Sky One’s Pontyberry comedy-drama Stella, is a sunny programme that really is the perfect antidote to those dark depressing winter months of January and Feb.

I did a blog last year where I really praised series four(like the first two as well), after finding the third series somewhat disappointing. Series five has just finished, and I am afraid to say that overall it was pretty mediocre.  Most of the storylines failed to grab me, but most of all I failed to laugh much!

Throughout the previous four series my favourite character by a country mile has been big Al (played by Steve Speirs).  Steve Speirs is such a great comic actor. For example, I can remember crying with laughter last year when big Al nearly fainted due to wearing a corset type garment that was too tight. He felt threatened by his girlfriend’s hunky ex-husband suddenly arriving on the scene, so thought it would help him in his attempt to look slimmer.

There was also that very funny scene of a terrified big Al, destroying half of his home due throwing things at a mouse that he kept on seeing one evening during dinner.

I was therefore really shocked and disappointed that this character was not in any of the episodes of this fifth series of Stella.  His omission from this series for whatever reason, left a huge comedic hole in the show that it never truly recovered from.  It was amusing at times, but never more so than this, no big Al equalled no big laughs!

In a similar vein to my point about missing big Al, I also missed another big comedy character this series in the form of Dai Davies (played by Anthony O’Donnell).  In series four I loved how Dai Davies became Pontyberry’s answer to J.R Ewing. I loved his new makeover what with the fake tan, gleaming white teeth, and massive stetson cowboy hat.

This fifth series greatly missed the comedy that this character has provided in the past.  I also found it quite odd that the whereabouts of this character, was never mentioned at any point throughout the ten episodes.  Whereas big Al not being there was dealt with swiftly within the first episode, it was like Dai Davies had just disappeared from the show completely which I found a bit strange.

A big problem I had with this series was that a lot of the storylines bored me. I thought the first few episodes were enjoyable (where Stella went to London), but then I found myself watching it more out of habit than anything else.

I thought the running joke about everybody saying Ivan Schloss’ surname wrong, got tiresome very quickly. The storyline about Ben fancying his best friend’s (Little Alan’s) girlfriend was more like something you would witness in an episode of Grange Hill ,i.e too kiddie for me.

I have also always had issues with the character Jagadeesh, and sadly for me he was in this series an awful lot.  I just do not find him a believable character.  He is too camp, too wimpy, and his high pitched voice irritates the life out of me.

I also got a bit fed up at times with storyline concerning Stella and Rob Morgan.  I found the continual, ‘will they or won’t they’ storyline unoriginal. For us viewers, this dilemma for Stella about whether she should be with Rob or not, has appeared every time Rob has appeared in the show (because he was her first love).  However, it has been overdone in my view. I am pleased she chose to stay with Michael in the end though.

The series only really picked up again towards the end of its run.  I found Emma’s ‘hippy’ new husband Oak (played brilliantly by Marcus Garvey), quite funny when he appeared in the eighth episode. I actually think his Oak character comically overbalancing whilst trying to do some yoga, was the most amusing bit of the whole series.  Marcus Garvey (Last Tango in Halifax) is a great actor and I hope we see more of him in series six should there be one.

I thought the final episode was Stella back at its best once again.  Even though I had guessed Rob would die and thought it was possibly over played a tad or two(the emotional scene where he died), it nevertheless was a moving piece of telly to watch.

Nadine running away with Ivan Schloss was a bit of a surprise which further added dramatic tension.  These events were countered balanced by the positivity of Stella and Michael getting married.  The good feeling was then raised a notch further by Stella announcing that she was pregnant with Michael’s baby.  This being happy news especially due to their recent struggles of Michael having had a baby with Beyonce (Pontyberry’s answer to the Matt Lucas character Vicky Pollard).

It was a final episode full of lots of drama and tension. I just wish some of the earlier episodes in this fifth series could have been more similar to this final gripping one, rather than verging on the bland like they were.

I thought the real star character and actor in this series was Michael Jackson (Patrick Baladi).  I just think Patrick Baladi is such a good, solid actor who is enjoyable to watch. I always believed him in his portrayal of his character Micheal Jackson, which I guess is probably the highest compliment that I can pay to him as a actor. He does both the serious and humorous stuff equally well, and there is just this mature nature to his acting that I really like. He is now as essential to the show as Ruth Jones is as Stella.

I did not hate this fifth series, but it bored me in parts and almost felt like a chore to watch at times.  It never recovered from the omission of big Al.  He has always been so fundamental to so much of the comedy in it, that I spent all this series hoping he would reappear in the next episode.  I hope they make a sixth series of this sunny warm show, but big Al has to be in it if they do. No big Al meant no big laughs …they’ve got to cocking rectify that! 3/5.