Cold Feet: The Pilot & Complete First Series

This is an excellent TV series from the UK. It follows the life of three English couples, one newly dating (Adam and Rachel (played by the same actress who played Emily in Friends), who meet in the pilot), one newly married and trying for a child, and one that already has a child and seems destined to end.

The show is great because of the dialogue and the story, and was also compelling to me because the scenery is quite different from anything that we would see in the U.S. (either on TV or in the real world).

The show won an award from the British Academy of Film and Television. It deals with real life issues, including sex, and is probably too open with these issues to air in the U.S. without some censoring. There's actually only one or two scenes in the entire 5 seasons that actually shows any nudity, and its very brief and contextually appropriate (i.e., one involves a woman giving birth and the other a woman who takes a night job at a strip club).

If I had it to do over again, I'd watch series 1, 2, and 3. The show stalls a bit in series 4 and I hated the way the series ended in series 5. But, series 1, 2, and 3 are well-worth buying if only to watch once.

Although I'm writing this review before the release of this DVD, I have actually watched the entire series. I bought them from www.amazon.co.uk and watched them on a DVD player that is capable of playing Region 2 disks. If you are so inclined, there are a number of other good shows that have not been released here, including Teachers and Black Books, which you can buy at amazon.co.uk. In fact, this title is much cheaper (and you can get all 5 seasons) if you buy it on amazon.co.uk. However, in order to view UK DVD's, you must buy a region free dvd player.

You can find one by searching the web for "Region Free DVD Players." Amazon also sells the Gateway DVD Recorder and the LiteOn DVD Recorders, which are capable of being made Region Free (check out www.dvdrhelp.com for instructions) and can play the UK versions without any trouble.

If you like this show, you will also like Teachers and Black Books, which are also available at www.amazon.co.uk.

Set in Manchester in the late 90s/early 2000s, Cold Feet is a brilliantly written, impeccably acted, and very creatively directed comedy-drama about relationships. In particular, it draws attention to the differences between the sexes, and it does so in some very creative ways. For example, rather than relating the story in strict chronological order, pivotal scenes are often presented through the use of flashback as the characters relate incidents to their friends. In this way the male perspective is hilariously juxtaposed with the female, fantasy is juxtaposed with reality, and so on.

The series chronicles the lives and relationships of three couples. Firstly, there are Adam and Rachel--who aren't actually a couple when we first meet them. With an eye for the ladies, Adam (James Nesbitt--Ballykissangel's Leo) is a flirty, cocky, self-assured system's analyst--whatever that is--who is positively full of himself. Rachel (Helen Baxendale--An Unsuitable Job for a Woman), on the other hand, is overall much more serious and reserved--not to mention mature--than Adam. Adam is so upbeat, good-natured and playfully charming, however, that he brings a lightness into Rachel's life and, despite his inflated ego, it's not hard to see what she sees in him.

Adam's best friend is his mate Pete, an overweight, easy-going bloke from a working-class background whose two favourite pasttimes are watching football and downing a pint at the local pub. He's saved from having the life of a slovenly couch-potato by his marriage to Jenny, a laid-back, fun-loving, vivacious woman who's nobody's fool.

Rachel's best friend is Karen (Hermione Norris--Wire in the Blood), who despite being quite sophisticated with a cultured accent has a bit of a rebel streak. She has a baby and a posh home, but she's far from contented. Part of the problem is her husband David, who is a wealthy, high-flying management consultant. He's an extremely serious, anal-retentive, work-obsessed snob who was, um, born with the Financial Times up his arse (or so it's been said!). Being a connoisseur of fine wine with no interest in football and no noticeable sense of humour, he couldn't have less in common with either Pete or Adam.

This boxed set contains the pilot (1996) and all six 50-minute episodes that comprised the first (of five) series (1998). The first series is the lightest, with the humour often being of the comedy of errors variety. Though it is a very modern series (definitely one for mature audiences--this isn't family entertainment), it's not dirty; and though sex is often at issue, it is neither gratuitous nor drawn out and pornographic.

In conclusion, Cold Feet is a well-acted, well-written, and well-directed series--and that goes for all five series. It is witty, insightful, and funny to the point of being hilarious. In short, it is a thoroughly satisfying show to curl up with--one which becomes more dramatic and increasingly more addictive as the series progresses. Like the best British productions, it is a series that can be watched and rewatched. I personally have seen the first few series so many times that I've lost track; still, I never tired of rewatching it. The element of surprise may be gone with multiple viewings, yet somehow it just doesn't seem to matter. This is, without question, one of my all-time favourite series (of any genre), and it is one which I highly, HIGHLY recommend!

I love well-written, well-acted shows that make me laugh. Cold Feet began that way, and the first disc of the first season is by far the best. However, the series develops into more soap opera than comedy. Lots of affairs, betrayals & cliffhangers. This pattern continues and intensifies in the rest of the seasons (2-5). If you like soaps, definitely buy this DVD set and the rest in the series. If you prefer comedy, rent the first disc and stop there.

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 11 reviews  4.8 out of 5 stars