"Love Soup" (2005) TV series 2005-????

User Rating:

8.0/10   

Creator:

David Renwick

Seasons:

1 | 2

Release Date:

27 September 2005 (UK)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

If your perfect partner was out there... how would you ever know?

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Tamsin Greig	...	Alice Chenery (18 episodes, 2005-2008)
Montserrat Lombard	...	Milly Russell (17 episodes, 2005-2008)
Sheridan Smith	...	Cleo Martin (15 episodes, 2005-2008)
Owen Brenman	...	Lloyd Drewitt (8 episodes, 2005-2008)

Also Known As:

Love Soup 2 (UK) (DVD box title)

Runtime:

29 min (12 episodes) | 59 min (6 episodes)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

UK:12 (4 episodes) | UK:15 (13 episodes) | UK:PG (1 episode)

Filming Locations:

Brighton, East Sussex, England, UK

Company:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Quotes:

Alice Chenery: I don't know, what is it with you people? The only topic of conversation is men, how to get them, what happens when you've got them and then how to get rid of them. God, it's all I ever hear, is men!
Cleo Martin: She needs a man!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Verity Lambert: Drama Queen (2008) (TV)

A wonderfully written tonic to dilute the endless stream of psychological thrillers and hospital dramas

Love Soup is a reflection of all of us. We all want to meet that particular person that just seems to be our Mr/Mrs Right. Most of us can't really define it, we just know it exists. Love Soup's opening gambit is really a suggestion that perhaps somewhere on this planet at this moment in time is a person who is absolutely perfect for you. You may live on the same street or they may be living at the other side of the world. Whatever scenario exists you may never ever meet.

Love Soup explores the lives of Alice and Gil in tandem. They don't know each other but live in the same part of Britain. It becomes apparent very quickly that both Alice and Gil are looking for the same things. They have similar ideologies and similar outlooks on life. They are both quirky eccentrically shy oddballs who look upon the world with innocently suspicious eyes. It is with this conflict that David Renwick explores both of the characters worlds with comedic marvel! Some of the jokes are superbly built into the storyline as to be absolutely crucial and some are just amazingly crafted to make you laugh out loud then laugh again when you see more and more meanings dangling off the same scene.

The tempo of the series is crafted perfectly. You are sucked in and after the first two episodes you are hooked. David Renwick was clever enough to increase the level of laughs perfectly as the series went on until he could afford to introduce the darker elements of the plot without detracting from the audiences enjoyment. The scripting is exceptionally clever on so many levels that it really makes you want to watch more. The ending came and was exactly what I hoped for. The message was quite clear through the series and ended as it should. Lots of roller coaster twists are added too! - it is all in there! I do hope that this will not be turned into another series because it will just become something it should never be. I am quite happy to think of Alice and Gil stumbling around the dating game with their embarrassed squints of pain when it all goes wrong. BRAVO David! Please write more television!