Mad Dogs (2011–2013) User Reviews (26)

Response to First Review

[hammoo · 7/10 · 19 February 2011]

There is something about Mad Dogs which is intriguing. It is not perfect, sometimes it feels unsure if it wants to be relentlessly hopeless or gruesome or something that doesn't take itself too seriously, but the acting is good and it feels honest, without compromise. One thing is it not, however, it boring to the extent you accuse it of being, Jay Roberts.

If you take the 'opening paragraph' of Mad Dogs, you see what is presumably a flash- forward, where all of the characters are clearly up a creek without a paddle, with grazed faces and tired eyes. Men clearly at their limits, in one way or another. That's as intriguing a prologue as any to make you wonder 'how did it get to this?' surely?

If things simply 'got the point' as you are clearly gagging for, all of the suspense and impending doom would be lost, and no actions would hold any significance. The promise of something interesting is fulfilled, the characters grow more suspicious of a friend's behaviour, and in the space of 45 minutes this reaches a climax, and a pretty interesting/exciting one. If you're going to impatiently fast forward until it looks like 'something is happening' (hoping for a fist fight or a car chase?) you'll miss the growing tension between the characters, which is why things HAPPEN in the first place.

Men are not like women, you say, but be aware that not all men are you, either. I don't think not caring about 'relationships' or 'drama' is much to be proud about, if you can't stand them in stories then i hate to be the one to break it to you that you might not like stories, because it's what the best ones tend to involve. On the contrary, it makes you appear like a child fidgeting because the TV isn't flashing up pretty shapes when you demand it to. Relationships MAKE 'good stories', and far from being nonsense, they give stories SENSE and purpose beyond men hitting each other for the sake of it, in which case I'd recommend a dose of WWE instead of a TV series which will, like any good story or novel, involve characters having relationships.

Unfortunately, good stories include good characters, which is what this first episode demonstrates. I'll admit it's not always entirely successful; at times it aspires to be a Shakespearian tragedy and others like a jokey gangster flick, both work, but the fence- hopping is a little jarring.

Episode 1 was about building tension and how the characters stand with one another. In Episode 2 cracks start to show and everyone is not so strong-footed. If you can bear to sit through more TALKING (heaven forfend for such a thing daring to be in a show, such contempt for the audience, to go 5 minutes without an explosion) then you'll find things most definitely do start to happen.

A Very Well Written & Well Acted Mini-Series

[demon-62 · 7/10 · 26 February 2011]

It would be nice if they turned this into a full TV series because each episode leaves you wanting more. I wish American TV would start making shows of this caliber. Instead they give us the same boring dribble over and over again. US television will take a successful series and clone it 4 or 5 times and the only thing they change is the city in which it takes place (ex. CSI, CSI Miami, CSI NY, CSI Los Vegas, Law & Order, Law & Order SVU, Law & Order LA, Law & Order Criminal Intent, etc etc.). UK TV actually respects their audience enough to give them characters with depth, writing that embraces new ideas, and a genuine attempt to engage and capture the viewers attention with intelligent stories and unpredictable plot twists. They seem to understand that you don't need big explosions, car chase scenes, and unrealistic gun battles to have a successful show or movie. When the story is well written and you cast great actors that know what they're doing, all of that big budget fluff stuff isn't necessary. I have only seen the the first 3 episodes so far, and I can't wait to watch the last installment.

Bottom line, this mini-series get's two thumbs up from me. If you're not pulled into this show after the first episode, then something is wrong with you. I'm so glad I ignored the 1st guys review that was posted on this page. He said it was boring, nothing happens, and it was a waste of time. ***PLEASE DON'T LET THAT 1 REVIEW DISCOURAGE YOU FROM WATCHING THIS SERIES***!!! You'll thank me later... trust me.

http://www.sociallyurban.com

good, but should have been a film

[brockheinz · 8/10 · 9 March 2011]

Mad Dogs is a really good program in my view, it has a lot of interesting times. good acting, good script and intriguing. however it isn't all fun and games, my main gripe with mad dogs is that there is barely any of it, sure it is an hour long but 15 mins of that is ads so in reality it is 45 mins long. Also, i mean, WHAT THE HELL 4 episodes, its the smallest series i have ever seen.

The four guys have been around British TV for a while and i thought prime time sky TV might be there big break. I am a big fan of Hustle and Marc Warren was in the first 5 series, i have seen the other actors in other shows as well. Especially the well known life on mars. the plot begins with 4 sixth form friends meeting up to go to their friend in Spain who has made it and has his own villa and is major rich. The rich friend appears to be acting odd and saying he needs to attend to business even though he has recently retired. the rich friend appears to be in some dodgy stuff which turns badly for the 4.

I'm not going to reveal the ending but i found it to be quite good and it was sort of a twist i guess. many of my friend appeared to not like it as much as i did, i think that they didn't like the ending because it doesn't tell you what happens directly, although if you think about it logically it is pretty obvious what happens in the end. i did hear that this was supposed to be a film, which i would think that this would be a better film than TV series. on the whole this is probably why definitely recommend mad dogs. even if it takes a while to set the mood it is worth the wait.

Amazing

[yvonne-e-robertson · 10/10 · 8 July 2011]

Bit slow to begin with but its worth it! It mixes funny with scary! what a story and with great actors! I hope there is a season 2!!!! It was daring and hilarious and the same time! The end of the first episode really sets the scene and as it goes on you start wondering how on earth they are going to get out of this situation! The situation builds up and up and up and you are on the edge of your seat in the last episode. God knows how season 2 will start but as long as it has the same writers i don't doubt that it will be amazing! Never seen anything like it! Wish i could erase it out of my mind and watch it all over again!! :)

Watched the last episode last night and it all came together!

[daveri · 9/10 · 4 March 2011]

Heartily concur with the review submitted by DemonSpencer. Can't wait for a new series.

The Majorcan settings were gorgeous,the acting superb and the tension palpable throughout. What a pleasure to watch a production that only relied on superb acting, good direction, clear well articulated dialogue and brilliant lighting without any (noticable) Special Effects. The characters were recognisable as fallible human beings doing their individual best to deal with a bizarre situation so that by the end, one felt one knew them, warts and all.

I am sick to death of hyped up films where the whole affair looks as if it were shot in sepia and the dialogue is almost incomprehensible, overlayed with inappropriate music and with no real narrative and where, at the end, one is left to wonder why anyone bothered to make make it in the first place. Conversely, I am equally sick of films where it only seems that the only object is to outdo the previous "car flying through the air and exploding in flames as it collides with an aircraft coming in to land on a speedboat full of criminals etc ad nauseam."

An example of a series starting strongly and then just petering out.

[markfranh · 6/10 · 6 December 2016]

This series (or rather series of series perhaps) started out so strongly in season 1. We were intrigued. The actors and acting were strong. The storyline different enough to be worth watching and wondering what direction they were taking. The four episodes of the short season were just about right. I'd give season 1 maybe an 8 out of 10.

Season 2. Still good though it did seem to wander a bit. A new storyline set somewhere else in Spain with a couple of new characters to add to the mix that made it interesting in its own way. Not as good as season 1. Not as satisfying. A few scenes included that we wondered what the point was. But still watchable. Down to 7 out of 10.

Season 3. What on earth is going on? It just seemed to wander aimlessly from scene to scene and episode to episode. At times, it seemed to be liking a Sartre play it was so odd. Scenes seemed to be added just to make up time and fill in an episode. Characters introduced with their own stories only to never be head of again. The final episode had a 10 minute drug induced sequence towards the end that was just bizarre. It was all quite painful in the end. 5 out of 10 would be generous.

Season 4. Well, we didn't watch the two episodes that made up season 4. I took a look at the IMDb reviews and noted that the final episode was scored 5.3 by other viewers. That said it all for me. We chose not to endure any more pain. Thank goodness the writers realized that enough is enough and no more will be made.

I hope that helps other viewers. Season 1 definitely worth watching. Season 2 if you are huge fans of the actors. But leave it at that or you'll be left with bad memories of the whole series.

Best British series in a looooong time!

[Board · 10/10 · 6 October 2012]

My headline is a bit of an overstatement, as I don't watch much British television, but through my work as a subtitler I've subtitled quite a few British series. Usually, I find that British shows pale compared to the best American series. When it does work, I simply find American pop culture a lot more exciting. British shows most often seem a bit dull, slow, old-fashioned and depressing compared to the American equivalents. Therefore, it was a joy to find something like "Mad dogs". I subtitled both seasons (each containing only four episodes each), and I'm hoping I will get the next season too if there's a third season at some point. The show is actually exciting, thrilling and well-made. Only once or maybe twice did I find a few light plot holes or something that didn't make so much sense. The acting is good, the characters believable, and the script is great. Someone else here on IMDb said the show was funny too. I might have laughed a few times, but then I also laughed at one scene in "Schindler's list" (the scene where Schindler hires secretaries) and I wouldn't say that's a funny film. "Mad Dogs" achieves what it set out to do, which was to create a thrilling character-based series about dilemmas that we all might face under the right circumstances – a little bit like a modern noir taking place in glaring sunlight.

From here onwards, this is an update to my original review, which I wrote after having watched season 1 and 2. I then gave the show 8 out of 10. After having finished watching the entire show I was filled with a feeling of having watched one of the greatest TV shows ever! There has been some debate about how the show ended, however, but I will leave that up to the viewers and the users here on IMDb to delve into. I've grown accustomed to having to watch never-ending perpetual motion machines from Hollywood, where every episode is a single episode (usually about a police officer solving a case) with little connection to the ongoing plot line, which is dragged out forever and ever, until it's all either so watered down that you don't bother watching it anymore, or they cancel the show and you get no proper ending (or a very poor ending to a show that started out great). "Alias", "Prison Break" and "White Collar" are prime examples of this. You can't watch one single episode of "Mad Dogs" and get any meaning from it. There are no 'single episode' plot lines, only an ongoing plot line – and all the seasons are different, as the story keeps unravelling. They had most likely written an entire season before starting filming it (or maybe the entire show from start to finish), which is what made it so great: A story, not a money-making machine. Thank you :-)

Enjoyable, but sometimes feels lengthy

[grumpy1234 · 6/10 · 17 March 2012]

I have to admit, I was impressed with the first series of Mad Dogs. I thought that the acting was top notch, especially John Simm as 'Baxter', which in part was down to the great writing associated with each character's development throughout the series. There was enough twists, turns and dark humour through the series that kept me entertained and wanting to watch the next series.

However, with the second series I always felt that there was several times I would find myself sitting waiting for something interesting to happen, and when it does, it feels almost like an anti-climax. Through each fifteen minute part of an episode it always felt like something would happen that keeps you interested just before the ad breaks, and when it came back on, nothing really happened like was made out previously, and the next ten minutes would be filler until the next big shock.

I'm not sure, but the second series just didn't grab my attention like the first, and I felt that Mad Dogs should have ended this time round, instead of 'To be continued'. I just feel that the story has been played out, and is not as fresh and different like the first. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it, but not to the point I would say I loved it.

Funny, scary.

[mummaber · 10/10 · 17 April 2020]

Probably one of the best British TV shows off all time

More goat than G.O.A T.

[xmasdaybaby1966 · 6/10 · 6 July 2022]

I read the poor revIews of the final ever episode before I started watching this but I saw the cast and thought they all must be wrong.

After watching the very first episode, I nearly gave up. It was so poor and plodding but the second episode was brilliant.

Unfortunately, only 2 or 3 brilliant episodes followed and series 3 was more than enough but Sky let them have a party for old characters to return for cameo appearances even though the writer was clearly out of ideas.

Thankfully, series 4 only had 2 episodes, done on the comparative cheap filming much of the first episode in the UK where the characters hadn't been seen before.

Part of the problem was, I just didn't care for the characters but the reputation of the actors kept me watching along with vistas from the Mediterranean and Cape Town too.

They dragged in another big name in Anton Lesser for an episode in series 3 but the show was already flailing by then.

Prepare to be disappointed if you invest your time in this. You'll be short-changed.

Might watch the American version to see if they do it better justice.

A real hoot: spoil yourself and give it a whirl

[pfgpowell-1 · 8/10 · 22 December 2013]

There's not really that much to say. Utterly ludicrous, very silly and very, very funny. This might not be to everyone's taste. but if it isn't to yours, shame on you. Four great actors, a great script, and an ever-worsening situation they find themselves in for a number of reasons, all of which makes sense for about a nanosecond, and then only go to drop them in it even further. Oh, and some great dialogue.

I especially like how these four guys, who are hopelessly out of their depth, react whenever their situation gets worse and worse. There are no slick Hollywood escapes, just four guys like you and I busking it as a situation they don't at all understand gets ever more complicated.

It all takes place in the Med in the sun, but that's just the icing on the cake. I have no idea what is going on (I've only so far seen the first two series), but I don't really care if nothing is resolved. I'm not at all bothered about arriving, because I'm enjoying the ride so much. This is a gem, a hoot and something Cris Cole and his acting mates should be proud of. Go on, spoil yourself, but if you're American be warned: it's a damn sight better than many dramas that have come our way from the U.S. of late. Gross-out, synthetic humour with formulaic clichés it ain't.

Sun and crime

[Guanche48 · 7/10 · 11 April 2024]

I watch a lot of English police and crime series, and this one is quality, but certainly not one of the best. I'm surprised that it's from 2011, it seems much more recent.

I liked it, it is a black comedy and I think it is a pantomime about crime and mafia series. My review is based on the 1st and 2nd season.

The episodes are short, and although at first I was frustrated by the level of testosterone, the truth is that I couldn't stop it, due to all those continuous and unexpected twists and turns that addictively ask to see more.

The actors are really good, as are some of the dialogues and the creativity of the story, although it is also somewhat tiring to see this group of men arguing about their problems and increasingly distrusting each other while they have other much bigger problems. The humor is good, but it's not something to burst into laughter, but rather bland.

The photography in the Balearic Islands and the landscapes are wonderful, which gives the series a bitter tone almost like the series Death in Paradise, which by the way I like a lot! By the way I am not comparing anything, because they are two very different series.

Judge for yourself, it's refreshing, disturbing and different.

yeah, nah, yeah....nah.

[leescottbrown · 5/10 · 17 May 2016]

The highlights of this show are undoubtedly the quality of the acting and the scenery. In the midst of watching Mad Dogs I was of the opinion that it was never trying to be a serious drama, or even a black comedy...more of a middle-aged male romp with great interplay between the protagonists. No matter how bad the situation we found our dysfunctional 4 working their way into, the viewer is drawn into the hope of a light at the end of the tunnel

Or at least that was the case until they decided to add on the two episodes for the fourth series...anyone who is either just about to embark on viewing this, or is already part way through...go no further than series 3...in fact I'd stop at the end of series 1, make up your own ending and save the disappointment!

Very Enjoyable

[daylewatson · 9/10 · 1 October 2014]

Mad Dogs is a great show, it always leaves you wanting more and that's what you want from a series, it's funny, the characters and actors are very likable and it is a little violent in places, or gory i should say.

It was sad to see it end but that's always the case with a series that you enjoy, you'll always want more, without giving anything away, the ending was a little....wtf just happened, but a quick check on the boards or wiki afterwards and it all makes sense.

So like I said this is very enjoyable and shouldn't be missed, 3.2 seasons, so it's not the biggest series by far but it's enough and will probably leave you wanting more.

So enjoy the ride!

Disturbing and addictive

[Nephelith · 10/10 · 9 February 2020]

The hot Majorca temperatures gets to your head. Madness progressively takes over everything and everyone, and leads to an extremely disturbing ending...

With Mad Dogs, be ready to embark on a funny yet terribly dark ride. A brilliant and unique series that's not easy to forget!

Superb and exciting series mixed with many emotions

[woah_sosh · 10/10 · 18 November 2016]

Firstly, do not pay any attention to one of the reviews submitted by 'Tickle Fairy' - if you read it, just laugh to yourself when this person slags off not only the show, but the actors 'failing in life'.

The show is fantastic. Written beautifully. Unpredictable - unlike most American shows. These four actors gel so well together.

I love how you can re-watch this show with the same hope each time of how you want it to end. It doesn't end necessarily how you would guess it would.

Great acting. Funny, sad, clever - creative!

I see a recurring theme with some of the reviewers - they all seem to hate the fact that this show doesn't follow a predictable route. Those with a creative imagination, gets it.

10/10.

Sun fun &hot crime.

[Pinkim66 · 8/10 · 15 February 2013]

Waited so long to finally see this Fun,exciting Crazy Mad Dogs..!blue sky and crime with the best of English finest actors,I always relish to see British films in Spain as it is currently my home too and this was cleverly written ,a must watch.each actor was so intense,so wrapped up in their own individual bubble that really none of the 4friends were really ,truly happy,people always think to have a tan is living life but the truth is to keep that tan¬ be burnt ,!!it was so worth the wait and mr Simms is still so hot in he's cut off shorts!!!just one small thing,wish they could of been more Hot,Sexy women,more. Passion,more naughtiness!!bumps in the night!really hope these 4 guys work together soon,as for the villa in the mountains,perfect,tranquil that you play Rolling Stones all day long....

Tedious and contrived with completely stupid and annoying characters

[tony-19361 · 1/10 · 27 November 2017]

This could and should have been so much better than it is. The premise is a good one but it is completely spoiled by the most idiotic main characters. At every turn they make completely stupid decisions just to drive the story forward. What's worse is unbelievable relationship between them all and the writers insistence that they all share their feelings all the time. One minute they are all hugs and slaps on the back the next they are calling each other arseholes and telling everyone to F off. This is OK once or twice but when it happens 3 or 4 times in every episode it gets tedious and boring.

This feels like a Breaking Bad wannabee. Four guys getting further and further out of their depth but unlike Breaking Bad this all feels totally contrived and totally unrealistic.

Thank god for IMDb because now I can find who wrote this trash and never have to subject myself to anything else they write. The ending is truly awful and the whole program is just pointless. I cannot fault the actors they can only work with what they are given and what they were given was truly bad. Avoid.

wanted to like it but gave up after episode 3

[zeetubes · 3/10 · 29 August 2016]

The pilot was great. Original and ended on a cliff hangar. The second episode contained some nice moments but too many cringe worthy scenes and predictable moments. In the 3rd episode the cringe inducing moments had taken over and I gave up. Life is too short. So I have no idea how it wraps up but it had such promise and I did like the actors. Basically for me the script let them down.

I subsequently watched the first episode of the US version and although I haven't yet given up on it, I'm wondering if it will be more of the same but in a different setting. A lot of people will no doubt like this sort of TV series but it wasn't for me.

beautiful scenery, great landscapes ...

[marek_michalewicz · 2/10 · 11 May 2015]

Very good actors, excellent scenery, beautiful sets, and that's the end of it ... that's where they earn 1 point (otherwise it should be 0). The story-line is irritating and predictable at every turn and twist. The same thing always happens: one of the four people with very, very low IQ says: they are after us! we must run! ... and they run. Or: we must leave this car and run, and they leave and run, and then they return to the car, ... why leave then ...? No reflection, no thought, no analysis, totally idiotic: mice in a maze trap, not real humans, plus constant quarrel about their lousy characters and past, and the producers want to take the viewers for this silly ride.

It's not a black comedy for me, its a extended spin about euphemistically speaking not-so-smart people. Formulaic plot, very easy to guess next turn. It is a cross of reality shows like "Survivor" + the one that nothing ever happens but people disappear on the deserted island and they produce tons of sequels ... = nothing to watch! good actors though, playing irritating characters ... miss it, please! Or switch your brain entirely and then watch.

Deceiving

[luigi_abella · 2/10 · 13 September 2016]

Not a good show. It will look promising at first, but all sense goes out the window soon after. Pure idiocy surrounds the main characters, and the show tries to mask their idiocy with the intrigue and seriousness of the plot. Four intelligent adults (according to their backstories) just make the worst decisions throughout the entire show. I do not understand how anyone can watch this. It makes me cringe whenever something good happens to them, because something bad does eventually happen. Which makes the show very predictable. I've seen several movies like this show, kind of like "lemony snicket's series of unfortunate events," where nothing goes right for the main characters. I trusted the top reviews before starting, but they seem to have been hired by the makers of this show. Sorry for being harsh, this show really does just p*** me off with how dumb it is and the high rating it has despite that. Something great might happen in the latter parts of the series but i feel like the life gets sucked out of me whenever i manage to complete an episode. And i like my life.

Really Lame

[wclse · 1/10 · 4 August 2021]

This could have been awesome but it was so far fetched it was beyond belief. I kept watching hoping it would improve however it actually got worse.

Overacting and beating about the bush at its best

[mraza-266-782164 · 1/10 · 17 March 2015]

I watched the first season because it was so highly rated, but what a disappointment. If this is what it takes to please the British they should check out some Aussie or North American shows.

This show was filled with over acting, unrealistic events, and has a pointless plot. I gave this show the benefit of the doubt but what a waste of time. The actors are clearly failures in life. It reminds me of those movies that failed actors make when they band together. Awful waste of space and time, do not watch this show and never believe anyone who says that they liked this show.

All good reviews posted here are from the cast and producers.

Get to the Point

[MiturBinesderti · 1/10 · 17 February 2011]

Mad Dogs commits the cardinal sin of not getting to the point. It starts immediately with the promise that something interesting is going to happen but it never does.

The way I if I'm going to buy a book is by reading the first paragraph. If it's interesting I know the author at least has a clue about what they want to say and respects the reader enough to try to engage them in the story.

With this show I fast forwarded and fast forwarded but nothing ever happens.

Men are not like women. We do not care about "relationships" and "drama" we don't care about conversations where people ramble on and on without saying anything interesting. We want to be entertained by a good story. That's it. There's no magic. No nonsense. Just give us some story.

This show lacks any thing you might consider to be a plot or even anything you might consider to be even remotely interesting. It's like a machine regurgitated some words and some fairly talented actors spoke those words.

Oh, and then something happens. At the end. After you're too bored to care. I know I won't be watching the second episode because they couldn't be bothered to interest me in the first one.

Starts well, doesn't last

[juliaross-89878 · 3/10 · 15 March 2021]

Starts well. Series one q good. Series 2 and 3 ok. Very disappointing ending. Did they run out of ideas or money?