OK, I only started watching it because its filmed in my part of the country, and yes, the first episode was a bit (?) unbelievable, but I must confess I've been enjoying it in an unchallenging way. It was mercilessly derided by all the critics based on the first episode, but it has improved. Oddly, it is the 'locals' that seem to have the best parts, although the girls are finally getting a bit fleshed out. Before I even saw it, I thought 'Widows meets 2,000 Acres', and I was a bit miffed to read just that in the press.... As others have said, its a jolly escapist romp of a Sunday evening, its not into costume drama territory.
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Edinman110 July 2009
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LouE157 July 2009Goodness me what a lot of bile and spleen has been written in the press about this flippertigibbet, this feathery fascinator, this pink marshmallow of a show!
The fact that it's very silly indeed, that its plot has to be held up with matchsticks to keep it afloat, that not all of the acting is any good, that the premise is as daft as a box of frogs – none of these things make it a whit less enjoyable, and I like to think of myself as having a brain and a critical faculty (though maybe some might wonder now). But I also like to switch them off on a Sunday night when preparing myself for another week in hell, so I don't care a tarnished farthing how mad and bad the show actually is. I've been glued to every episode and if they can manage to scrape another series off the walls I'll be glued to that, too. Go on, hate me. I think Alex Kingston, Paul Higgins (a nice surprise after his excellent turn as 'Scotland's crossest man'), Ronni Ancona and Annette Crosbie are great. I think several parts are seriously underwritten and could use a lot more development – but having just watched episode five I'm tossing out every possible academic objection. I thought everyone did really, really well in the wedding episode. In episode seven it was nice to see Josie finally getting into her part as her awkward friendship with Ronan develops; but what on EARTH is going on with Gill and his love life? I'm not buying that latest development at all.
Still - what were all those critics expecting? "Great Expectations"? Is this not supposed to be undemanding entertainment on the lines of "Heartbeat"? Were we expecting to be challenged and deeply moved? I wasn't. I got exactly what I wanted; it's like those lucky dips at fêtes which turn out better than you expect: a trinket of no value, of course, but pleasant nonetheless. -
jenkinsr6286 July 2009I loved this series from the moment i saw the first episode!After watching 5 episodes it felt to me that these characters in this programme were my only Sunday TV because BBC1 haven't put much on since Wild at Heart. My favourite character is Sadie because i think she look's more like a baby than an old woman and she's so funny that i laugh my head off at her! My favourite scene is when Sadie cuts Marius' arm off with a sword, i thought it was hilarious and loved the fact that a little old lady murdered this big guy.Although it was a bit bloodthirsty that scene, you think of it in that way and you literally just laughed! I love the actress Annette Crosbie and i though she was hilarious in calendar girls and one foot in the grave!
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OK i know its only 2 episode have been aired so far,and even though i still didn't watch the second one,and maybe its too early to know if this will be good show or not but you know what???......... I SO LOVED it,im BIG fan of the British drama and all their kind of shows in general and i have to say they keep getting better and better..but back to Hope springs,i just can tell this show will be one of those amazing shows where u will be addicted to it and cant wait to watch and know what will happen next... the acting was really good and was funny,and most important its not really predictable...not like these shows where you set back and watch and be like,yep i knew this coming.. so to sum it up,if you didn't watch this show yet, hurry and catch up,because you gonna miss a great funny cute show.
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FourInTheFamily6 January 2013My daughter (aged 13) and I sat today and watched 5 episode of Hope Springs all in a row and loved it! We love the story centered on these 4 women and wished to know more about all of them. We think it's great that the ladies are trying to get away from the spotlight and lay low only to come to the most busy, police-involved, falling down hotel in Scotland! We truly enjoyed this and wish Amerian TV had this kind of quality! We did have to turn on the subtitles because some of the Scottish accents were too much and spoken too fast for us to follow -- especially some of the slang! Came back to find season 2 and disappointed there weren't any additional seasons! There was so much more we wanted to learn about the backstories of the 4 characters and how the continued to cope on 'the outside' and how they continued living in this small community! Loved it, still want more!
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dtdenver-987-92554615 July 2017It started off promising - I always love caper movies. I also love quirky small-town characters. I might suspend all belief that four women intent on living under the radar would think buying a hotel for cash in an isolated community is a low profile. Or keeping 3 million dollars in cash at the foot of the bed (as opposed to a safe deposit box in a bank) is the way to go. I'd go along just for the enjoyment of the Scottish locale - except for the blonde girl. She's so annoying with no redeeming qualities, I just can't watch anymore. I believe she's meant to be a "quirky character" but it just doesn't work. Most of the rest of the cast defines "scenery chewing."
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swivelhips19 June 2009Where to begin... Okay, four female ex-jailbirds pull off a £3 million heist in Glasgow but have to wait on some overweight woman arriving in the city with their passports (why they couldn't take them with them doesn't make sense and isn't explained). For some reason she has decided to put the passports in her hold luggage (yeah, right) and as she runs to the baggage carousel to make sure they're still there she collapses and dies of a heart attack before she can hand them over. And so on to Hope Springs, a quiet village in Scotland where no one bats an eyelid at four glamorous women arriving and buying the village's only hotel (paid for in cash, of course). To complicate matters further, there has been a recent murder in the village which means the police are never too far away from our four feminine fugitives. Believe it or not, it gets worse from this point on.
Despite the presence of some decent talent, the performances are second-rate - then again, how could they be anything else with scripts as bad as these to work from? The show is meant to be a drama but is played for laughs much of the time. Sadly the only laughs are unintentional. The shoot was a troubled affair and the advance word on the show suggested it was a car wreck. In truth, it is a full-blown motorway pile up.
The show has been rightly panned by the critics but, despite this, the show is rumoured to have already been recommissioned. Further evidence, if it were needed, that BBC Scotland have more money than sense.