Frances Brock

This show begins as a rather charming, nostalgic glimpse into the summer holidays, always at the same hotel, of a varied group of rather privileged people. Some of them are sympathetic characters, others are pretty annoying! As the series progress, however, the characters begin to develop and change- sign of good script writing. The actors are super, and various themes begin to emerge which have resonance with contemporary political situations as well as personal relationships. By the 7th series, the complexities of being an occupied country during World War 2 are explored as various of the characters we've come to know have to come to terms with difficult moral choices, making the series , on one level, a light watch, but, on another level, quite revealing and interesting. We started watching it on friends' recommendation, as light relief from the terrible news, but have really come to not only enjoy it but also find it interesting. I'd recommend that you watch at least 2 episodes before deciding what you think - it's quite unusual!