Sally Wainwright is a GENIUS, Sally Wainwright is a GENIUS, Sally Wainwright is a GENIUS, Sally Wainwright is a GENIUS, Sally Wainwright is a GENIUS!!!!

Ah that feels better, excuse the somewhat sycophantic chanting about TV writer Sally Wainwright, just needed to get that out of my system before discussing her work.  In my opinion she is the hottest writer on our television screens at the moment. ‘Happy Valley’ last year was not only the best thing I saw on television in 2014, it is no exaggeration to state it is one of the best dramas I have seen in my whole entire life……it was that good.  Two years prior to that she created another TV gem to share with us which is completely different to ‘Happy Valley’, namely the utterly fantastic drama ‘Last Tango in Halifax’. The BBC unjustly in my opinion takes a lot of flack from people who begrudge paying the licence fee, however these two shows from this incredible writer are worth paying the licence fee alone.  ‘Last Tango’ came back for a third series at the very end of 2014  and so as we’re halfway through now, I thought I’d give you my verdict so far!

Before commenting on series three though, I firstly need to point out why ‘Last Tango in Halifax’ works.  It’s rooted in originality due to its original concept/storyline being based around two widowed people in their seventies(Alan and Celia played by Derek Jacobi and Anne Reid), who rekindle a romance that they once shared sixty years ago.  As a viewer, it was such a refreshing change to see a love story depicted about two older people for a change.  There was no voyeuristic bed romping scenes as you would expect to see with much younger protagonists. No instead, by focusing on two elder characters it brought more an old fashioned sense and feel to proceedings, in a charming way I mean.

A second factor it works is due to the location/s where it is shot. The juxtaposition of Gillian’s(Nicola Walker) Ripponden working class farm with the glorious rural shots we witness, really works well against the more upmarket urban landscape in supposed Harrogate where Caroline(Sarah Lancashire) is said to reside(in reality it’s not Harrogate but Altrincham in Cheshire).  I think the emphasis on the rural and historical picturesque Yorkshire, really adds charm to the programme.

Thirdly, I need to comment on the music in ‘Last Tango in Halifax’. As well a great quirky theme tune which really suits the show, what also needs highlighting is the brilliant background music it continually has.  Referring back to ‘Happy Valley’ again for a moment, there was this bit of dramatic mood/background music that would regularly feature and when it did it literally gave me goosebumps. It was sooooooo dramatic and spellbinding that I looked forward to hearing it every episode. Therefore, I’m sat there last Sunday watching ‘Last Tango’ and upon hearing a great piece of background music to enhance the current mood of the specific bit narrative I was watching, it occurred to me just then just how fantastic Sally Wainwright really is at this.  What I mean by this is that I’ve never noticed such brilliant background music in a drama before. I’ve since read that most of the music featured in ‘Last Tango in Halifax’ is especially composed by award winning English composer Murray Gold.  Bravo him I say because it totally adds to my enjoyment of ‘Last Tango’.

Fourthly, the cast and the acting are amazing. In some shows you can spot a weak actor or actress or even a wrongly cast actor or actress. In ‘Last Tango in Halifax’ I find all the actors and actresses utterly convincing.  Derek Jacobi is brilliant as mild mannered Alan, Anne Reid is great as the lovely yet also narrow minded at times Celia, and Sarah Lancashire and Nicola give great performances as their daughters. For me, Nicola Walker starring as Gillian(Alan’s daughter) is the star of the show. Gillian is ballsy, strong and full of self loathing, all brilliantly acted by Nicola. I also think Nicola does the comedy bits of the script really well too. The rest of the cast are exceptional too in my view.

Finally, the writing of ‘Last Tango’ is ultimately what lies behind the success of it.  It’s an original idea as previously stated(two seventy year olds finding love again), and Sally Wainwright via this has delivered wonderful scripts that has given us a whole range of emotions to share as viewers. I’ve laughed out loud numerous times and have also nearly been moved to tears many times too due to the happiness and sadness of the script.  Life itself is a mixture of emotions and I think Sally gets the balance just right.  We all know Alan has a dicky heart and so I watch it hoping it’ll be OK so we get another series, although I suspect this is how the drama will ultimately come to an end sadly.  The way Sally unfolds the plot and intertwines it all, it is a master stroke in storytelling my opinion.

Three weeks ago I therefore sat down rather excitedly to watch the return of ‘Last Tango in Halifax’ on the Beeb(series three).  I’m not sure if I felt slightly ill or something but I wasn’t bowled over by this first episode of series three.  Don’t get me wrong it was perfectly enjoyable however the new big storyline just felt a tad too contrived and convoluted for me.  The main vehicle in moving the story forward here was the revelation that Alan whilst married once had a fling and fathered a boy that he knew nothing about. Episode one focused his son, now a grown man, contacting Gillian to see if Alan was indeed his Father as he suspected? I’m not sure why, but I just don’t know if I fully believed this would have happened.

However, by the end of episode two the week after I was fully enjoying it once again. These initial reservations I had about the new storyline had completely gone and I can distinctly remember telling a loved one how good it had been afterwards.  Again we were taken on a rollercoaster of emotions.  As well the once adulterous Alan news to get over, there was the sombre news that John(Caroline’s ex husband played by Tony Gardner) and his girlfriend Judith(Ronni Ancona) had lost their baby and yet she still had to give birth to it.  That happened to a cousin of mine and his wife so it held particular resonance with me.  Such darker stories were counter balanced with the very funny ones regarding Gillian’s sexual exploits. She was confronted at her job in the supermarket with a vibrator that wouldn’t switch off, by Robbie’s then very unhappy girlfriend Cheryl(revenge for Cheryl for Gillian sleeping with Robbie behind her back). Episode three also involved Gillian drinking too much again which resulted in her disastrously sleeping with John again, as well as her sending a funny but very offensive text to Caroline(for Caroline being rude to Alan on her wedding in episode two).

Episode three ended on a dramatic cliffhanger though and a very unexpected one at that.  After dropping one of Caroline’s kids off at a friends and the other off at the Train Station, Kate(Caroline’s new spouse played by Nina Sosanya)  was involved in a major car accident.  It ended with us hearing Caroline in floods of tears after receiving some horrific news from a hospital consultant about Kate’s condition. Kate couldn’t really be dead could she…….really??? It was great jaw dropping television, all the more because I was completely unaware this was going to happen(things like this usually leak out in the press prior to the event).  As it ended I sat there for a few moments with my mouth left wide open, stunned in disbelief at what I just saw.  The day after this dramatic cliffhanger in ‘Last Tango’ I saw a headline on the internet by some TV reviewer that was now questioning  if Sally Wainwright had gone ‘too dramatic’ all of a sudden? I cussed at such a remark because this dramatic ending was unbelievably gripping to watch, rather than one that should be criticised. ‘Last Tango in Halifax’ is back on top form once again, better than ever, and I for one just can’t get enough of it!