secret to their success and opened up about the women’s mentality, which I won’t reveal as I want everyone reading this blog to watch it themselves. There was also Andreas Köpke, played by Dirk Borchardt, the goalkeeper who saved Gareth’s goal during the 1996 World Cup, who opened up about his moment that went on repeat, putting Gareth’s mind at rest and able to move on from what happened, and Lastly, we got to see the appearance of current England Thomas Tuchel, played by Richard Samuel, who I didn’t know he was German. I learnt that he’s respectful, as he made a promise to Gareth to develop on his methods and also reminded them of the little things he did for England, which were history in itself. This tells me that yes he was focused on winning, but he was also someone who like Gareth focused on the little things, and also someone who focused on England today, taking on Gareth’s tactics to help team England thrive. 

Throughout the show, we had the chance to get real life footage of events during Southgate’s career as manager, both football related and off the pitch. Some of these moments were seen in episode 1 with Southgate missing the goal, and a montage of the 2018 World Cup after Gareth’s strategy, with the country celebrating England vs Sweden. There was also the game with England vs Croatia footage from the semi final which they eventually lost, with Theresa May, Gary Lineker and David Beckham present. There was of course Boris Johnson stepping in as prime minister, and the news of the coronavirus which featured the speech from the Queen. There was also a reconstruction of the players “Taking the Knee” to show the impact of racism during the “Black Lives Matter” campaign which got mixed reviews in the news, something that I think was something to be proud of Harry Kane to do. There was also the Euros 2021 with interviews recreated by Stirling, Kane and Southgate himself. Episode 3 saw the footage from the 1996 Euros with Gareth missing the penalties, followed by the aftermath of the Wembley Euros with Saka, Sancho and Rashford getting the racist comments, which was then followed by them speaking out with everyone backing him up. Other stuff included a statement taking place and Liz Truss taking over, and the Lionesses taking over and winning the Euros in July 2022. There was also the news showing Ukraine and how it affected the Qatar World Cup along with a recreation of England’s vs Hungary with fans showing their disgust (which again was unacceptable as if you’re a true England fan you wouldn’t be making the comments or get frustrated). There was also footage of the reality of the past managers facing, and the Queen's death being announced (and I thought the way the team tributes her was beautiful) along with a reconstruction of the team entering Qatar. This was then followed by the matches along with reconstructions of interviews from Jack Grealish, Marcus Rashford and Harry Kane. There was also the news of England being the favourite for Euros 2024 and their thoughts on Gareth’s final tournament, also showing previous tournaments in Germany and a reconstruction of the game and Harry’s and Gareth’s interview, along with a reconstruction of England getting stick for their tournament. There was another reconstruction of Harry giving an interview, along with people’s reaction to the win against Slovakia. We also got to see the penalties in the quarter finals with Saka’s interview on his past penalties and getting them scored again, with Semifinals against the Netherlands taking place, which include Ollie Watkins goal. Finally, the final where England were against Spain which was followed by a reconstruction of Thomas Thuchel taking over as manager. But what really hit me was the ending, as it included a montage of pictures and videos of the real Gareth Southgate and his career over the years, adding how it’s a real story. 

I don’t think I have any downsides to the show, as I loved all of it. But what I will say was that there were moments where it was hard to watch. The main one being the prejudice that Rashford, Sancho and Saka got after the Euros 2021, as if you were a true England fan, then you wouldn’t be booing or making comments of their ethnicity. I just hope that it’s this show where for future games, it’ll help people realise that it’s wrong and that if you were a true England fan, you would support them through the good AND the bad times. Another downside I think for me was not seeing the original stage production. I was tempted to come and watch it in 2025, but couldn’t due to the ticket prices and not necessarily being a football fan. But after watching the tv adaptation, it would’ve been interesting to see the stage show both before and after James re wrote it after Gareth left as manager and compare it to see what bits they used from the stage show, which bits they didn’t and what they added in the tv production that wasn’t in the stage production. 

Overall I would give the show a full house of 5 out of 5. It was fascinating, moving, and for me. It’s helped to see things from a different perspective with drama off the pitch being shown. As mentioned before, I may not be a fan of football, but it’s dramas like this where you get a real deep dive on the aftermath of matches, and I just hope that English fans will show abit of kindness to their country after watching this. But all I can say is after originally telling the story on stage, the real Gareth Southgate will be proud to see his story being shared on national television! 

Rivals:

The next show I’m going to talk about is part 1 of season 2 of Rivals, based on the novel by the late Dame Jilly Cooper and once again having a star studded cast, which include Alex Hassell, Aidan Turner and David Tennant. 

This first part of season 2 of this show sees the continuing rivalry of Venturer, led byDeclan O'Hara, and Corinium, led by Tony Baddingham, with more secrets and surprises amongst it all!

Bella McLean reprised her role as Agatha “Taggie” O’Hara. As a character who I can relate massively to, I could definitely feel her pain at the beginning of the series, as she was clearly heartbroken after Rupert departed and then got with Cameron, making it clear on how she felt in episode 1. But when getting into a sticky situation at a secret catering job in episode 2, she appreciated his help when things nearly went awry, and she in turn offered to help with his kids. But despite this  some advice to her younger sister Caitlin got her being reminded of Rupert, but decided eventually to let her hair down with Shelley in episode 4, and she kept herself busy with the catering and opened up to Lizzie about her love life in episode 5. Alex Hassell reprised his role as ladies man/ex-Olympian/MO Rupert Campbell-Black. This time he wasn’t so much of a ladies man, as he was quick to get involved with Cameron Cook after she caused Tony’s accident. Along with this, he was still working on his political campaign, and reached a low point after his “scandals” were exposed in episode 3 where he made the decision to turn down being an MP for the sake of himself (even though he got the majority of the votes). Not only did he also continue to help Venturer, despite Declan temporarily letting him go because of the scandals, I could also tell he was still harbouring feelings for Taggie, an example being in episode 2, when she came to help his children after helping her at a dinner party and was soon opening up to Taggie about the impact breaking up with Helen had, and also in episode 5 where he got Taggie a present. But I was also sensing some jealousy when she started spending time with Bas, and after seeing the trailer for part 2 of season 2, it’s going to get abit more intense. He also faced many challenges when Tony tried to get one up on him where he tried to bury it down, but got them a slot with the help of his friend Jeremy. Despite it never making it to air due to Tony, I’m glad it didn’t get ruined when Rupert mentioned to Declan about Taggies birthday (which was another hint that he may still have feelings for her). I agree with the fans on how there should be more scenes of them together, as I loved Alex’s and Bella’s on screen chemistry, and we’re all in tender hooks for when they finally get together. We also saw Aidan Turner reprise his role as Declan O’hara, who like the last series was still passionate about making Venturer the best company in Rutshire. Let’s just say thought throughout the series he did have a short temper, as whilst he was determined too beat Corinium, Rupert’s “scandal” did have an impact, and it also directly affected his relationship with Maud, even when he watched her performance, thinking he was watched it because he had to. During episode 5 he also clashed with Cameron after his estranged marriage with Maud, but both do have strong personalities so there’s no wonder they did. But after soon apologising it then turned into temptation, but I can only imagine after he revealed in episode 6 that nothing actually happened between the pair, and his reaction when Maud does the ultimate betrayal. That along with Tony stealing the tapes from Rupert’s idea for Venturer in episode 5. We also saw David Tennant reprise his role as Declan’s rival and head of Corinium Tony Baddingham. I was surprised he survived his accident (and the makeup team did a good job in episode 1), but let’s just say he was more powerful than ever and seeking revenge, also suspecting Cameron of Rupert when his assailant Ginger (Antony Byrne) gave out some crucial information. When it comes to affairs, let’s just say he hasn’t changed one bit, as he used his tactics to flirt with Maud to get one up on Corinium, claiming it was a business decision for the company which worked. And during his affair, we got to know his past as a photographer and how it didn’t go to plan, which is probably why he was the way he was. But I think his true colours were shown when he lost his temper after Archie revealed his affair with Maud, claiming it is what people do, and his attitude towards Monica on why he cheated on her I think was horrible. But he was in that scenario where you don’t realise what you've got until you’ve lost it when Rupert revealed that Monica was pronounced dead showing that he really did love her. Come part 2 of season 2, I think he may use that grief as more revenge to get what he wants. Danny Dyer reprised his role as Freddie jones.  Living in a new mansion, he continued to work for Venturer, and tried to find a solution from a technological perspective anyway and when Rupert got caught up in the scandal. He also continued the affair with Lizzie and started to fall out of love with Valerie. Katherine Parkinson reprised her role as Lizzie Verecker. Like the last season, she was still a good friend to the O’Hara’s, as seen in the penultimate episode when she was quick to reassure Taggie about her love life, and stayed loyal to Rupert following his scandal. She was also still fighting her feelings for Freddie, consummating them in episode 4 (which I was fully prepared for after previously watching it on Celebrity Gogglebox) and nearly getting caught "celebrating" her latest writing achievement. But she soon wondered about her doubts and decided to break it off, making it clear to Rupert in episode 5 about how it’ll impact everyone in a negative way, and again where in episode 6 she mentioned how an affair may impact her kids life at school. She was also continuing her writing career, and with the inspiration for her new book based on the storm and her chat with Monica, she decided to take that leap and decided to reconcile with Freddie. I just can’t wait to see how that goes throughout the rest of season 2, and if both of them even have the courage to leave their current partners. Nafessa Williams reprised her role as producer Cameron Cook. It was clear that at the beginning she was needing to escape after Tony’s accident, and whilst everyone thought she joined Corinium again deliberately, it was actually a set up and used it to take Tony’s promise to her advantage. She also showed her passion for Venturer, and took a stand in episode 3 following the news on Uncensored and Rupert, showing how much she cares for him, and she also helped Declan get a deal for his documentary. But during the Yeats shoot in Ireland in episode 5, it did cause some tension between her and Declan, but they soon got to know him on a deeper level which eventually led to temptation after she grilled him about his marriage as mentioned before. But towards the end she had her suspicions in episode 6 when Taggie came to help Rupert’s horse, and her suspicions were right when she saw a card from Taggie, and I can’t wait to see her confront Rupert on who he really wants. Someone who was in a dilemma of her own was Sarah Stratton, played by Emily Atack, going on her own journey after discovering she was pregnant, with Tony convincing her to get rid of it. One thing’s for certain was that she was not an expert in catering, and enlisted Taggie’s help in episode 2 and also confiding in Rupert about her career.  

Throughout the show once again returning characters made their mark on both Venturer and Corinium. One of them was Declan’s wife Maud O’Hara, reprised by Victoria Smurfit, who came back from a play that took place between the end of season 1 and the start of season 2, but realised the importance of family after declining a tour of the play she did. But there was more drama to come after she decided to take Tony’s offer of A Midsummer Night's Dream (which Monica suggested after she and Tony saw her in a play), which led to an affair with Tony. Whilst she was admired Declan’s documentary, and was surprised by Cameron and Declan’s moment of madness which made her feel more guilty. I do wonder how she’s going to go about it during the rest of the second part of season 2. There was also Valerie “Mousy” Jones, reprised by Lisa McGrills, who was oblivious to Freddie’s and Lizzie's affair as she was more focused on having everything and anything to become popular, which did have an negative impact on the kids which she was also oblivious to. I just can’t wait for her reaction when Freddie’s and Lizzie’s affair will be revealed, which is another question. We also saw the return of Monica Baddingham, reprised by Claire Rushbrook, who continued to sense the affair Tony was having, and also made it clear to him in episode 3 about his tactics to get Corinium to the best. I could also tell she was out of her comfort zone in episode 5 where she was asked to be a part of “How to Stay Married” which had concerns from Sarah Stratton after it was revealed it wasn’t part of the franchise, but still gave her honest opinion on when it came to how a marriage works. But the last straw came when she discovered Tony’s affair with Maud in episode 6, and made a decision after opening up to Lizzie about the impact of her marriage to Tony and her connection with Enid (which she didn’t mention specifically but we as the viewers know who she was talking about), and after the hurt she felt when Tony revealed why he cheated on her, I don’t really blame her for leaving. I was just sad about the outcome at the end of the first part of season 2, so it’ll be interesting to see how Tony grieves for her and how he uses that grief during his work at Corinium. We also saw the return of Charles, reprised by Gary Lamont, who was undercover for Corinium shown in episode 1 when talking about the polo match, but was very much team Venturer, where Declan encouraged him to come back to Corinium after Tony convinced him to take time off, and at one point ended up having to take over from James Vereker during the production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” when he got injured (as he clearly knew the play well). But he also felt grief when his mother sadly passed away, but I’m just glad he had people to attend the funeral with. There was also the return of Charles' love interest Gerald Middleton, reprised by Hubert Burton, who found himself in an arranged marriage to Muffy (Eliot Salt), and got to take Rupert’s seat as MP for the conservative when he turned it down. There was also young love between Caitlin O’hara, reprised by Catorina Chandler, who was exploring the world of life after some advice from Taggie when it came to liking Archie, and Archie Baddingham, played by Louis Landau. Let’s just say that Archie got himself in a predicament sexually speaking after his shenanigans in the last series but it was when he got himself entangled with Caitlin that changed things. Despite getting caught in these situations, he was actually a gentleman after he respected her boundaries when it came to “second base”, also kind to her when they did have their first time together. We also got to find out his passion for photography and explained why birds fascinate him, but Caitlin soon challenged Archie in revealing all when she discovered Maud and Tony’s affair, and soon Archie was then confronting Tony about his affair in question. Whilst Archie was slowly able to be on good terms with his dad, I’m interested to see if it’ll still be the same after Monica’s fate and how it’ll impact his relationship with Caitlin, and how Caitlin herself will go about the secret her mom kept her, just when she was on good terms with Declan again. There was also Paul Stratton, reprised by Rufus Jones, who was going through with his election campaign, but got Sarah into a pickle when mentioning the pregnancy live on TV, and Beattie Johnson, reprised by Annabel Scholey, who was working for Corinium and used her presenting job to her advantage, which includes exposing Rupert on Uncensored as revenge on Sarah, and was clearly offended when Tony rejected her. We also saw the return of James Vereker, reprised by Oliver Chris, who was still the husband you love to hate (but that’s when you know he’s playing the part well), so much so that even the staff at Corinium wonder why Lizzie was married to him. I just can’t wait to see his face when he finds out about Lizzie’s affair. We also saw the return of Bas Baddingham, reprised by Luca Pasqualino. Let’s just say he made quite an impression on Taggie in episode 1 (and I’ll admit I’m the same, with him still being my favourite character), and whilst he may still be a ladies man, he also has a great deal of care towards her. Whilst it involves still complimenting her on the catering, it was then shown in episode 4 when he found Taggie letting her hair down, and again in episode 5 when he came round to have some food in honour of Taggie’s birthday, which did spark some jealousy in Rupert. A hint from Maud in episode 6 also questioned Taggie’s connection with him when he came round before the storm appeared, and even though I did research to find out who she does end up with, I just can’t wait to see the feud between Rupert and Bas and them fighting over Taggie. There was also Patrick O’Hara, played by Gabriel Tierney, who clearly still had feelings for Cameron, and tried to impress her with something new that fellow Venturer crew member Mike Maples suggested whilst doing the documentary, but was soon given the courage to start writing in France. There was also Helen, played by Hayley Atwill, Rupert’s ex wife who made it clear of his opinions with his children, and Corinium employees Deidre and Jocelyn Madden, reprised by Bryony Hannah and Denise Black, with Jocelyn being wary of Tony’s techniques, whilst Deidre got herself into some awkward situations and had a crush on James, which was entertaining. There was also fellow Corinium employee Daysee Butler, reprised by Lara Peake, who still  worked for Corinium, but was clearly  still dramatised by her assault from Reverend Penny in the last season (David Calder), and Venturer supporter Enid Spink, played by Selina Griffith, who continued to work for Venturer but made it clear on Rupert in episode 3 after Beattie’s revelations and also had a connection with Monica, and I can only imagine how she’ll feel when Monica’s fate is revealed to all. 

As well as the returning characters, we also got to see some new faces. One of them was Mike Mapled, played by X/Twitter comedy star Jonny Weldon. Right from the beginning, he made it clear that he was team Corinium but was sadly taken off the meeting during episode 3. But he was soon reinstated to help the team, and showed concern for Daysee in episode 4, despite her being in a different company. He also showed his gratitude and how proud he was in episode 5 whilst shooting on location, but equally upset that he lost the tapes when recording The Golden Gauntlet. I do hope he comes back for the second part or even the third, as not only will he continue to help Venturer develop, but I do hope he’ll be the one to help Daysee step up and speak out about the trauma she had and how Tony handled it. We also saw the appearance of Malise Gordon, played by Rupert Everett, Helen’s new partner but somehow managed to give Rupert a wake up call in episode 3, who was secretly grieving for his dead son, but also showing he wasn’t the type of new partner to boast about everything. There was Jeremy Bonnington, played by Nicolas Rowe, who was part of the documentary department to help Declan’s next step to getting back on the BBC by turning his biography into a documentary, where in episode 5 he helped Rupert plan The Golden Gauntlet, and twins Sebbie and Dommie Carlisle played by twins played by Maxim Ays and Bobby Lockwood. who were part of the polo team in episode 1 and kept recurring throughout the season. 

Like Dear England, I don’t think I necessarily have any downsides as it was brilliant. The only thing I can say is that I just want more. More as in the aftermath of Monica’s fate and how it impacts Tony, Caitlin grilling Maud about her affair with Tony, and Cameron giving Rupert a wake up call about who he really wants to be with. But with the teaser for part 2 coming out in November, I feel like all my answers will be coming sooner than I think. 

Overall I would give this first part a 4.95. It was saucy like last time, entertaining and had a lot of drama and heartfelt moments. With the second part of season 2 out in November, and with season 3 also being greenlit, I can’t wait to see if the missing pieces of the puzzle will be revealed! 

Off Campus: 

The final show I’m going to talk about is Off Campus, starring Ella Bright and Belmont Cameli.

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Based on the book “The Deal” by Elle Kennedy, this sees music major Hannah and star ice hockey player Garrett Graham getting into a fake relationship to help with their own troubles, only to find their own feelings for each other growing. 

Ella Bright and Belmont Cameli took on the roles of Hannah Wells and Garrett Graham. For Hannah, she was on a mission to stay on her course by signing up to a competition in episode 1 “The Deal” to help work her scholarship whilst working at “Malone’s” to pay for her tuition. But she also Clearly suffered from a traumatic moment, but it’s safe to say that her music helped Garrett with his temper, even if she got frustrated with Garrett for forgetting the times of their study period Like in the book, they made a deal to fake date each other, so that she can get her crush Justin to notice her, and also help Garrett with his presentation to get the grades he needed, but understandably got frustrated when he forgot the times and ended up in an awkward situation. It was also nice that she got along with his teammates, particularly Logan, and convinced the two of them to work together and forget his dad. Despite claiming she doesn’t sing, she definitely showed off her vocals in episode 3 “the orgasm” doing drunken karaoke, and her version of “Sweet Cherry Pie” was something to like (and I can see why there’s many clips of it). She was also someone who was open to suggestions to help her grow professionally and personally, with some moments which included trusting Garrett to help her after her trauma in episode 4 “the break up” and also gave some advice from her advisor about her song. But despite that she got Justin to notice her, she realised her feelings for Garrett, and normally serenading someone to show their love is cheesy, but for this show, I found it quite romantic. She was also a kind person, both to her friends and Garrett. Two of which were when she gave advice to her friends Allie in episode 6 “The Breakaway” and was also honest on giving her honest opinion when it came to her love life, also helping the team nicely with the fundraiser, also encouraging Garrett to open up about what his dad was really like. Episode 7 “The Faceoff” saw what happened to Hannah through a flashback after finding out Garrett team will be facing the same one her abuser Aaron Delaney (Quentin James) was playing, which got her confiding in her mum Carrie (Chelah Horsdal who was the definition of how supportive a mother should be) thinking that her trauma was her fault (when we all know in cases like this, it’s the abusers fault). It also didn’t help when she accused Garrett of making threats in episode 8 “The Line Change”, when I didn’t actually know who the culprit was. I can only imagine her relief when Allie revealed that she knew about what happened, eventually using her music to heal from her trauma after initially questioning if she should even enter the concert, but soon realised that Garrett was the one who wouldn’t judge her for her past. Before he met Hannah, Garrett was clearly a womaniser as seen in episode 1 “The Deal” which didn’t fit well with one of his flames (who I’ll mention at the end of this blog), and it also showed he had issues with his dad which affected his game, but seeing Hannah helped his mentality and also her singing helped his temper, soon opening up about the real pressure he has to impress his dad and convincing Hannah to go for the song competition. Despite his charm, he was also a good person deep down. These were seen in episode 3 “The Orgasm”, when he turned down Hannah knowing she was too drunk, and also in episode 4 “the break up” when he respected her boundaries when getting changed into something else in his room, and understanding the way she felt during her trauma when learning to get intimate again, using a different approach to help her. Supported Garrett in episode 5 “The Cold Turkey” when finding out the extent of Garrett’s wellbeing after finding out more about his dad. I also liked his honesty about Hannah’s song in episode 6 “The Breakaway” encouraging to go with her gut, being the supportive boyfriend he is. But he soon faced the pressure in episode 7 “The Faceoff”, which caused tension in the team, particularly Logan, disowning his dad for good following a suspension and realising he only took up hockey for him. It also didn’t help that he got caught from other misconceptions in episode 8 “The Line Change”, which after some tough love from coach Jenson, decided to quit hockey knowing he’s doing it for the wrong reasons, but soon eventually found the real reason why he loves it. What I love about these two is the chemistry on screen that both Ella and Belmont bring. I know there was some talk on the age gap between the two actors in real life, but there was an article about the showrunner and writer making it clear they both consented to what they were comfortable with, which was the main thing for this show. Examples of their chemistry can be seen in moments from episode 2 “the practice” where they both sleep on the floor and getting to know each other on a deeper level, slowly realising their feeling for each other as seen for Garrett in episodes 2 “the practice” and episode 3 “The Orgasm” and Hannah picturing Justin as Garrett. I also like how both of these characters feel comfortable to the point where Hannah was  opening up in episode 4 “The Break Up” when asking for a surprising request with Garrett very understanding but encouraged by his friends. During drunken Shakespeare, Garrett soon realised his feelings for her and made things official in episode 5 “The Cold Turkey” with Hannah supporting him during thanksgiving, each getting to know each other on a deeper level, which includes opening up a lot how bad his dad was to him. Although they confessed their love for each other in episode 6 “The Breakaway” where Hannah was practicing, their relationship hit rock bottom as seen in in episode 7 “The Faceoff” where Garrett handled the real truth of Aaron Delaney’s identity the wrong way, causing them to temporarily break up after Garrett convinced Hannah he’s not good for her. But they clearly still had feelings for each other during episode 8 “The Line Change” whilst Garrett liked her post of an old video, and both of them  helped each other despite breaking up, with Garrett realising how important his friendship with Logan was and finally opening up about his dad, and Hannah realising how important the showcase was for her. And Hannah’s song Girl That I Am brought them back together, with Hannah healing from her trauma and Garrett realising how important she is to him.  

As well as the Garrett and Hannah, two other people who have been exploring a romantic connection is Allie Hayes and Dean Di Laurentis, based off on the third book of the series "The Score" where Episode 6 “The Breakaway” saw the full extent of their relationship, to the point where they spend thanksgiving together in Deans apartment. Allie Hayes was played by Mika Abdalla. She was the best friend of Hannah who helps her with Justin. It was clear that she wanted more fun in her life, and was also pursuing a career in acting as seen in episode 3 “The Orgasm”, and is also someone who can get stuck in, although I can relate to her with regards to karaoke (as I know I’d be terrible as well). This then gave her the decision break up with her on off boyfriend Sean in episode 4 “the break up” when mentioning about their differences and convinced she’s over it, and opened up in episode 6 “The Breakaway” on wanting love but not wanting to stop her achieving her dreams (something which I’ll explain later on Sean’s view of it), but became fearful of people talking about her and Dean, getting advice from Hannah about it. So like in the book she decided to set Dean up with an “assignment” as seen In episode 8 “The Line Change”, but I can’t wait to see how it pans out in season 2 when she discovers the real identity of her “assignment”. She was also a brilliant friend to Hannah, admiring her song from high school, and you know when she’s a good friend, when she revealed that she knew about Hannah’s trauma, but wanted to let her open up in her own time, and also encouraged her to not let what happened define her. Self proclaimed “King of One Night Stands” Dean Di Laurentis was played by Stephen Kalyn. What I got from him was that he knows how to be seen as seen in episode 2 “The Practice” when announcing his birthday plans, and also in episode 6 “The Breakaway”. It was clear he was a ladies man, but we also showed his respectful side, particularly when it came to Allie’s boundaries during the iconic j-lo scene during his birthday during episode 2 “the practice”, and gave surprising advice on trust in episode 4 “The Break up”. It was clear that Allie had caught his attention, supported her in drunken Shakespeare when she gets the line wrong in episode 5 “Cold Turkey”, and opened up on why he doesn’t do relationships in episode 6 “The Breakaway” where he also gave Allie support on how if she wants something in life she needs to go for it. He also had a secret talent for dancing and chess in that same episode (but it’s a shame we didn’t see it otherwise it would’ve been quite entertaining), whilst also opening up about his family but was grateful for being with Allie during that time. Towards the end of the season, it was clear that he definitely fell for Allie when he gave him an “assignment” in episode 8 “The Line Change”, and was even confirmed by teammate Beau, who knew about their fling and encouraged him to go for it. I’m just intrigued to see how they navigate their relationship in season 2 following the appearance of a guy called Hunter Davenport (who I’ll get into at the end of this blog), and how it affects his mentality after there was something that happened with Dean’s sister. 

Along with Allie and Dean, there have been many other people who impacted Hannah and Garrett’s romantic life. Two of them included John Logan and John Tucker, who are also the two main leading men based on two more books. John Logan played by Antonio Cipriano, a forward of Briar Hawks, was one of Garrett’s closest friends (where I think Belmont's and Antonio’s on screen chemistry was off the chart), and reassured him about his dad in “The Deal” and giving him a wake up call about why they do hockey. I also liked how friendly he was with Hannah, revealing a link to her family in episode 3: “The Orgasm” and also revealed the reality of the scholarship. But it was clear his emotions were getting the better of him in episode 4 “The Break Up” where he was accused by his sibling Jules of having a crush on Hannah, when I think deep down he was worried about losing his best friend (understandable thought). It was then sensed again during a fundraiser in episode 6 “The Breakaway”, but he soon got into an argument with Garrett about his dad, little knowing what was really happening. Eventually he decided to take matters into his own hands in episode 8 “The Line Change”, but realised the extent of Garrett's dad when Garrett opened up about it, and got the role of captain after a flashback showed him stopping Garrett from furthering injuring Aaron, showing that through the highs and lows, Logan would always be by his side. And you know when someone is a good friend, when he convinces Garrett that he’s perfect for Hannah, realising how she brings out the best in him. There was also John Tucker played by Jalen Thomas Brooks, was a forward for the Briar Hawks, and also made Hannah feel welcome. Whilst he was the more innocent one shall we say, he got involved in some awkward stuff in episode 4 “The Breakup” and carried a lucky banana to every game (but hey whatever works for him). We got to see him also in charge of friendsgiving dinner (their version of thanksgiving) as seen in episode 5 “The Cold Turkey” but definitely felt the pressure to do it well knowing it was mostly his mum's recipes, but found a way to make it work his way, but also felt the unease of Logan’s idea in episode 8 “The Line Change”. Another character who impacted Hannah and Garretts love story was Justin Kohl, played by Josh Heuston, the lead singer of the band After Hours, and did covers of iconic songs, one of which was “Let Me Kiss You” from One Direction in episode 6 “The Breakaway”. As part of Hannah’s deal with Garrett, he helped her with her song and explained how he gets his songs from in episode 3 “The Orgasm”, showing his expertise in the art of music. I also learnt he was quite the gentleman, and after he was able to ask out Hannah in episode 4 “the break up” during drunken Shakespeare, he was understanding of her feelings for Garrett, and still helped her with the song for the showcase. But after he played Hannah’s song in episode 6 “The Breakaway”, he gave her some home truths on her song writing, marking it the end of their music collaboration. Some would think it was abit harsh, and to some point I would agree, but if it wasn’t for the home truths, “Girl That I Am” wouldn’t have come to be. There was also Daveed, Hannah’s music professor played by Brandon Scott, and he made me want to be someone I’d want to have lessons for, as he was the kind of teacher that was firm but fear. This was seen when he gave Hannah reassurance in “The Deal” when it came to her scholarship, and used a different approach to help Hannah make her piece in episode 4 “The Break Up”, letting Hannah in on a secret to how the audience should feel what Hannah feels during her music (which I won’t reveal on here as I want everyone reading this to guess or watch it for themselves). As well as being a great teacher, he also was a talented musician outside of the classroom, particularly when he played an original in episode 7 “The Faceoff”, inspired by his son going into care, also not giving up on Hannah and explained how music can be healing after thinking she can’t write her own song. You also know he’s a good teacher when he accepted her offer for a last minute entry in episode 8 “The Line Change”. Although I secretly think he didn’t take her name off anyway knowing she might change her mind. For Allie’s love life, we got to see the appearance of her one off boyfriend Sean, played by Riley Davies. He first appeared in episode 2 “The Practice” who felt abit uneasy about Allie’s ideas of fun, and also felt uncomfortable about Allie’s acting career in episode 3 “The Orgasm”. I get the audience's point of view about how both Sean and Dean may think differently because of their backgrounds when it comes to class, but regardless whether you’re from a working class, middle class or upper class background, everyone should have the opportunity to shine in their chosen career if they work hard, having people to support you through that, and Sean obviously wasn’t one of them. I was also unsure of his intentions when he berated Allie’s break up stages in episode 4 “The Break Up” as I was confused as to if it’s controlling or it’s a genuine feeling (although mocking her on how she can't handle being alone doesn’t help). I’m just intrigued to see if he features in season 2 (as I’m assuming he features a lot in the book “The Score”) and how he’ll impact Dean and Allie’s love life. Another person who impacted Hannah and Garrett’s relationship was Jules played by Julia Sarah Stone, Logan’s non binary sibling who runs the Fifth Line, the website where the big things at briar university happens, which includes Hannah and Garrett’s relationship, which they questioned we seen in episode 2 “The practice” during Dean’s party. She was being a good sibling when it came to giving Logan good advice in episode 4 “The Break Up” when his mental state goes to down the hill, but their relationship soon got strained in Episode 5 “The Cold Turkey” which saw her and Logan’s relationship strained after having different opinions of their mum who was in rehab. But eventually they made up in the end, and Julia representing the LGBTQ+ community through the character of Jules is something to be admired. Two other people who impacted Hannah and Garrett’s relationship (mainly Garrett) were Kendall and Phil Graham.  Kendall played by Karis Cameron, who was one of Garrett’s former flings as seen in episode 1 “The Deal”, meeting Hannah in episode 2 “the practice” and again in episode 4 “the break up” where she grills Garrett for if he was interested in Hannah even though she made it clear she wanted more from him. Phil Graham, played by Steve Howey, was first seen in episode 1 “The Deal” showing how his abusive past affected Garrett’s mentality. He was also a good manipulator, as he convinced Garrett that he changed as seen in episode 5 “the cold turkey” only to find out that he’s also abusing his current fiancée Cindy (Francesca Blanche), who despite this was still with him, and I don’t blame home for cutting ties with him for good, knowing he won’t change. We also saw the appearance of Beau Maxwell, played by Kobe Clarke, who was a friend of Dean’s (the one who knew about Dean and Allie’s fling and encouraged him to go for it), and had a lot in common with Allie when it came to musical theatre, which did get in Dean’s nerves (but was quite entertaining), along with his Joanne Maxwell, played by Lauren Patten, who was a famous actress and gave Allie the chance to let her hair down after finding out they have the same agent, also giving her a reality check on life as an actress and gave her some advice when it came to romance, making her realise she may have true feelings for Dean but not knowing the impact she may have caused doing that. There was also Coach Jenson, played by Chad Willett, who definitely got his objective of a coach to a team, as he mentioned Garrett’s personality to Hannah as seen in episode 2 “the practice” and particularly in episode 7 “The Faceoff”, and Dexter, played by Miles G Riley, who may not have featured much but was still an important friend to Hannah during her romance navigation. Something tells me there’s drama to be had in the next season, when Hunter Davenport, played by Charlie Evans, came to the scene. It all started when he hooked up with Allie in episode 7 “The Faceoff” but went under the name Carter St James and returned in episode 8 “The Line Change”,  and revealed has a strong connection to Dean’s family. There was also a mention of Grace Ivers, the lover of Logan based on the second book of the series “The Mistake”. Whilst she wasn’t specifically shown in the show itself, the name does give a hint of what’s to come and how after Allie and Dean’s story, there may  be a hint on focusing on Logan’s love story with her. 

I don’t think I have any downsides from the show, but there was some stuff that was hard to watch. The main ones being Hannah opening up about her trauma and the impact it had on her, and Garrett seeing that his dad hasn’t really changed when seeing him on thanksgiving. I don’t know what Ella and Belmont did to get to those emotions, but I tell you something they certainly did their homework from the book. As it was also a good representation of how to navigate a relationship through those traumas. I was also sad that Justin didn’t get to see Hannah perform her song at the showcase, seeing how proud he would’ve been to take his advice and seeing how far she’d grown. I have a feeling he won’t be in the next season, which was a shame as he played a good part in it, but I also have a feeling that ‘After Hours’ are also going to do bigger things after their time at college! 

Overall I would give the show a solid 4.95. It was saucy, eye opening, and like many romance novels, it shows how meeting the right person will not only change you for the better, but also help you grow in the attributes you already have. I can’t wait for season 2 where we get to focus on Dean and Allie’s romance in more detail and also see if John Logan’s story will start after the mention of Grace Ivers. 

And that is it for my latest instalment of TV Reviews. Let me know which show you watched and your thoughts on them.

See you soon for another blog. Until next time…

This is The Autistic Actress signing off :)