TV Review - Dappers on BBC Three

I was sent a copy of a Drama Pilot called Dappers which is to be shown this Thursday 10^th June on BBC Three.

The show is about two single mums on benefits and their determination to give their daughters a better life.  The two best friends Faye (Lenora Crichlow) and Ashley (Ty Glaser) live in same block of housing association flats in Bristol.

This one off Comedy/ Drama is written by Catherine Johnson, best known for Mamma Mia and is described as “Delivering a cheerful poke in the eye to all the "single mums/council-flats/failing Britain" headlines, welcome to the world of Dappers”

I really wanted to like this but it just wasn’t funny at all. Even though the aim was to not be stereotypical about young single mums, it was. All they needed to do was stick them in a council flat and be done with it. Both mums are on benefits, one is cheating the benefit system, there is petty theft and drug use not really what I call “a cheerful poke in the eye”. Every now and then they would stick in a scene where you see they love their children dearly and its all for them.

The two best friends try to start a doggy day care centre which on paper sounds hilarious but it just didn’t deliver.  I think they were trying to squeeze too much into one episode so everything felt rushed and didn’t have time to develop into a funny outcome.

Maybe I’m just too old to watch BBC three who appear to aim to the younger market, I keep waiting for BBC Three to come up with a really funny show but it hasn’t happened yet.

Sorry Dappers I give you 2/5.

NM X