A View from the Register Office? Great drama, Kay!

If you didn't watch Kay Mellor's new drama on BBC 1 last night, you missed out on her best writing yet. Love, Lies & Records is a new six part series by the BAFTA award-winning writer. The only thing I don't like about it is the title!


According to the hype '...the series follows Registrar Kate Dickenson (Ashley Jensen) as she tries to juggle her personal life with the daily dramas of births, marriages and deaths and the impact they have on her.
After a dream promotion to the top job of Superintendent, Kate finds herself increasingly torn by the endless responsibilities of being a modern working mother. Her daughter’s hiding suspicious messages on her mobile, her son hates her because she’s bought him the wrong trainers and now her stepson’s turned up unannounced to stay.
As Kate tries to hold her work, life and relationship together, things go from complicated to impossible when a disgruntled colleague threatens to expose a secret from her past.'

And what a secret! ( sorry, no spoilers here.)

I'm surprised no-one else has thought of setting a drama in a register office, a place where people find themselves at  the most significant moments of their lives. To me, the unlucky Kate appears far too emotional for the job, taking everyone's personal problems to heart, and yet the viewer is rooting for her all the way. That's the clever bit.

Maybe I like it because the heroine is emotional, vulnerable, and nothing like the strong female professionals we're witnessing more and more on television. A bit like feminism in reverse. Maybe it's because the programme tackles complicated human issues with just the right amount of empathy. Whatever the reason, I'm already looking forward to next week.

A review of the whole series in today's Wall Street Journal is headed A View from the Register Office.


Now that's a great title, don't you think?


Photo courtesy of rollemproductions.co.uk





































Please let me know what you think. Your comments are always welcome.