Mine All Mine (2004) User Reviews

Swansea, it really is mad.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 9/10 · 4 August 2022]

Swansea resident Max Vivaldi has an actual claim on the land, not happy to just take a back seat, he wants to run the place, bins an' all.

Being a Swansea guy, I may be a little on the biased side, but this madcap, crazy series managed to hit all the right notes, it's that mix of surreal, zany, but fun drama that just works. Only the imagination of Swansea's own Russell T Davies could have devised this.

It's really fun, it will have you chuckling away, the laughs generally come from Joanna Page, Candy is hilarious.

The acting is great, every cast member plays a part, I've never thought Griff Rhys Jones has had the acclaim he's deserved over the years, he's excellent here as Max. Siwan Morris, Ruth Madoc and Jo Stone Fewings are all brilliant.

It's a shame that it came to an end here, there was a hell of a lot of mileage left, but maybe we wouldn't have had Doctor Who back the way we did. Part six does end somewhat abruptly, but in the tradition of the show, it's bonkers.

Of course there are lots of Doctor Who references, John Scott Martin is fun as Rico, and of course there's Gareth David Lloyd, who plays Yanto Jones.

9/10.

for Who fans...

[cloisterbell-1 · 24 March 2006]

The John Scott Martin connection is great. As broadcast on BBC America,this series proves that Russell D. Davies was the perfect person to adapt Doctor Who for a modern (mainstream) audience. In many ways it appears to be his love letter to Wales. For the first time since Blue Scar, a WELSH drama. It depends on stereotypes to be sure, but they are lovingly realized, full of nostalgia, beauty, affection, and great sentimentality. I love it, with a big smile on my face throughout. Brilliant. Without spoilers, the story contains superlative acting, realistic drama, lines and stories much more similar to "Bob and Rose" than "Queer as Folk" but similar in approach. One thing that really appeals is the direct comedy. It's refreshing that this seems to be essentially a comedy, without the constraints of "drama". Davies seems to relish in this liberation, especially the manicness this allows.

One of the Funniest...

[lisaglonghurst · 10/10 · 13 June 2006]

A tremendous view of Swansea, Wales and its kin. As an American living in Swansea for 6 years, this show proved my point of view. So VERY funny. I don't know why they did not make another series but I really hope they do. Note to BBC Wales. :)

The daughter Candy is the same girl from the "porn" scenes in "Love Actually". One of the lighter moments from the show...look out for it "I'm an MPEG!" and "I'm going to change my name to Candy ZETA if I'm going to be famous!" And Griff Rhys Jones is further proof that Welshmen have a wicked sense of humor.

Watch it and roar with laughter!!!!

The Welsh 'Passport To Pimlico'?

[ShadeGrenade · 10/10 · 23 June 2007]

Over the years, there have been numerous attempts to put Wales and its people on the television screen, ranging from the cringe making Ronnie Barker sitcom 'The Magnificent Evans' to the touching period drama 'We Are Seven'.

'Mine All Mine' was a piece of whimsy from the pen of Russell T.Davies, starring Griff Rhys Jones as the head of a dysfunctional Mumbles-based family who discovers he is the rightful owner of the land on which Swansea is built. Of course his new-found status as 'King of Swansea' creates untold problems for both himself and his family.

As one would expect from a Russell T.Davies series, the writing is first-rate. The cast are wonderful, particularly Jones as the dreamer 'Max Vivaldi' and Rhian Morgan as his long-suffering wife Val. Even the minor characters, such as Debbie Chazen's 'Big Claire', are beautifully put over. For me, though, the real showstopper was Ruth Madoc as Val's trouble-making mother Myrtle. Being Welsh, I could recognise those characters from everyday life. Seeing familiar locations such as Mumbles pier and Swansea Town Hall was also a joy.

The only annoying thing about this show was that it ended on a cliffhanger. Despite having many excellent qualities, 'Mine All Mine' failed to find an audience. Perhaps its very Welshness alienated English audiences. I don't know.

Russell was bitterly disappointed by the cancellation, he had plans for two more series. Four months later, however, he had a ratings blockbuster in the shape of 'Dr.Who'.

To think I.T.V.-1 let this go after one series, yet pumped out five seasons of the execrable 'Footballers' Wives' - it beggars belief!

Wonderful piece of work

[evebay39 · 10 January 2006]

I completely agree with the other review. We started off recording this and watching Blackpool - by week 3 it reversed and we only watched the rest of the incredibly poor Blackpool (Potter knock-off) to get it finished.

But Mine all Mine was a joy. It was funny, wonderfully written and beautifully performed (Siwan Morris is a superb discovery). The Shakespearean subplots gave the script a richness other writers can only dream of for their main ideas. The off-the-cuff humour had us in stitches (when Max takes over TV and accuses the helpers of grooming his son, the mad taxi rides, the slightly subverted fish-out-of-water storyline for Danny).

Davies and Paul Abbott are clearly our best writers in TV (more so than the arrogant Poliakoff, who seems to be copy/pasting his stuff since the beautiful Shooting the Past).

Nasty cliff hanger though. BAD ITV.

Pleased to see it is finally getting a DVD release in March. Unlike Blackpool, we've already pre-ordered this one.

Now how about Davies's kids progs finally getting a release?

Is That It?

[rapout · 2 January 2005]

Brilliant comedy. But it leaves me wondering; is that all there is? I really wanted to continue to see Maria (Siwan Morris). Never mind. Not many shows keep me watching. This is (was) one of the best. As usual, Griff Rhys Jones was funny as ever. I loved him in the Smith and Jones series. This is the type of show that is so stupid but so brilliant, that you just have to see the next episode to see what happens. Just when you think you have it figured out, something different happens that makes you laugh. I never took it seriously, but only as pure entertainment. The scenes with everyone running around like chickens with their heads cut off and the hurry, hurry, hurry music reminds me of the Benny Hill series. It seems like every episode had to have one. The biggest down fall of the show is that it finished tonight. It leaves you with questions? Like, Is there going to be another series?Jo Stone-Fewings, that played Danny had me laughing at the end. After I got used to his hair, I liked the character.