Nice Girl Goes for a “Last Tango in Halifax”

I’ve just experienced six of the most entertaining hours I’ve had in a long time, thanks to the PBS mini-series, Last Tango in Halifax. The series premieres Sunday, September 8th, at 8/7c. The series shot to the top of BBC Ones’s charts last year and now we can enjoy it here in the States.

Caroline (SARAH LANCASHIRE and Gillian (SARAH WALKER)

Last Tango in Halifax follows Alan (Derek Jacobi) and Celia (Anne Reid), as they reconnect through emails, having known each other in their school days. The couple were once sweethearts but through a misunderstanding and the betrayal of a  friend, they were separated. Sixty years later, both have survived their spouses and once again turn to each other.

I loved how this story is told. Alan and Celia are at the core of a whirlwind containing their families’ problems, which are huge. Their daughters, Caroline and Gillian, have messed up their lives to such a degree that you wonder throughout the series if they’ll ever straighten it all out. Their stories are weaved in and out of Alan and Celia’s lamenting what might have been and memories from their younger days together.

Halifax is a drama but I found myself laughing often at the adventures the ‘young’ couple were having since coming together. I loved the sweetness and honestly of their relationship. They each have their own demons that they have to face, but they do it together – until one time when they can’t.

Celia (ANNE REID)and Alan (DEREK JACOBI

Alan and Celie, unbeknownst to them, and through their love, was the magic that both families needed to break out of the ruts they were in. It brought both families together, created new relationships, mended hurts both old and new, and in the end it save even them.

Treat yourselves to some of the most pleasant Sunday evenings you’ll have for the next few weeks as Last Tango in Halifax plays out. It’s got a great cast, amazing writing and heartwarming characters. And maybe even a ghost in a haunted hall!

LAST TANGO IN HALIFAX stars Derek Jacobi (The King’s Speech, “The Borgias,” My Week With Marilyn) as Alan, Anne Reid (“Upstairs, Downstairs,” “Marchlands”) as Celia, Sarah Lancashire (“Five Daughters,” “Wuthering Heights,” “Inspector George Gently”) as Caroline, Nicola Walker (“Inside Men,” “Spooks,” “Being Human”) as Gillian, Tony Gardner (“Fresh Meat,” “My Parents Are Aliens”) as John, Dean Andrews (“Life On Mars,” “Ashes To Ashes,” “Marchlands”) as Robbie, Nina Sosanya (“Silk,” “Five Days,” “Hustle”) as Kate, Ronni Ancona (“Skins,” “Big Impression”) as Judith and Josh Bolt (“Shameless,” Nowhere Boy) as Raff.