Stella (Sky One)

Given that I never really paid much attention to ‘Gavin and Stacey’, I had few expectations for the slow-paced Welsh comedy drama of ‘Stella’. I thoroughly enjoyed Ruth Jones in ‘Hattie’ so I was in no doubt of her beguiling acting skills or timing but I somehow feel that she isn’t at her best in ‘Stella’. In the wake of the frothy comedy drama ‘Mount Pleasant’ also on Sky One, I was hoping for something in the same vein but ‘Stella’ just didn’t live up to my hopes. Perhaps this is my failing rather than anything else.

Don’t get me wrong, ‘Stella’ is still worth a watch as it seems to be just getting into its stride but I had hoped to be more enamoured with the characters after the first two episodes.

Ruth Jones plays the titular character, a world weary but still optimistic woman in her 40’s who very much seems to live for her family. A divorced mother of three, she spends her days ironing for the local residents of her village as well as the day to day work of the household and taking care of her children. Her ex-husband is seeing a younger woman who insists she be called ‘Na-dine’ by everyone but generally this request is ignored making it something of a running joke. Stella’s eldest son is in jail, her sixteen year old daughter is found to be in a sexual relationship with her boyfriend that leads to changes for everyone and her youngest son appears to be studious and fairly quiet. Stella is fiercely protective of her little family, desperate for her kids to have the best chances in life; she adores her children but you can’t help but feel that maybe she missed out on some things she wanted to do after falling pregnant at an early age.

Her family and the characters that surround her are a little predictable and stereotypical and I anticipated more comedy than drama. It was described in the media as a gentle comedy drama but perhaps the comedy is a bit too gentle. Stella’s brother is married to a funeral director who also appears to be an alcoholic, their sex life is the focus of some hilarity being somewhat varied. The neighbours across the road appear to have a horse living in their house, which I tried to find amusing and quirky but so numbed by odd news stories and strange internet tales am I that I sort of skimmed over it without giving it much thought. Stella is the focus of the local lollipop man’s amorous attentions whose most romantic actions seem unlikely to be reciprocated as there is another potential man on the scene.

The show is filled with the trials and tribulations of everyday life and it is not hard to identify with the situations, the emotions and the dilemmas but it is almost as if it is too close to real life to really be entertaining. I know the theory of ‘it’s funny because it’s true’ but sometimes it’s just true and you can see it coming. I think that predictability is the main irk for me so far.

I admire Ruth Jones for her sacrifices for comedy as she doesn’t seem to mind looking dowdy or ridiculous for her art, even though in real life she appears to be very attractive and the other actors in the show are giving their best but it just isn’t hitting the right notes for me. Maybe I need a little more time to get into it and I will give it the customary first series to make up my mind fully about whether I will watch a second series should it be created but for now it gets a tenuous 3/5 from me.