Stella

Stella is a brilliant new comedy drama written by and starring Ruth Jones. Jones’ character is a single mother trying to work hard to provide for herself and her children in spite of the issues life throws in her way.

Ok, if you have been waiting on this review to decide whether to watch this series or not, you will be disappointed to have missed the first few episodes! Not to worry, though, I am sure they will be repeated at some point and one of the joys of this show is that you really can just step in anywhere so no need for an extensive catch-up session; there are no complexities in the plot, no twists or surprises - it really is quite a simple story of one woman struggling to do her best by her family against all the normal stresses of modern life.

This show is equally hilarious and poignant, giving me personally many a teary moment of empathy towards our eponymous heroine, played brilliantly by Ruth Jones. It is always a tricky act to follow a hugely successful project such as Gavin and Stacey but Jones has managed it perfectly with this offering, being both beautifully written and really well executed.

I personally love the backdrop, too, as we see the amazing Welsh scenery – and I know, you will think I am biased, but honestly I do believe that it further adds to the dichotomy of the show in that we see this almost idyllic scene in spite of which there are people really struggling to get by. It yells to me of a deeper message about taking note of our surroundings and being grateful for what we have rather than lamenting what we don’t… but this may just be incidental! It has often been said though that I think too deeply about things which really do not matter!

The cast are all fantastic, playing their characters wonderfully to the point where even exaggerated traits seem perfectly normal.

I really struggle to find a weak point in this series at all, so watch and enjoy!

You can watch videos of the show here: Sky One.com Stella Videos and new episodes air on Fridays at 9pm.