The Trouble with Maggie Cole (2020) User Reviews

Gossip can lead to all sorts.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 8/10 · 19 August 2020]

Words have a powerful impact, as Maggie Cole finds out when she gives a frank and explicit interview on the local radio, where she discusses the locals. Maggie quickly falls out with everyone, and must spend her time building bridges.

It's a bit of a slow burner, but as it develops it really does come to life, the first episode is great, and you're left with no idea the direction it's going to take. Stick with it, as the last few episodes are incredibly rewarding, and very dramatic.

There is a definite Doc Martin vibe running through this, the setting and tone etc, but it is different.

French and Heap are very good throughout, showing they can do drama on the more serious side, the laughs are supplied by Vicki Pepperdine, who is just a joy as Secretary Karen.

If you need to know how harmful gossip can be, just watch this.

Very enjoyable, 8/10.

US POV

[tami-jones76 · 7/10 · 4 November 2020]

I suppose I have different standards than many other IMDB users. I simply want to be quietly entertained. No politics, no violence, no trying to sway my opinion on one subject or another. Therefore, I find the series pleasant and thoughtful. I never saw ads for it and I am not hampered by recognizing any of the actors. I am currently viewing episode 3 through On Demand PBS in the US and today is Election Day. This is the ticket for me.

I liked this

[racheladams-53981 · 8/10 · 13 March 2020]

I prefer this to Delicious, it's only been on 2 episodes but i enjoyed them both, i like all the characters and Dawn French and Mark Heap are brill. Good story and good acting

Too many story lines

[Pegasus-10 · 6/10 · 4 November 2020]

The cast is mostly engaging and some of the dialogue is clever. As a Dawn French fan thanks to Vicar of Dibley, she was my reason to tune in. Her character is a little too much, though. Main issue I had with the series was the over-abundance of plots (especially the Alex and the Money one). I give the writers a nod for giving the Karen character the name "Karen."

Total Tripe

[Jose_F7524 · 17 April 2020]

In isolation at home and flicking through ITV hub I came across a Dawn French show I wasn't aware of, wasn't initially sure why this had passed me by.

However, halfway through the first episode I realised why none of my friends and the media had been talking about this show. Extremely poor writing. Are there no good writers out there anymore?

I struggled to get to episode 4 and then just had to give up.

Sorry Dawn I love you, but most certainly don't love this! This is truly another failure for ITV.

I imagine there are a few towns...

[SansSeraphAsh · 7/10 · 15 August 2020]

I imagine there are a few towns across UK (and the world) where situations like this would/could happen. While some of the storylines a questionable, the cast are very well placed and enjoyable to watch - with Gwyneth Keyworth stealing the show with her dry delivery. Pleasantly surprised by the number of days of sunshine this town receives. ;)

As an American

[montgomerysue · 10/10 · 6 December 2020]

As an American, I found this short series to be very intriguing and enjoyable. To me, the acting by all was uniformly excellent. Each actor/actress developed a unique character who was fascinating to watch as the story unfolded. Dawn French in particular. There are plenty of twists and turns as the six episodes proceed, and while there is drama, there is also some wonderful humor - and, hey, that's the way real life is most of the time, isn't it? In the United States, we rarely get to see a series like this - most of our tv is flash and trash or special effects with comic book superheroes. But, here, we see real life in a small town and how it can be thrown off balance by one careless citizen. The production values are top notch (the scenery is terrific), the direction is excellent, and the writing is smart and clever. The final episode alone is worth the trip. One of the best series conclusions I have ever seen. Really well done by all.

Summary of Ratings

[jreed8475 · 7/10 · 16 November 2020]

How is it that every episode of this show has a user rating of 7 or higher but the whole series has a rating of 6.3? It seems to me that the overall rating should be an average of the individual episodes. This would be fairer to the users that don't go any deeper into the series than the top page.

A Great Little Series

[Eulypian · 9/10 · 13 August 2021]

I have no idea what the negative reviewers watched, but it wasn't this show! I found none of their reviews accurate or relevant. This is a very well made show telling a great story with beautiful scenery and great acting. See it for yourself - it's short and I watched it all this morning.

Two things wrong

[gchandler-840-115208 · 6/10 · 23 October 2020]

1. What is it with British shows that they want to tell you, at the end of every episode, what will happen in the next episode? Stop it! 2. Far too much guitar background music.

If not for this, I'd have given it a 7

ITV's promo department need to calm down

[studioAT · 2/10 · 26 April 2020]

ITV's promo department need to calm down. Much like 'Quiz' they overhyped this so much,making it out to be amazing, when actually it was probably a show that needed to quietly launch, gain an audience through word of mouth and grow.

It was well-cast, well written, but judging by declining viewing figures, it doesn't seem to have caught on, which is all the more depressing considering that due to the lockdown currently it had pretty much a captive audience.

Too quirky to be a straight drama, not funny enough to be a comedy - perhaps the trouble with Maggie Cole was that people couldn't quite work out what it was meant to be.

Finding a season of anything so well written is hard these days

[Marc_Lowell · 8/10 · 3 November 2020]

"The Trouble with Maggie Cole" is that more people haven't discovered it yet either in the UK or now in the USA through PBS. It's well-written, well-acted and very well-directed but now I'm just echoing another reviewer. What makes it work so well is that there are no 'tricks' dropped in by the writer or director to smooth over a hole in the plot line because there are none. Each individual actor is so good and when they appear together as an ensemble the action just hums along. A little bit of comedy, a little bit of mystery, and a whole lot of great performances make this 6-part series worthy of your viewing time. Don't be in a hurry though because we are in a small seaside village that dates back to Norman times. If you are a fan of English seaside villages a la "Doc Martin", or cringed in your seat when viewing the antics of Ricky Gervais in the original version of "The Office", then TTwMC has a little bit of both.

A cautionery tale indeed!!

[sherwood_forest_maiden · 7/10 · 31 October 2020]

Small story about small every day problems that can affect an small village or a social circle in a town or city. However, the bigger picture is more about going through the consequences of what could happen when things get out of hand. Hopefully, there are real life "Maggie Coles" who have an opportunity to see how their gossiping can affect their family, friends, neighbours, work colleagues etc.

Great cast, wonderful writing, gorgeous scenery and a great life lesson for anyone who needs to learn it before they hurt someone they love. The slow nature of the series allowed the nuances of each character, and in the exposition their character and personality, real shine through so that viewers were able to relate to the entire life situation each character was in. did I mention the gorgeous scenery? A great panacea for a story of a distasteful situation with a happy ending for almost all the characters.

If you think episode one is awful.....

[malcolmallsop-04042 · 2/10 · 3 April 2020]

This is without doubt one of ITVs worst dramas of recent years. It starts dull and just gets duller by the episode. The script is cliche ridden garbage which barely moves on from episode to episode. Each show seems mainly to consist of Dawn French gurning her way through an uncomfortable hour. I neither know or care about any of the characters. The plot is ludicrous - an ill judged radio interview where the gurner in chief slags off everyone in the village. No local radio station would broadcast something so totally defamatory. The simple fact negates the whole plot and the rest of the tedious episodes. 1000 piece jigsaw is more fun.

Absolute drival with atrocious writting

[NathK123 · 17 April 2020]

The well-known cast (Dawn French, Mark Heap etc) draw you in, but the cliché characters and cheap storyline develop at an extremely slow pace making for a difficult watch. The writing is truly a mess and all over the place. Neither funny, dramatic or interesting.

I kept watching trying to fathom why ITV thought this would be suitable for an 8pm mid-week slot, possibly more suited as a daytime drama on an unknown satellite channel.

Please please ITV don't waste your money on commissioning another series, a better option would be throwing it down the drain. Dawn French, focus on making another series of the exquisite drama Delicious.

1 star for the stunning location and costumes, most certaintly not worthy of the ghastly writting.

Cute but the money

[Apd227 · 6/10 · 30 July 2022]

Cute show, but honestly who the hell burns money. I just couldn't let that go. And at the end everyone seems fine and dandy with Nana's life savings being whittled down to a flashy car and the arrest of loan sharks that probably will still make the bloke pay. Who the hell burns money????

Loose lips

[smartin-37484 · 8/10 · 22 May 2020]

When a suggested G&T from a egotistical radio presenter gets Maggie in a whole lot of trouble, she shows her true character and sets out to fix what might be broken.

It is a 6 episode tale where it is amplified that communication is important and unconditional acceptance & that truth is mightier than fiction...

Looking forward to the next episode!!

[figtoria · 8/10 · 8 March 2020]

I really enjoyed the first episode! Dawn French is wonderful, as always and yes - it was painfully difficult to watch one of the scenes, but that was the point!

Looks like it will be a lot of fun in the next few weeks!

What utter rubbish!!

[jacquiadams · 1/10 · 8 April 2020]

As a huge fan of Dawn French and Mark Heap I have really really tried to like this series. But it is awful. Cliche, awful dialogue, stereotypes, pantomime acting ... it doesn't know whether it's a black comedy or drama. I have a sinking feeling that it will be back... I lost the will to live watching it. So much talent around and we get this..

Great writing, but some poor casting decisions.

[michelleseashell-98652 · 8/10 · 19 March 2020]

I think the writing is beautiful. The dialogue flows nicely and there are some very clever details in it that many writers would ordinarily miss. I would be interested to see other projects by this writer and how he develops, as there's such warmth and heart in the writing that can't be learned, you just have to HAVE it, you know?

Now I have to say that the actors that are good are VERY good. Dawn French is fabulous in the title role. Mark Heap is deliciously awkward in his role as Maggie's husband. Julie Hesmondalgh is adorable and warm as Maggie's best friend and her love interest played by Patrick Robinson is brilliantly natural. Kerry Howard does a terrific job with the west country accent, although I assume she may originally be from the region. Laurie Kynastan is a new face to me, but nonetheless his acting ability is something very special and I imagine he's one to watch in the future.

However some of the other casting choices are nothing short of appalling. Worst of all has to be the supposed Polish father and daughter. If Tomi May isn't putting on an accent, then he's just a terrible actor and should never have been cast. Emily Reid is even worse, neither looking nor sounding Polish and having zero acting ability or charm. As a Polish person myself, I feel very offended by these choices, as we're crying out for decent representation, but get slapped in the face with these. Please sack whoever cast them!

I also feel the casting of Rocco Padden as Kerry Howard's son was a poor choice. The boy seems streets behind the acting level of his classmate, Jamie Talbot (who isn't even listed in the cast in many sources), who is superb with his expressions and naturally funny delivery. It's a real shame and maybe Rocco Padden will improve someday, but there's no point in casting a child that can't act until they've grown in their ability as it will just ruin his career before it's started.

I don't think Holly Edwin fits very well with Laurie Kynastan. They simply look wrong as a couple, which again feels like a mistake by casting. Maybe Holly Edwin has great ability, but it is rather distracting when a couple just LOOK wrong, you know?

I know these are petty and minor niggles too, but I would sack whoever was in charge of wardrobe for basically either just getting completely carried away, or deliberately trying to draw attention to them in a sort of "Look what I did everyone!" way, for example Dawn French's hat and especially Gwyneth Keyworth's revolting outfits. The make up team should also have a word with themselves for seemingly applying a thick layer of cement to Kerry Howard's face, which was unflattering, ageing and very distracting.

All in all, a very enjoyable watch, but please stop distracting from the lovely script with these silly wardrobe/make up choices and poor casting decisions. You're lucky you have some truly wondeful actors and actresses to balance it out though.

ITV release yet another turkey

[hillwalker3000 · 1/10 · 8 April 2020]

Maybe times at ITV are hard - dwindling advertising revenues now that Amazon Prime and Netflix screen something actually watching. But whatever they spent on this froth was a waste. The script and plotting is an insult to the intelligence. And Dawn French reverts to type as a hyped-up version of the Vicar of Dibley - equal parts zany, idiotic and annoying. I've half-watched this go nowhere for the last 3 episodes. No one acts the way these characters act. It's marketed as a comedy drama. regrettably it's neither. The trouble with Maggie Cole is it's sheer drivel.

Truly, truly terrible.

[RedMars2017 · 8 March 2020]

Whilst we're meant to be in a golden age of TV, ITV continue to produce rubbish like this, full of cliche characters, badly written dialogue and set in a 1990s world where every teenager is an ASBO, every marriage is on the rocks, every foreigner is treated with disdain. It's like a Brexit version of Broadchurch, only without the humour, drama or interest.

It is painfully slow. The writing is a mess, neither funny enough to be a comedy, nor dramatic enough to be a drama. It's wallpaper TV. What a waste of talent on screen, what a mess from those behind the camera.

Very funny

[adrineh_a · 8/10 · 31 October 2020]

Another amusing and hilarious British production. Love Maggie Cole's ever changing facial expressions. Her determination to put things right after hurting some is what we need in our pre-election hyped up climate leading to the holiday season.

Dawn French and Mark Heap are a delight! :)

[sheldonlinda · 8/10 · 14 January 2022]

Linda Ann Sheldon I loved them both - exc. Mark's mustache. Interesting to see them much less caricatured than they are in LR2C. Dawn is such a delight.

Linda Ann Sheldon 10:58 a.m.

Last night I watched the 2020 British mini-series "The Trouble with Maggie Cole." It was about the dangers of gossip, but I also saw it as showing the dangers of only knowing half of the story, and then jumping to conclusions - making wrong conclusions from only knowing and being able to see half of the story. Either tell the whole story, or don't tell any of the story. Avoid the appearance of evil bec. Then people are then only getting a portion of the story.

Fun to see Dawn French and Mark Heap is more realistic roles than their charicatured roles in "Larkrise to Candleford." Dawn was all Dawn in both, she is such a delight - that smile of hers lights up an entire room.

IMDB is nuts that it is poorly written. It well written The girl that plays the daughter-in-law was so cute and so funny and so wry?, outside of Mark and Dawn, she was my favorite. Fun to see the British small town seaside scenery. I have to go spend so time now in a small British town.

I had heard of it, but hadn't thought of trying to find it, but the other afternoon while searching the Orem Library for the LDS "Pride and Prejudice" I happened to see it, so decided to watch it to see Dawn and Mark.

At the beginning you start off feeling kind of dirty hearing the things that Dawn's character "Maggie" says, but then when you see her very sincere heartfelt albeit sometimes clumsy and comical desire to make things right with all of her friends you fall in love with her. The other IMDB reviewers were nuts that she isn't sincere.

Anyway, it does present some interesting thing to think about.

Childrens TV?

[siwot · 2/10 · 6 April 2020]

Poor directing, cheap story lines and child like dialogue. ITV are doing this on a regular basis