The Paradise

I've been meaning to watch this series for a long time. 
You'll probably hear me say that a lot. 

But it's true, and mainly because of Matthew McNulty, who I came across (read: fell in love with) in Misfits Season 2, 3 & 4 where he played the very likable "bad boy" Seth. I think it's something about his accent, I could never resist a rough English accent. And what girl can resist a bad boy that has this sweet, soft, hidden side that he only shows to the girl he likes. His rugged handsome looks don't put me off much either - the soft brown eyes and gorgeous . . . wait, what was I talking about? Oh yeah, right, The Paradise. 

I have only watched the pilot so far, and to be brutally honest, I found it really boring. Usually I absolutely love period/costume dramas but this one just seemed so run of the mill. I don't feel like there's anything new here. There is a Mary-Jane character, the new girl Denise (played by Joanna Vanderham), who just can't put a foot wrong, and although at the beginning she is seen as a simple minded country girl, she is quick to impress those around her. That is, except for the one jealous girl who just can't deal with being upstaged and tries her best to sabotage Denise, only managing to increase everyones opinion of her. There's a dotty girl who is quick to befriend the new girl. There's a creepy guy that sees and knows everything. There a mysterious death that no one talks about, and a main guy who is a bit of a man-whore. That is, until he lays his eyes on the pretty Denise, and instantly falls for her country charms and pretty looks. It seems like the writers have felt that this was a recipe for success because they'd seen it done before. That everything ties together very nicely and audiences will fall for its perfect charm. 

I was so bored in some parts that I actually started dusting my desk while I was watching it. The set is very cardboard looking and scream budget restraints. The costumes are hardly anything to rave about, which is quite often the reason I love period dramas so much and so I was very disappointed about this. Emun Elliot, who plays the man-whore I mentioned before (more commonly referred to as Moray in the series), does nothing to convince me he is as attractive and charming as his female companions find him or at all deserving of all of their fawning attention. Perhaps Elliot should swap with McNulty and play his character, Dudley, who seems to be the part of "nice best friend" to Moray. Am I bias? Probably, but I do think it would have been an improvement, even if only slightly because a lot of it is the script they have to work with too. It's just cliche and dull. 

All that said, I'm probably going to watch the remaining episodes. Yes, I know, why rant about how it's boring and then say I'm going to watch the rest of the series? There was a line that got me a little hopeful of better things to come. At the end, the dotty friend tells Denise that it's very clear she's in love with man-whore Moray (she doesn't quite put it like that, though - now that wouldn't have been dull!) and Denise quips that she doesn't want to marry Moray, "I want to be him". If the show explores this path, then I am hopeful by the end it could turn into something far more bearable. Also, Arthur Darvill is in episode five. I don't think I have to explain why I want to watch the rest of it now, Darvill pretty much explains himself. 

It's a 4 out of 10 for me for the pilot (2 points for casting Mc-Dreamy-Nulty).